Why UWC?

Hey loves!

Hong Kong welcomed me with two typhoons last week but I am still excited to be back! This weekend, my beautiful first years from Germany will arrive at LPC and I cannot wait to meet them in person. Their arrival at LPC made me think of my application to UWC and whether I would make the decision to apply again. The answer is yes. I would do it again and again. It was one of the best decisions of my life to apply to UWC.

If you are reading this and you are thinking about whether to apply or not, here's my advice: apply. If you are already thinking about it, it means that there is some part of you that is at least curious about UWC. You have nothing to lose with applying - the worst thing that can happen is that you receive a letter of rejection, and the best thing that can happen is that you get to attend a UWC. Applying to UWC Germany is free and all you have to do is fill out the online application form. If you are from another country, check the UWC website of your national committee and hit that apply button!

I remember that one of my biggest fear when applying was that my parents might not be able to afford my UWC education. Although the website of UWC Germany says that everyone who needs financial support is given financial support, I found it hard to believe that and money worried me throughout the application process. After having gone through the application process, however, I can say that you should not worry about money. Money will not be the factor that keeps you from attending a UWC. I know that the promise of financial aid for everyone who needs it sounds almost too good to be true, but they mean what they say on their website and UWC Germany has put its money where its mouth is!

So if money is not a factor to consider, why should you apply to UWC? You should apply to UWC if you want to learn more about the world, about different cultures and if you want to understand life in different countries, socio-economic backgrounds, and cultures. For me, UWC has been a journey that challenged my beliefs and assumptions and allowed me to grow through that. I learned that global events mean different things to people in different countries, but also that there is so much more to a country than its politics. While we all theoretically know that, it is often hard to think of countries in terms of its people - we tend to associate countries more with their foreign politics towards other countries or with the (good or bad) events which the press reports about. Through UWC, I have started to associate countries with people and when I read or hear news about a country, I think of my friends there. I think of their families and friends. You start relating to every place on this Earth and because the people who you relate through are your friends, you try to understand these countries and their cultures rather than simply judge them.

I remember looking at the Submit button in the online application and thinking "Should I really do that? Do I really have a chance?" I am so grateful that I did not let my doubts make the decision. The thought that made me apply is this one: Ten years down the road, when I think about the roads not taken, do I want to ask myself if I would have had a chance or would I want to know that I tried? I definitely wanted to know that I tried. You do not want to wake up with regrets at some point in life. And even if there is just a little part of you that is just a tiny bit curious, that is the part to listen to! Because if you do not listen to it, this part will ask you at some point whether you should have tried.

Are you interested? The deadline to apply to the German national committee of UWC is October 31, 2017!

Lots of Love,

Elena

P.S. If you have any questions regarding life at LPCUWC or about UWC in general, please feel free to ask!