WKU毕业“声” | 高钰晨：交叉路口的选择——跨专业学习的国关梦

 CLA 

/ 高钰晨 /

传播学 

辅修政治科学

经历及荣誉：

2023年温州肯恩大学科研创新奖学金

2022年外研社杯英语演讲比赛国家二等奖

2022年亚运之星英语演讲比赛国家一等奖

2022年温州青年英语演讲大赛亚军

2021年温州肯恩大学院长奖学金二等奖

录取情况：

芝加哥大学国际关系专业 ($1w奖学金)

宾夕法尼亚大学跨文化传播专业 ($1w奖学金)

宾夕法尼亚大学公共管理专业

伦敦政治经济学院传播与政治专业

波士顿大学国际事务专业 ($3w奖学金)

南加州大学公共外交专业

悉尼大学国际关系专业

Q1：为什么选择在温州肯恩大学就读？人文学院提供了哪些帮助？

我和温肯的缘分可以用‘阴差阳错’四个字来概括。山东高考改革第一年加上疫情原因，我的高考分数并不理想，与我当初预备填报的学校相差不少。高考的失利当时很大程度上影响了我对未来发展走向的想法，并且处于人生比较沮丧的阶段。但很幸运的是，一直有出国想法并且想学传媒的我，被命运安排进了温肯的传播学。

如果说入学前选择温肯是命运的安排，那么入学后我对温肯就是坚定的选择。在温肯的三年半时间里，人文学院在科研/竞赛/课程学习上给予了我极大的帮助和支持。专业课程上的老师，Abbigail Ajim, Hooisan Noew和Yanmin Yu教授们给我在传播学方面打了很扎实的基础，非常感谢他们在本科阶段对我的指导和帮助。对未来我即将要踏入的领域，Chunjuan Nancy Wei, Wei Chen和Shaoshuang Wen老师是我在政治学领域的领路人，在各个方面都给了我极大的帮助和支持。此外，Svetlana Vikhnevich教授于我亦师亦友，在我的语言学习及科研方面起到了不可或缺的作用。在此再次感谢人文学院各位老师的倾囊相授，没有他们的支持和引领，就没有我的进步和成长。

Q2：在课程选择上有什么经验可以分享给学弟学妹？

选课的原则一是看课程syllabus，二是看授课老师。虽然无法给各位非常具体的建议，但大家可以在选课之前提前问学长学姐，或是浏览官网看课程的syllabus，大致了解课程是否和自己想学的所匹配。其次，大家要对未来的发展方向有比较清晰的了解，比如我未来想要做传播和国际关系的交叉领域，那么在选课时我就会多选择和ps及ir有关的课程。再比如未来想做量化的同学，选课时就可以多选择数学或是带编程性质的课程；选课的成绩单在申请过程中也是招生官考量非常重要的一部分。

Q3：是怎样探索自己的科研/实习道路的呢？以及遇到困难时如何克服的呢？

我的科研之路是从教育和ESL方向开始的。大一下时我在支教活动中认识了Lana和Lynn，并加入了Lana教授的SaP项目，和Lynn一起作为pedagogical consultant开始协助做科研。这个科研项目在2022年12月以在Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change 上成功发表为标志结束，期间也陆陆续续和小伙伴们一起做了两项其他教育研究并在几个国际会议上作了发表。

虽然过程中我能感到自己本身对科研的强烈兴趣，以及和科研伙伴们头脑风暴的愉悦感，但我始终对教育板块兴致索然。于是在大三后，我选择了自己更感兴趣的传播和国关板块，并和Dr. Wei一起完成了有关青岛在20世纪末期的殖民研究，以及大国政治博弈理论的运用。大四上我又在Dr. Noew的指导下完成了毕业论文，用thematic analysis的方法完成了中国日报对日本核污水排放报道的内容分析，并利用framing theory对其报道侧重点进行解析。

回看在温肯做科研的经历，困难和障碍也不少，比如经费短缺/理论基础不扎实/写作语言不够深入等等。要说怎么克服的呢，也不过就是熬几个夜，痛哭几场就过去了；最终在自我意识的觉醒和老师的帮助下，困难都迎刃而解了。

Q4：可以分享一些申请过程中的心得体会吗？

我在整个申请季基本只有两个感受：极度自信 or 极度焦虑。并且每天两种心情都要频繁交替进行，特别容易怀疑人生。所以我要分享的第一个体会就是：放平心态，做好“全聚德”的准备。我这里说的这种心态不代表申请摆烂，随便投投然后碰运气，看哪个项目能发offer，而是说千万不要被申请过程中的拒信或是同学的offer，影响自己投递的进度和计划。拿我自己举例，申请季一开始我投了利兹的political communication项目，自信满满觉得马上第一个offer就要拿到手了，结果不到24小时就收到了拒信，理由大致是课程不匹配。而那个时候我的申请还完全没开始，方向又几乎都是和这个一样，所以我几度自我怀疑。但是一所学校的结果并非代表整个申请季的结局，收到拒信或是在漫长等待的过程中一定要放平心态，千万不要因小失大。

第二点，也是我认为对人文社科同学申请季最重要的一点（其他专业方向不一定适用）：你是世界上最适合给自己写Personal Statement的人。换句话说来理解，就是千万不要依赖中介或是任何文书老师。虽然我申请季没有找中介，但是因为我申请方向的文书要求非常繁重，我选择把4个项目分担给了一位文书老师。最后的申请结果很神奇，我自己申请的项目全部拿到了，而文书老师负责的4个项目无一例外全部被拒。事后我复盘了一下原因，得出的结论是：1）你自己是唯一在乎你的申请结果的人，而对中介/文书老师来说，这只是他们的工作；2）文字可以精准传达出申请者是否真诚以及是否匹配；3）招生官作为老油条也看的出你是否是真心想来这个项目。所以我劝25届的学弟学妹们，无论是否找中介，自己在选校和文书上面一定要多花心思，深入挖掘。

Q5：为什么会选择政治/国际关系方向？

选国关的原因很简单，用那英的一句歌词来说，就是“我想把这世界看的清清楚楚，明明白白。”第一次意识到我本科所学的媒体，以及新闻中各国战略动机的复杂性，是在Dr. Nancy的一门international organization的课上。当时Nancy给我们展示了Mearsheimer的一段有关中国崛起的讲座，而在那个视频中，我直观地意识到一个高度理论化的学科，是可以被如此有趣地运用到对当今世界纷乱格局的解析中，也成为了我选择国关的主要原因。其次，在我参加演讲比赛的过程中，我发现中国的软实力在世界上仍存在较大差距，而这也成为中美竞争中中国的一个巨大弱势。这一点在我来到韩国就读后体会更为深刻，来自其他地区的同学对中国知之甚少，但却会被K-pop和日漫等年轻潮流文化所吸引。总的来说，选择国关道路的原因，一是因为兴趣及好奇，二是因为未来发展潜力。最后，我也非常幸运的能去到芝加哥大学，和大三我在视频中所见到的Mearsheimer教授继续学习国关知识。

    CLA

 Please Scroll Down For The English Version

Gao Yuchen

Senior

Communication (Public Relations)

Minor in Political Science

Experiences and Honors:

2023 Wenzhou-Kean University Research and Innovation Scholarship

2022 FLTRP Cup English Speech Contest - National second prize

2022 Asian Games English Speech Competition - National first prize

Runner-up of Wenzhou Youth English Speaking Contest 2022

Second prize of Wenzhou-Kean University Dean's Scholarship 2021

Offer List:

University of Chicago international relations ($10k scholarship)

University of Pennsylvania intercultural communication ($10k scholarship)

University of Pennsylvania international, master of public administration

London School of Economics and Political Science politics and communication

Boston University international affairs ($30k scholarship)

University of Southern California public diplomacy

University of Sydney international relations

1. Why did you choose to study at Wenzhou-Kean University? What has the College of Liberal Arts brought to you?

The fate between me and Wenzhou-Kean University can be summarized by the phrase “阴差阳错” (yīn chā yáng cuò), which roughly translates to “a twist of fate” or “serendipity.” Due to the first year of Shandong’s college entrance exam reform coupled with the pandemic, my Gaokao scores were not ideal, differing significantly from the schools I initially planned to apply for. The setback during the college entrance exam greatly influenced my future plans, leaving me in a somewhat despondent stage of life. However, my luck led me to enroll in Wenzhou-Kean University’s communication program.

If choosing Wenzhou-Kean University before enrollment was fate’s arrangement, then my firm decision to stick with WKU after enrollment was my firm choice. During my three and a half years at Wenzhou-Kean University, the College of Liberal Arts provided me with tremendous help and support in research, competitions, and coursework. Professors including Abbigail Ajim, Hooisan Noew, and Yanmin Yu laid a solid foundation for me in communication studies. I am very grateful for their guidance and assistance during my undergraduate studies. As for the field I am about to enter, Chunjuan Nancy Wei, Wei Chen, and Shaoshuang Wen have been my guides in political science, providing me with great help and support in various aspects. Additionally, Professor Svetlana Vikhnevich has been both a mentor and a friend, playing an indispensable role in my language learning and research. Once again, I would like to thank all the professors in the College of Liberal Arts for their teachings and guidance. Without their support, I would not have made progress and growth.

2. When it comes to experiences in study, what advice can you offer to students?

The principle of course selection lies in two aspects: first, examining the course syllabus; second, evaluating the teaching faculty. While it may not be possible to provide specific advice to everyone, it’s advisable for individuals to inquire with senior students beforehand or browse the official website to review the course syllabus before selecting courses. This will give a general understanding of whether the course aligns with your interests. Furthermore, individuals should have a clear understanding of their future career direction. For example, if one intends to pursue an interdisciplinary field like communication and international relations, they should prioritize selecting courses related to political science and international relations during course selection. Similarly, if one plans to venture into quantitative fields, they should consider choosing courses in mathematics or with programming elements. The course transcript is also a crucial part of the application process, as admissions officers consider it significantly.

3.How did you explore your research/internship path? And how did you overcome challenges?

My research journey began with a focus on education and ESL. In my sophomore year, I met Lana and Lynn during a volunteer teaching activity, and I joined Professor Lana’s SaP project. Together with Lynn, I began assisting with research as a pedagogical consultant. This research project concluded with the successful publication in the Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership, and Change in December 2022. During this time, I also collaborated with my peers on two other educational research projects and presented them at several international conferences.

Although I felt a strong interest in research and enjoyed the brainstorming sessions with my research partners, I remained somewhat indifferent to the education sector. Therefore, in my junior year, I chose to pursue my interest in communication and international relations. With Dr. Wei, I conducted research on the colonial history of Qingdao in the late 20th century and the application of balance of power theory. In the second semester of my senior year, under the guidance of Dr. Noew, I completed my senior thesis. Using thematic analysis, I conducted a content analysis of China Daily’s reporting on Japan’s nuclear wastewater discharge and analyzed the emphasis of the reports using framing theory.

Reflecting on my research experience at Wenzhou-Kean University, I encountered various difficulties and obstacles, such as lack of funding, inadequate theoretical foundation, and insufficient depth in writing language. Overcoming these challenges involved enduring sleepless nights and shedding tears, but with self-awareness and the help of my professors, I managed to overcome most of the difficulties.

4. Can you share insights and experiences during the application process?

Throughout the entire application season, I experienced two feelings: extreme confident or extreme anxious. These two moods would frequently alternate throughout the day, making it easy to doubt life. Thus, the first insight I want to share is: always calm down. Specifically, do not being influenced by ejection letters or classmates’ offers. For example, at the beginning of the application, I applied for political communication program at Leeds University. I was full of confidence and thought I would get the first offer very soon. However, I received a rejection letter in less than 24 hours, citing a mismatch in the curriculum. At that time, my applications hadn’t even started, and almost all my programs were similar to political communication, so I doubted myself several times. But the result of one school does not represent the outcome of the entire application season. So, receiving rejection letters or waiting for a long time means nothing, what you should do is to calm down during the process.

Secondly, and also the most important point sfor humanities and social science students during the application process (may not apply to other majors): You are the best person in the world to write your Personal Statement. In other words, do not rely on agents or any writing teachers. Although I didn’t use an agent during the application, I decided to delegate four programs to a writing teacher, because the writing requirements for my applied field were very heavy. What is interesting, all the projects I applied for myself were successful, while all four projects handled by the writing teacher were rejected without exception. 

Afterwards, I reviewed the reasons, and my conclusion was: 1) You are the only person who cares about the outcome of your application, while for agents/writing teachers, it’s just their job; 2) Words can accurately convey whether the applicant is sincere and whether they are a good fit; 3) Admissions officers, as seasoned professionals, can also tell whether you genuinely want to join their program.

5. Why did you choose Politics/International Relations track?

The reason for choosing international relations is quite simple, to put it in the lyrics of Na Ying’s song, “I want to see and understand this world clearly.” The first time I realized the complexity of the strategic motives of various countries in the media and news was in Dr. Nancy’s class on international organization during my undergraduate studies. At that time, Nancy showed us a lecture by Mearsheimer about the rise of China, and in that video, I intuitively realized that a highly theoretical discipline could be applied so interestingly to analyze the chaotic patterns of the world today, which also became the main reason for my choice of international relations. Secondly, during my participation in speech competitions, I found that China’s soft power still lags behind in the world, which is also a significant weakness for China in its competition with the United States. This became even more evident to me after I went to study in South Korea, where students from other regions know very little about China but are attracted to young trends such as K-pop and Japanese animations. Overall, the reasons for choosing the path of international relations are twofold: interest and curiosity, and potential for future development.

  CLA GRADUATES  

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高钰晨

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高钰晨

/排版/

申乙雯

/责编/

人文学院