My name is Cedric MWENDANGA, from DR Congo. I am pleased to have this opportunity to address myself to all readers of this message. It was a long journey, full of both struggles and joy. Migrating to China was an independent choice and as a result,I am proud of my accomplishment as I will be graduating this year as a Civil Engineer. Whats next?
Before talking about the next step, it is always good to know the previous one. Zust and Me Quid?
Why did you choose Zust as your university?
First of all i didn't choose Zust, but my agent did for me, because i didn't know anything about China, neither the city of Hangzhou nor the University itself. My duration at ZUST was challenging (trying to manage classes, activities, personal life, environment without getting lost or get influenced badly, because it obvious that life in china is different comparing to my home country and if you are not stable you can easily loose your path) , but today i can confidently say that i had the best life ever at this university.
How did you managed to settle in this new environment without knowing Chinese?
Well, as all freshmen, we all went through the stress of the language barrier once arrived in china, but that didn't stop me from my dream. In contrast it was one source of motivation for me. I remember the first question i asked to myself when i came to china and it was: “what will i do if i get lost one day?” the roads, streets, shops all are written in Chinese. I was so impressed by the way my classmates were speaking Chinese, and i told myself that i must be good like them or better than them. From that day i started my journey with studying Chinese language.
How hard was it to learn Chinese?
I always keep a positive mind in everything i do. Although by myself i know its not easy, but with hard work and persistence i can do it. I started practicing the tones everyday, during 2 months, actively participating in the school activities so that i could meet Chinese friends for help, listening to the recording of my Chinese books, watching cartoons(熊出没，豆小鸭), and after four months i could be able to speak basic Chinese.
What did you learn from Zust?
A part from my study time, i have gain a lot of experience through the events organized by the university. The university did their best in providing a comfortable and safe environment for learning. Organizing sport meetings, competitions, trips, and other activities related with the daily life. Being a student it is then your duty to seize these opportunities to learn. During my past 4 years in ZUST, i have learned a lot through my teachers, my friends, and all the people who were there whenever i had a problem. I have been so active, and engaged to help the university to make students social life better than before. Always helping friends whenever they have a question or a problem. I learned a lot through the people i was working with once i was a minister in the international student union, that was a good experience. From this view, i encourage people to join the union. First, it will help you to get experience about the management of people and events, second it will help you to understand the importance of team work. For the past 4 years of journey, ZUST has taught me many things that I didn’t know before, helped me to improve my practical ability and critical thinking, valuable spirit of perseverance, good thinking, and positive attitude. It is such a blessing to get scholarships during my studies in ZUST and i thanks God for that. I also want to say my gratitude to all of my teachers who have given trust to me so that I can get many opportunities to learn and improve myself.
During my duration i have been awarded a lot of certificates of honor, i won some competition such as top 10 international student 2019,best overall actor during the open mic competition 2019, the video competition for Covid 2020 support and so on. We together with friends represented our school during the 12nd Journey of Discovery in Zhejiang, performing the dragon dance. I cant forget those days of happiness with all the active Zusters. It always fun to be a Zuster.
For all of my friends and students in ZUST, it doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop learning from your mistake and failure. Let’s face it together and don’t give up. Here are some tips for you. First, don’t waste your time and manage it properly. Do your best to enjoy your student life and don’t forget that studying must be your first priority. Trust me, scholarship will be the reward of your hard work. Whenever you have problem, and need help, there are always friends, teachers, and classmates who are ready to help you. Join many activities as many as you can, but more importantly, your personality and attitude. The beginning is always the hardest but I hope you can enjoy your life here. Life rewards those who work hard for it. Zust will remember you, play better.
