Let's hear it from Tsinghua freshmen

In this year's national college entrance examination, Yang Yu, with her performance as the eighth-ranked student in Chongqing, was admitted to Zhishan College at Tsinghua University. Her father, Yang Yun, a postal worker with 21 years of experience, personally handed the admission letter from Tsinghua University to his daughter.

Yang Yu with her parents.

In the second year of middle school, Yang Yu's homeroom teacher gave her a Tsinghua badge. From that moment on, Yang Yu set her sights on attending Tsinghua University as her dream and worked tirelessly toward it.

"I enjoy reading research-oriented books. Although I may not fully grasp everything in them, I am always fascinated by the knowledge in these fields," Yang Yu shared. When filling out her college application, the newly established Zhishan College at Tsinghua University caught her attention. "At Zhishan, I anticipate experiencing the charm of interdisciplinary studies and enriching my understanding of the world through academic pursuits," Yang Yu said.

As she prepares to enter university, Yang Yu has already made preliminary plans for the open and diverse campus life at Tsinghua. "I hope to better understand myself, become a mature and capable person, meet more interesting people and have more enriching experiences, and also find my academic direction. My aim is to contribute to the development of the digital society," she said.

“We sometimes complain about each other, but we always work and make progress together,” says Guo Yangjun, a freshman who will pursue his undergraduate degree at Tsinghua with his two dormmates from high school, Wang Ziyuan and Mu Hanyao.

Guo, Wang, and Mu described mutual encouragement as the “lubricant” of their relationship. If someone’s expectations are not met, the other two will pat him on the back and offer guidance and comfort. “We’ll respect each other’s privacy and provide a quiet environment when necessary.” Their excellence and diligence have also become a motivation for each other to study.

Although three of them have never visited Tsinghua, they have already started to imagine their university life. Ready for new beiginnings, they look forward to developing personalized learning plans, fully unleashing their potential with the freedom of professional choice, and enjoying a campus full of youthful atmosphere.

“We share study methods and supervise each other in learning, and we help each other in daily life, providing support, understanding, and comfort,” says Dou Jiyu from the School of Law, who’s beginning her studies as a freshman with her twin sister Dou Jijia from the joint program between Tsinghua and the Peking Union Medical College.

Aspiring to study in Tsinghua 12 years ago when they first visited the campus, Jiyu and Jijia have since then supported each other in chasing their dreams and achieved resounding results in various fields. Jiyu wrote a manuscript that was published in the enrollment brochure of their alma mater and Jijia won a silver medal in the Chinese Women's Mathematical Olympiad. Since Jiyu has a high regard for judges and lawyers who uphold justice, while Jijia is interested in the mysteries of life, they will pursue their degrees in different fields.

Coming from Xinjiang, Jiyu and Jijia described their hometown as “diverse”, where they can experience both cities and nature, enjoy the culture of different ethnicities, and play different sports at school, such as skiing. Arriving in Beijing for new beginnings, they hope to establish a solid humanistic foundation in general education, and actively participate in social practices and volunteer work to serve society.

Read more about THU

TsinghuaRen | Let's hear it from Tsinghua freshmen

Writers: Cindy Yang, Goh Rui Fan

Editors: Li Han, Fang Si, Gillian Tang

Designer: Fang Si

Reviewers: Chen Ken, Lin Yuan