Zoe Rudd: Balancing Workloads 

Adopted from China when she was only 14 months old, Zoe finds learning Chinese a way to connect with her own cultural heritage. Nowadays, China has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and the largest technology market. For Zoe, learning Chinese provides her opportunities to work with Chinese companies in the future.

To balance out her academic responsibilities, Zoe finds it essential to prioritize her works. Majoring in both Computer Science and Chinese, Zoe uses task management software to help her stay on track with homework and exams. For her, mastering the Chinese language is a priority, thus she almost always finishes her Chinese homework before others for better memorization.

By participating in the Chinese Flagship program, Zoe has utilized various resources and opportunities to enhance her learning and apply to study abroad. Zoe’s ultimate career goal is to work as a computer scientist at an international company with connections to China, and she believes that her experience at the Flagship program is taking her one step closer to achieving that goal.

Aaron Schmidt: Integrating Chinese and Computer Science 

Chinese is the language with the most native speakers in the world. For Aaron, studying Chinese does not only provide a path to career prospects, but also a bridge to establishing friendships and connections with Chinese-speaking people around the world. 

Like Zoe, Aaron also finds it useful to plan and coordinate his study to make sure he is succeeding in both learning Chinese completing his program in Computer Science. To do this, he often prioritizes his coursework based on the level of their difficulty. In addition, he always sets aside a certain amount of time to make sure he is keeping on with his Chinese study.

Through the rigorous coursework, tutoring sessions, scholarships, and opportunities for study abroad in the Chinese Flagship program, Aaron is able to develop an understanding of the Chinese language and culture at a much deeper level than what he would be able to otherwise. In addition, Aaron has undergone training specifically designed to help him succeed in his chosen field of study in a Chinese-speaking environment through the Chinese Flagship program. This is extremely helpful in realizing his career goals of working in mainland China or Taiwan.

Originally published in Chinese Flagship Newsletter, 2021 January Issue.