After two quiet summer months, the campus has become a beehive of activity. Enthusiasm and vigor abound at this time of the year and nobody could remain unfazed as the campus was all set to welcome the incoming students this year. Like every other year, the incoming students emanated youthful spontaneity, innate shyness and lasting doubts. They were greeted with welcoming messages on digital billboards and bright red banners flanked at the entrances. Teams of student volunteers had set up tents at the entrances for the reception of new students and they were greeted with smiling faces and helping hands. The new comers carried their luggages- all filled with favorite hometown treats, plush toys, kitchen appliances, fancy electronics, fitness gear and decorative items- into their respected dorm rooms and started unpacking them. Everything in their rooms looked so pertinent and uncluttered and they were eager to talk and get to know their roommates. This is probably the first time the freshmen have been totally away from their family and friends, and they have yet to figure out ways to make the most out of this newfound freedom.
The hallways were in a bit of pandemonium as slews of discombobulated students shoved their way through the crowded offices, but nonetheless, everything was well-organized. The volunteers and university staff provided assistance in every possible way— receiving them from the airport, going through the registration formalities and settling them down in the campus residence. Even the regular students didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to welcome new members of the WHU family and they lent a hand by carrying an arm full of the new students’ belongings and also made a concerted effort to chat with the incoming students to make their first day a bit of a relief.
The long journey to Wuhan had not worn them out; instead, they were brimming with excitement and anticipation to begin the next phase of their life. The foreign students were accompanied by their parents, who had traveled halfway around the world, just to see their kids take this important step into their journey of discovery. The parents were a bit anxious at first but were relieved to see how their kids immersed and familiarized themselves in this new environment and they happily departed with tearful hugs. All thanks to the volunteers, who were so pumped to take our newest members on a quick tour of the university to get a sense of university life and helped them reach out and connect with their fellow freshmen. This year the students hailed from as far as Bulgaria, and as close as Wuhan itself along with plenty of places in between, boasting a much diverse international community.
Even the seniors were happy to answer the students’ queries, allaying their nervousness, without even a hint of ego, and the freshmen were elated to get a healthy dose of reality from the people who have been there and done that in the exact same programs they are in. The seniors got a chance to reminisce their momentous days as freshmen as they were reminded of their nerve-racking but ultimately triumphant first day experience at WHU. Transitioning into college life opens windows to new opportunities and the range of clubs and societies they can engage in at WHU is largely extensive, ranging from travel, music, dance, debate, web design to business management. Here at WHU, they will have more leeway to explore a variety of topics and binge into artistic and athletic pursuits befitting their passion. By now, they might have realized that it is imperative to be perceptive, to not be complacent and try to improve assiduously and to have a clear-as-day idea of what goals to set and how to achieve them. As our seniors can attest, WHU has been their holy grail and has irrevocably altered the course of their life to a humbling extent. The new students and their parents were fascinated by the ostensibly historic landmarks and seemingly sculptured landscapes at WHU. The atmosphere here--the architecture, the history-- accentuates the simplicity and austerity of the university community while the cherry blossom trees are vestiges of ephemeral charm that vivify a sense of blissful college life only found at WHU. Apart from these, what gratifies them most is being a part of the institution that has produced some of the biggest trailblazers in the country. Hitherto confused, the freshmen are now certain that the journey they have embarked upon will be an emotional rollercoaster and they will eventually have the life their parents had wanted for them.
Congratulations to the freshmen on being enrolled and we wish you a blissful college life. Hope you cherish every moment at WHU.
(edited by Siyuan Fang and Edmund Wai Man Lai, photo by YutongGuo)
