January 2024

The application portal to the United World College is now open. Are you considering the
Adriatic campus in Italy as your top choice?

Here’s my perspective as a current student studying in Adriatic:

Coming from Hong Kong, but raised in Shenzhen, one of China’s most highly-developed
cities, I am the true follower of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. I have
completed both the Primary Year Program and Middle Year Program. My educational
journey has always been in top-ranking private schools, international institutions, and
government-sponsored academies. Initially, I reckoned that my extensive academic and
traveling experiences would enable me to UWC effortlessly. However, surprisingly, I was
totally mistaken.

Firstly, let me introduce you to the negative sides I’ve encountered as a UWC Adriatic
student.

It happened to me so many times that I’ve suffered from a ravenous appetite late at night.
Although the piazza, pasta, and gelato here do taste good, they still can’t quell my cravings
for fried rice, hotpot, and barbecue from my hometown. It definitely sucks to hear my
stomach growling every day. Yet, this hunger has motivated me to delve into the kitchen and
learn how to cook. I managed to cook hotpot by myself and shared it with my friends from
different countries. It is excited to receive their delighted approval. Additionally, there are
countless opportunities to join in school activities. Can you imagine that I initiated the
Beekeeping & Gardening club, penned articles for the Adriatic Times student newspaper,
played my French Horn for the elderly with my bandmates, participated in conferences such
as the Hydrogen Valley and European Training Foundation, where I’ve met ministries of
education, researchers, policy makers - all in one term! These numerous activities have really
created a tight schedule for me. Sorry sleep, but I have resolved to make the best use of
community resources here.

Following on, let me talk about the advantages of studying at UWC Adriatic.

As someone growing up in southern China, I’ve been used to living in a humid and hot
climate. It is very normal to see people wearing sandals and slippers moving around. But, in
Adriatic, I’ve felt the cool and windy weather. Sometimes I feel like a chilled ice cream with
layers of clothing, but this experience seemed to be very interesting, especially when I shared
it with my friends who are now wearing shorts back home. In terms of academics, the
transition was seamless due to my consistent IB education. I’ve quite familiarized with the
expectations and the command terms under IB syllabus. However, it is worth mentioning that
Adriatic has permitted me to take Global Politics which was previously inaccessible to me.

Also, since the school only selects a very few students from each country, I’ve had the
privilege of meeting new people and appreciating different perspectives and interpretations of
the world, an valuable eye-opening experience for me. It is particularly fascinating to hear
about my friends’ experiences in their home countries. What is more, living in an open
campus and learning Italian have helped me understand the beautiful culture of Italy and
communicate with locals. Despite attending international schools my entire life, I’ve never
truly felt like being an international student representing my country until now.
UWC is a melting pot of diversity. The Adriatic Sea, with the winds hugging me and the
flowers waving at me, fills me with warmth and softness. Hope to hear from your story from
Adriatic, and please feel free to reach out if you want to learn about a specific aspect of UWC
Adriatic!