Hong Kong at night

Hey loves!

It is almost unbelievable that more than a month has already passed since I came to Hong Kong. I'm still exploring the city like a tourist, although I start to get used to it. One proof for my touristic adventures is the title picture I added to today's article. It was taken at The Peak. The Peak is an amazing place. It's basically just a few buildings on top of a mountain - but you have an incredible view from there. You can reach the place by bus and the coolest thing is that one building gives you free access to its rooftop! I went there with a few people from LPC in the past weeks. Seeing this was an amazing experience. It was a lot more impressive than on the picture. Sometimes, a camera can't really keep that moment. Maybe this sounds weird, but taking a photo basically means trying to steal some time. I mean, when you take a photo you keep a moment time would otherwise take back. But a moment is made up of more than just what you see, it's made up of what you hear, smell, your feelings and who you're with. So I tried my best to keep this moment but it did not really work out. But still, the photo gives you guys a pretty good impression of what it was like.

Time at LPC is in general made up of a lot of small moments that add up to many positive vibes. But life at LPC is not just fun. Although I really like being here, I also have to admit that being here also means doing a lot of work. Teachers expect you to handle loads of homework and a lot of tests at the same time. Lucky me, I do not have a problem with having lessons in English, but it can also be a little bit harder. How big the language barrier for you is really depends on your experience in English. Because I had some subjects in English back in Germany, I'm already used to teachers speaking English. Many people from Germany asked me about the difficulty of following English lessons so that's why I'm touching on this topic. In general I would say that it is of course not as easy as following lessons in your mother tongue but it is definitely possible and if you're willing to work for it, you can overcome any language barrier. So your English shouldn't be a reason not to apply!

Applying for UWC is a topic for me once again because this Saturday, LPC will have an Open Day. I believe it will be pretty cool to see all the people who want to go to LPC. I remember what it was like for me to apply. I only had this dream of going to a UWC, but it seemed out of reach. I remember that I had to convince myself to really press the "Send" Button at the end of my application, because I thought that I didn't have a realistic chance. As it turned out, I had a chance and this chance has gotten me to where I am now. So in case you are one of the people who apply to UWC in the moment, no matter in which country, let me tell you this: Believe in your dreams. I didn't believe in myself during the application process and believe me, while going through the process, everyone starts doubting himself, but don't let your doubts become too strong. And last but not least the typical advice: Be yourself. To me, this advice always seemed to be a typical line anyone tells you but it never seemed to have a real meaning. When I went through the interviews for UWC, this line got a meaning. I didn't have a problem with being myself in the interviews because I told myself that if they don't want the real me with all my flaws and talents, with my humor and my way of experiencing new things, then it's good if they reject my application. Because if they accept you for something you're not, you might not fit in, and believe me, you don't want to spend two years of your life in a place you don't like. Some people had their difficulties during the interviews because when you go there, you meet a lot of people who have done a lot of amazing things and who seem perfect, so you want to be one of them. But you can just be yourself and that's enough. Just remember that you got an invitation to the interviews for being yourself and not for copying other people.

And here's something that everyone should keep in mind: don't pressure yourself too much. I know that it is always easy to say that and hard to do it, but it's possible. The interviews are something most people are afraid of, but just ask yourself what you have to lose when you fail them. You'll see that in the end, you can't lose anything. You can only win something. Even if you don't get a place at a UWC, you still got some experience from the interviews. Believe me, there's no better training for a job interview!

I hope that I could help some people who are going through the exciting and scary phase of the applications. Good luck to all applicants out there!

Lots of Love,

Elena

P.S. Also a huge hug to my lovely friends in Germany and to my mom, I love you guys!... And give my little rabbit a kiss from me ;)