Students From Different Backgrounds Discuss School and Life

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Olivia Xiao is in grade 12 at the International School of Beijing (ISB). She is Chinese American and has been living in Beijing since 2013.

Kannika Mehrotra is currently a rising senior at International School of Beijing (ISB). She’s originally from India and has been living in Beijing for the past 1.5 years.

Q

What will you miss the most about Beijing once you leave for college?

Olivia: I’m definitely going to miss my family the most. Most of my extended family lives in Beijing, and we have family reunions and trips every year. I might not get the chance to visit often because of the pandemic and travel restrictions, so I’ll miss experiencing these traditions.

O

Kannika: After I leave for college, I will miss staying with my family, the home-cooked meals, the constant fights with my twin, the dinner table gossip, and most importantly, I will miss irritating my family!

K

Q

How do you de-stress when the school workload becomes too heavy? 

I like listening to music when I work, which makes studying and writing assignments more fun. When I feel too overwhelmed, I will do other activities to take my mind off things (e.g., taking a walk, playing piano, etc.).

O

When the school workload is too much, I always prefer talking to my friends and family. Interacting with my friends and family is always fun because they motivate me and push me forward to get done with the work. Sometimes I feel bad for my family because I make them listen to all the trivial problems in my life.

K

Q

What advice do you have for underclassmen starting the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP)?

Make sure to pick classes on a topic that you genuinely enjoy (and plan to pursue in college, if you have a general idea), especially for your higher levels. This way, you have a better chance of getting good grades, and being interested in your lessons also makes the work easier and even fun. It’s also a good idea to start creating study and organization habits before you start IB. This way, you can balance your extracurriculars and classes more effectively without spending extra time figuring it out.

O

My advice for an underclassman would be to stop overestimating themselves by the grades that they are getting right now because IB is a different adventure altogether. Please don’t choose courses based on the subjects you score the highest; instead, choose subjects you’re genuinely interested in studying. For example, if you might be getting a perfect score in science, but that’s not something you enjoy, then my advice is to avoid pursuing science. Another recommendation would be to stay flexible with your choices, a lot of times, you don’t know what you’re getting into, and it’s alright to make changes, for example, you can try out the courses for one month to test if it suits your caliber. If you’re struggling in the first month, be ready to make changes; don’t be afraid to switch courses before it is too late.

K

Q

How will your parents react if they find out you’re dating someone?

My parents would probably be cool with it because they know I know how to prioritize my time. But they would also remind me that education is the number one most important thing right now!

O

My parents will be in a state of shock if I directly go and tell them that I have a boyfriend. However, to an extent, I feel it will be easy for me to convince my mom, but my dad’s first reaction would be “disappointment,” especially if he finds out that I have a boyfriend before an established career. I am sure he will give me a long lecture about how I should focus more on my career rather than having a “distraction,” aka a boyfriend. But I think they will accept it with time if the boy is decent enough.

K

Q

To what extent do you think fixed plans work out? Do you have a fixed plan for yourself?

Though I have goals for further studies and future jobs, I do not have a fixed plan. I still have a lot of growing and maturing to do, and I will be figuring things out along the way. Fixed plans can work out if you keep working towards them but can also be limiting in certain ways. I would like more freedom when it comes to doing something I will spend the rest of my life on. Having a goal in mind is good, but you should also consider other opportunities if they show up or interests as you develop them.

O

Within the past year, one thing that I learned is that fixed plans do not always work out. Life is very unpredictable, and the best you can do is embrace the present and go with the flow. Growing up, I always had specific fixed plans about myself, but within the past year after moving to China, I realized everything is very spontaneous, and you meet different versions of yourself as time progresses. We sometimes arbitrarily contradict the plans and choose a different path altogether. I think one should have fixed short-term goals than fixed long-term plans because you never know what destiny has for you.

K

Q

What do you think is the ideal profession for a happy life?

An ideal profession for a happy life is something you enjoy but also gives you a steady income. Of course, this will vary from person to person as everyone has different passions and interests in life. This “perfect job” can be challenging to find, but there are more factors to a happy life than just your profession.

O

My definition of an ideal profession would be something that gives me satisfaction, something that I am genuinely passionate about and motivated enough to push myself for a new challenge. I think my ideal profession would be where I wake up in the morning every day with peace of mind and end my day without complaining about my work. I think it’s too idealistic to be realistic, but that’s how I view an ideal profession.

K

Images: Uni You

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