“Mary Baldwin was a good transition experience to university [life], I think. We had a special orientation for us PEG students. And we had to take courses in math and history and such to make up for what we missed in high school.”
“My father was all for it, my mother, being a mother, was more worried of course. She wanted me to stay at home, but I felt ready. I was always raised as an independent person. The main effect of [starting university] this early was that I matured earlier.”
“First semester there were some difficulties, of course, but all transfer students have that adjustment period. But after that period, everything went a lot more smoothly. Doing well in class and such. And my age was never an issue.”
“I guess I made friends with people who were not too much the party type. But I was never the type of person who would like to party too much. I never felt the urge to do that, I much prefer going downtown for a dinner or a movie. So it didn't matter whether I was younger.”
“Courses such as physics, which I hadn't taken before coming here, was of course challenging. Other students had taken it in high school, so I had to work harder to grasp the material which was all new to me. But, overall, I look at classes in terms of your learning ability. Your learning ability is your learning ability. Most of the material in college courses is new to everyone, so they are in the same situation as me.”
“Professors and most of the people here don't know about it. It is not publicized or anything. My age only comes up occasionally. If the person doesn't know me, they feel threatened perhaps. But once they get to know me and become my friend, it doesn't enter their minds anymore.”
“I just think being a doctor is very appropriate for me. It is a good balance of science and humanity -- very good for me. Also, I've seen how important health is through my activities here. Healing someone is so noble, so humbling.”
“Both of my parents were immigrants from China -- we had to work really hard to get here. Our financial situation was not good at many points when I was growing up. They were not able to help me with schoolwork that much, but otherwise they have always been great examples for me to be hardworking.”
“I think, like everyone else, I am a little scared and a little excited. You've been at school all your life and now what awaits you is much different.”
