2 years ago I came to VIA University College to learn English at the University Foundation Course. Now I’m on the second semester of the Constructing Architect programme.
HaiJin Shen is a 27 year old Koran-Chinese. She left a job in Chinese-Korean trading company in the, for a Chinese student, mature age of 24, to pursue her dream.
Since I was a small child, I’ve dreamt of being able to study construction, but as I’m third child in my family, I never thought it was a possibility. I’m a very lucky one to get this chance and to have such good teachers and nice friends.
My dream isn’t to become a world famous architect, but I would like to be a good constructing architect and design and build a house for my parents. Maybe I’ll travel to Korea, where my parents live, and where European building style is very popular and I can put my qualifications into use. On the other hand, I could also go to China or stay here in Denmark. At the moment I’m mostly focussed on my studies and getting even better at English.
“I’m a bit like a child learning to walk. It is one step at the time.”
It is very hard to study here, but you also learn more. In China, there is just one correct answer and you have to remember what the teacher say it is. Here you don’t get the correct answer; usually there is more than one you and have to work it out yourself. I’m a bit like a child learning to walk. It is one step at the time.
A lot of my work has been in a group with 2 Icelandic students and 1 from Australia. It is very nice to work together, since we never fight and always can agree. Communication in the group is very important and we always talk a lot. Even when we are not making group work, we still help each other.
Volleyball and dormitories
My class is a mixture of students from Bulgaria, Iceland, Poland, Australia and other countries.
I like spending time with them, also when we are not working on our projects. I meet them in the bar on Friday afternoons; both for talking to other student or to get a beer; and I play volleyball with them and with some of the many other international students.
When I first moved here, I lived in a dormitory with a lot of other Chinese students. My English didn’t improve fast enough, so I switched dorms to live with students from other countries. Here my flatmates were from Poland and Spain and my English got a lot better. Now I’m living in a flat with my own kitchen and bathroom and it is so great to be able to invite both my group and my entire class for parties.
I talk to my parents in Korea 3 times a week. They are afraid to interrupt me in my studies, so usually I call them. With internet connection everywhere, it is pretty easy to keep in touch. Of course I miss them, but I’m looking forward to visit them this summer. My friends back home are all married and having children and my mother would like me to do the same and she keeps on talking about it on the phone. I don’t really have time to for it and prefer to study. I don’t have any brothers and my father has often asked me and my sisters; “Who will take care of us when we get old?” I always said: “Me”. And now I’m doing my best to prepare for that.
