Fellows’ College Life
留学生活

I am still fulfilling prerequisite during Spring 2014, namely, geography, chemistry 2, organic chemistry lab and horse science. I am kind of satisfied with my performance (3A's and a B grade). What impressed me most is the horse science. Before I came to United States, I do not know too much about the horses even though I have taken Horse Diseases in China. For me, horses are just horse-shaped organisms. I do not even have a chance riding a real horse in my hometown. But I have learned about breeds, what coat color controlled by which genes, horse evaluation according to conformation from this horse science class. It is absolutely a challenge for me to take this course although the class content is like common sense for my classmates, who have lots of experience with horses since they were children. Although it takes me more time and energy to learn it, it pays off! Due to the situation where Chinese horse industry is lagging behind the world, I would like to popularize the horse knowledge to the public. As history summarizes, never can an industry success without popular support!

Most of my spare time, I stay in Dr. Weiss's lab, a lab focusing on stem cells. Everything there is novel for me. I have learnt how to do karyotype and observed others inducing stem cells using human umbilical cord or rat umbilical cord as raw materials. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Mark Weiss for offering this opportunity to explore science!

2013年春季，我主要上的还是预科必修课，有地理，化学2、有机化学实验还有马学课。这学期的成绩总体满意，拿了3个A和1个B。我感受最深的是马学课，在我来到美国之前，在我脑海里，马就是一种马的样子的生物。我对马并没有太多其他的知识。虽然在国内有上过马病课，残留在我脑海里面的就是一些细菌或病毒引起的马病。但是上完了美国这边的马学课，我认识了很多马的品种，马的毛色都是由什么基因控制的，如何从形态结构等其他方面品马和预测马的表现。对我而言，选这门课算是个挑战。课上的其他同学都是从小就跟马接触，或是养马或是家里有牧场。课上的很多知识对他们来说是常识，而对我来说却是全新的。虽然这课难，但对我以后的兽医课程打下了坚实的基础！中国的马业发展相对落后，我希望能科普一下大众。只有群众基础坚实，行业才有更好的发展。

课下，我多数时间呆在干细胞实验室。由于我并没有太多实验室经验，所以在实验室的很多东西对我来说都是新奇的。我在实验室学会了如何做染色体组型的实验。另外平时也会观察其他实验同伴做的实验，如取人或者大鼠的脐带分离纯化间叶细胞，再诱导成干细胞等。

Thinking wildly about how a new world would be, I arrived in the US on Aug. 15^th, 2013 and started a brand new journey.

I was welcomed at the airport by students of Chinese Students and Scholars Union (CSSU). They picked us up at the local airport and helped us to check our luggage, which made me feel like coming back home. Besides CSSU, there are plenty of student organizations around K-State campus. Each club has affluent activities. I performed several times when I was in my home college in China. However, performing Chinese show in the U.S. is totally a different experience. People are curious about even a small pattern on a common chipao or exciting about a piece of ballad with sweet voice. Only at that time did I realize that the more national, the more global. I’m so proud to be a messenger between China and the U.S. spreading Chinese culture to the world. I have successfully finished one year Pre-Vet program. I got 9 A and 1 B. This grade is excellent among all the undergraduate students in the U.S., but just good for a pre-veterinary student. Since vet school is so competitive here in the U.S., even a straight A student may still not get into his/her dream school. I, fortunately, received all 3 offers from vet schools I have applied, including College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Iowa State University, University of Missouri and Kansas State University. Actually, the whole application procedure helps me to understand more about different vet schools and it also provides a two-way selection for both candidates and the admission committee.

Pre-veterinary medicine is an undergraduate program in the US. Compared with undergraduate study in China, there are more patterns of lectures, such as discussion class with less than 20 students and lectures on the farm with hands-on practice. There are also various types of exam, for example, class presentation, mimic oral test, etc. Accompanied by K-State Online system and Webmail system, communication between instructors and students are more frequently and efficiently. I finally decide to stay at K-State for my DVM program. CVM at Kansas State University is one of the oldest CVMs in the U.S. Besides the highest standards of professional education program, there are also state of the art research and diagnostic facilities for veterinary medicine. Manhattan, KS, is also the future home of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). I’m eager to grasp the advanced principles and technologies of veterinary medicine during my DVM program in the U.S., and practice them when I go back to China.

I appreciate all the support provided by China Scholarship Council and Kansas State University for our Prevet-DVM program. This one year acclimation helps me to be in good shape for the coming doctoral program.

怀着忐忑的心情，带着对新大陆的各种憧憬，2013年8月15日，我第一次踏上了美利坚的土地，开始了一段新的旅程。

首先迎接我们的是中国学生联合会的同学们。他们全天候在机场接机，帮忙查找行李，让我们这些初来乍到的新生第一次有了家的感觉。堪萨斯州立大学有丰富的社团组织，每个社团都有丰富多彩的活动。我在国内经常参加学校的演出，然而，在美国表演中国节目却是完全另外一番感触。观众们会对着一件旗袍端详许久，也会为一段民歌小调兴奋不已。正所谓，民族的才是世界的。我为自己能成为中美文化交流的使者，能向国际友人传播中国文化而感到骄傲！我已经圆满完成兽医预科的全部课程，其中9门课程成绩为A，1门为B。这样的成绩在美国的本科生中可以算优秀，但在美国兽医预科学生中却是非常普通的。美国的兽医学院竞争异常激烈，即使是全A的学生也不一定能申请到心仪的学校。我有幸被申请的三所大学，爱荷华州立大学，密苏里大学，以及堪萨斯州立大学兽医学院，同时录取。整个申请过程让我对美国的兽医学院有了更多的了解，也提供给学生和学校一个双向选择的机会。

兽医预科在美国是本科课程，相较国内的本科教学，这里的授课形式更加丰富，例如20人以内的小班讨论课，在农场进行的实践课等。课程考察机制也更多样，比如课堂演讲、情景模拟口试等。在网上教学系统和邮件系统的支持下，学生和老师们可以更有效地沟通，这有助于更好地理解和掌握知识。我最终决定留在堪萨斯州立大学兽医学院完成兽医博士项目。堪萨斯州立大学兽医学院是北美历史最悠久的兽医学院之一，除了高水平的临床兽医课程外，这里还有国际领先的兽医学研究及诊断机构，也是美​国​国​家​生​物​与​农​业​防​卫​所​（​N​B​A​F​）未来的家。​我希望通过兽医博士项目的学习，掌握更多兽医学最先进的理念和技术，并将它们带回中国去实践。

感谢中国国家留学基金委与堪萨斯州立大学对兽医博士项目的支持，感谢班菲尔德宠物医院为我提供了第一年兽医预科的经济资助，让我更好地适应了美国的学习与生活，为即将开始的博士课程做好了准备。