Chai Wei Sin
Bachelor of Arts (Hon) Chinese Studies
Class of August 2005

I am a postgraduate student of the Master Programme of Chinese Literature at National Taiwan University (NTU), which is the most prestigious institution of higher education in Taiwan.

I find out that I was accepted by NTU from the University official website one fine day in May 2007. To my delight, I was also awarded the International Graduate Students Scholarship. I was overjoyed because this is indeed a great accomplishment for me and I feel thankful to UTAR for giving me this great opportunity.

There are several prominent landmarks that we must visit in NTU. Thr first landscape is the Palm Tree Boulevard, a broad landscaped thoroughfare with tall palm trees on both sides. At the end of the boulevard, stances the holy palace of knowledge, the General Library, designed in Baroque architectural style. Next, is the Fu Bell, which is located at the centre of the boulevard. It was named after the former president Fu Szu-nien. It strikes 21 times after each class as a commemoration to Fu Szu-nien's saying: "You can be engaged in work or any activities for only 21 hours every day, but you must reserve 3 hours for some profound thinking about your life."

The Department of Chinese Literature has the longest history in the Liberal Arts College. Here, they provide a very constructive research environment. All the professors are authorities in their own research areas. Besides, many well-known international sinologists and scholars are often invited to give talks or to present their recent research in the college. Therefore, you can imagine that seminars, conferences and talks are inseparable from my schedule.

NTU Library has the largest collection among libraries in Taiwan, and I am so fortunate to be exposed to such a diverse array of resources. I have fully utilized the library quota that allows me to borrow up to 40 books and read intensively on recent publications. Besides, I also exchange ideas with other postgraduates from various countries. Although Chinese is not their mother tongue, their Chinese proficiency and research abilities shouldn't be underestimated, as I always get great ideas from them.

Through a year of sheer hard work, I found that my reading skills, presentation skills and research abilities have improved tremendously. However, I am still not satisfied with these improvements because I have yet to complete my master dissertation. Therefore, I shall be working harder and hopefully I will be able to get excellent results.

This year happens to be the 80th anniversary of NTU, and the motto of the celebration, "八十台大，前进百大", is to be one of the top 100 universities in the world. This will be an achievement from NTU. I hope I will be able to develop a comprehensive grasp of Classical Chinese Literature during my time here whilst moving towards the goal in line with NTU's 80th anniversary motto.