I will continue updating this blog

For a few years, I cannot access blogspot in China. It's really frustrating to find that when you have devoted so much time doing the blog but failed to update and read it any longer. Recently I finally found an available vpn to access the blogspot, as well as other popular blocked sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I set my email posting add just now, and so I will be able to update the blog even when I cannot access it. Just like what I did to the blog in wordpress. 

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wooSHE

I switched to wordpress long ago

http://wooshe.wordpress.com

How to win a Scholarship

Merit scholarships are typically awarded on the basis of academic, athletic or artistic merit, in addition to special interests. Some merit scholarships also consider financial need, but rewarding talent is the primary objective.

In most cases the scholarship sponsor has a set of criteria they use to select the winners from among the qualified applicants. (This is in contrast to scholarship lotteries which select winners randomly.) So a key to winning a scholarship is to identify the sponsor's criteria and tailor your application to those criteria.

Sponsors can have a variety of goals in offering a scholarship.
Some companies offer scholarships as a form of community development, to invest in the future of the communities where they are based. Others offer scholarships to help retain current employees and recruit future employees. Colleges may offer scholarships to recruit a talented and diverse student body. Colleges may also offer scholarships in specific majors to encourage students to enroll in underrepresented majors (e.g., scholarships for women and minorities in science and engineering). Membership organizations tend to offer scholarships to promote their field or the mission of the organization. Other scholarships may be established to honor the memory of someone who has passed away, to provide a legacy that perpetuates his or her values.

The first step is to make sure you qualify for the scholarship.
If the application requirements specify that you must have a 3.7 or higher GPA and you have a 3.6 GPA, don't bother applying. Most scholarship sponsors receive so many qualified applications that they do not have the time to consider applications that fail to satisfy the requirements. You may be a wonderful and talented person, but if your application is not qualified, the selection committee is not going to look at it.

On the other hand, if you barely miss the application requirements, you should try to improve until you qualify. For example, if you have a 3.6 GPA and the award requires a 3.7 GPA to apply, you could try working hard in school to improve your grades until you achieve a 3.7 GPA. This is why it is worthwhile to search for scholarships as soon as possible. Many awards also have prerequisites, such as requiring a portfolio of your work or a project report, that can take time to prepare.

The FastWeb scholarship database will only show you awards that match your profile. FastWeb has the tightest match of any scholarship database, so you're less likely to waste time on awards for which you aren't qualified.

As noted previously, all scholarship sponsors receive more qualified applications than they have awards available. The most competitive scholarships have a selection ratio of 1 in 400. The least competitive awards have a selection ratio of 1 in 10. According to the 1999-2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 6.9% of undergraduate students receive private sector scholarships, and the average amount received is $2,051. That means that your raw odds of winning a scholarship are 1 in 14.5.

But scholarship sponsors aren't going to give you money simply for breathing. They want to give money to the most talented qualified applicant. So to maximize your chances of winning the award, you need to identify the criteria they will use to select the winner. Sometimes the sponsor has published the criteria they use. Sometimes you have to critique your application from the sponsor's perspective.

It is important to remember that scholarship sponsors are evaluating applications, not applicants. You need to ensure that your application and the supporting materials contain all the relevant information the committee needs to evaluate your candidacy. The committee only knows what your application and your letters of recommendations tell it. Write an application that highlights the aspects of your background that match the sponsor's goals.

MBA Scholarships

The MBA is a massive financial investment. Just think about the cost of the course, which could be anything from about £10,000 up to near to £30,000 a year. Then there is the cost of living, which in reality is the same as the cost of going to work – what with your food and your travel and your mortgage or rent if you do not own a home in the city where you are studying. Then you have the cost of books, which can add up to near to £1,000 in the year or two that you are studying. You also have the cost of a laptop, which will make your life easier as you won’t be reliant on the computer systems at your business school, and there is software to get as well.

If you are taking a full-time course then you should also remember that you are foregoing your salary, which could be any amount after tax and is an opportunity cost of doing your degree. Even if you are taking a part-time course you still need to be able to pay for the course. You need to be able to fund all of this – and unless you have a lot of savings, can take out a good value loan, or have generous parents, then it will be difficult. This is why it’s very important to apply for scholarships.

Scholarships are basically awarded to those who are believed to be worthy of them. This is important to realize. Organizations who offer scholarships try their best to do so on merit. What they regard as merit can differ between organizations so it’s important for you to find out what the organization that you are applying to require in a “scholar”.

Searching for Scholarships
• Start Searching for Scholarships ASAP. It pays to start your search for scholarships as soon as possible. Many scholarships have early deadlines, even as early as August or September. If you start searching in January, you will miss the deadlines for half the awards.

Start searching for scholarships at an earlier age. Most students don't start searching for scholarships until their senior year in high school. But there are many awards available for students in earlier grades, even junior high school.
• Apply to as many awards as possible. Apply to every award for which you are qualified, no matter how small the award amount. Every penny helps, and winning an award adds a line to your resume that can help you win other awards. The less lucrative scholarships are often less competitive, so you have a better chance of winning them. Several small awards can add up to a significant amount of money.

You can't win if you don't apply. Even if you are extremely talented, your chances of winning any particular scholarship are low, since you are competing with many other equally talented applicants. To improve your odds of winning a scholarship, apply to more scholarship competitions.

Do not, however, apply for awards for which you do not qualify. It is a waste of your time. Scholarship sponsors receive far more qualified applications than they have awards available, so they are not going to look at any candidate that doesn't satisfy their criteria.
• Seek out less competitive scholarships. Seek out small local awards that are not listed in most of the national databases and scholarship books. These awards are less competitive, and so your chances of winning them are greater. Examples include the local PTA scholarship, Dollars for Scholars scholarship, local cultural and religious organizations, local businesses, and your parent's employer. You can also find information about local awards on bulletin boards at the local public library and outside your guidance counselor or school financial aid office. (TheFastweb scholarship database is particularly thorough about listing small local awards, and encourages all scholarship sponsors to submit information about their awards, even local awards. Fastweb can code those awards to show them only to students who qualify.)
• Use up-to-date award information. When looking for information about scholarships in books, check the copyright date of the book. A book that is more than one year old is too old to be useful. Similarly, ask how frequently an online scholarship database is updated. Most are updated annually or quarterly. The Fastwebscholarship database is updated daily.
• Beware of scholarship scams. If a scholarship has an application fee or other required fees, it isn't worth your time and money to apply. At best such "scholarships" are recirculating the fees to the students, and at worst no money is ever awarded. Never invest more than a postage stamp to obtain information about or to apply for a scholarship.
• Ask the school about academic scholarships. Many colleges offer presidential or academic scholarships to attract talented students. This is especially true at second and third tier institutions. You might be able to get a free ride at a college that isn't as well known.

The main difference between colleges is not in the quality of the faculty or the quality of the facilities, but in the students. After all, Harvard and MIT graduate more PhDs than they can hire as faculty, so many less-well-known institutions have top notch faculty. Since you will be spending more time learning from your peers than inside a classroom, you should visit the school while classes are in session to get a feel for how well you will fit in. But if you like the atmosphere at the school and the school has a good program in your major, there's no reason why you shouldn't accept a full-tuition scholarship at your third choice school. This is especially true if you intend to go on to grad school, since nobody cares where you got your bachelor's degree when you have a PhD or MD.
• Ask to be nominated. If a scholarship requires that you be nominated by your school or the local chapter of the organization, find out who is responsible for nominating applicants, and ask them to nominate you. Often the nominator will not have a formal process for selecting a nominee. If the nomination deadline is approaching, sometimes they will nominate you simply because you're the only one who asked. Even if they have a formal process, by introducing yourself and your qualifications to them you will have improved your chances of being nominated (assuming you didn't annoy them by being too persistent). Provide the nominator with a copy of your accomplishments resume.
• Don't forget to renew your scholarship. If you won a renewable award last year, make sure you satisfy any requirements for retaining it in subsequent years. This may involve maintaining satisfactory academic progress, maintaining a minimum GPA, continuing to study in the same major, retaining full-time enrollment, submitting an annual progress report, and providing a copy of your transcript each year. Some scholarships may require community service or other activities.

What have I done these days?

I’ve enjoyed the ielts prep online courses these days, especially the part of speaking test. The tutor spoke English very fluently with British accent, to be precise, the Welsh accent, which made me think of Rhydian from Wales and he is working for Wuxi EF now.

The movie I downloaded called A Few Good Men, which is hard to follow. If I could get all the words from this kind of movie, my English listening comprehension would be enough to live in the United States.

Today I talked a short while with a couple of native English speakers, one boy from Canada, and a girl England. They liked speak fuck and asshole, and I was astonished when I heard they were throwing shit to each other. You know, many people around me are learning English pretty hard, and take it so seriously. But the native speakers show little respect to their mother tongue, aka our lingua franca.

Guidelines for determining eligibility and awarding partial nonresident tuition waivers for international students

1. Current and future budget constraints will be taken into consideration when making all decisions on policy and partial tuition remissions.

2. To be eligible for the partial tuition waiver, an applicant must be in F-1 or J-1 status, an applicant for F-1 or J-1 status (outside the U.S.), or a citizen of the U.S. whose legal residence is outside the United States. Applicants for political asylum will be considered for the partial tuition waiver on a case-by-case basis.

3. Consideration will be given to distributing the partial tuition waivers among students from the widest possible variety of countries and as equitably as possible between males and females, graduates and undergraduates.

4. The partial tuition fee waiver will be awarded in two categories, i.e., undergraduate and graduate. Receipt of an undergraduate partial fee waiver in no way implies continuation of that waiver at the graduate level of education.

5. Partial fee waiver decisions will be made by the following:

• New and continuing undergraduates: International Student Advisor

• New and continuing graduate students: Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with International Student Services

6. The decision to grant a partial tuition waiver to a new or transfer student will be based on:
• Financial need
• Academic achievement (new students: admission in good standing, continuing students; minimum 3.00 grade point average or equivalent)

7. International students who were admitted without a partial tuition waiver and request a partial fee waiver as a continuing student must:
• Complete one full semester in full-time status before applying for the partial waiver
• Earn a minimum 3.00 grade point average
• Update a completed “Declaration of Finances” on file
• Prove financial need by demonstrating a substantial change in financial support from the time of admission to the university to the time of application

8. Continuing undergraduate student fee waiver recipients must meet all of the following requirements for continuation of the partial fee waiver in future semesters:
• Enroll in and successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits each semester
• Maintain a minimum 2.00 gpa for each semester
• Maintain the following minimum cumulative gpa each semester
Freshman (0-29 credits earned) 2.00
Sophomore (30-59 credits earned) 2.25
Junior (60-89 credits earned) 2.5
Senior (90 + credits earned) 2.50

9. Continuing graduate student fee waiver recipients must meet all of the following requirements for the continuation of the partial fee waiver in future semesters:
• Maintain full-time status - Enroll in 9 graduate credits per semester or 6 credits if a graduate assistant.
• Maintain a minimum 3.00 cumulative graduate grade point average

Exceptions to the full-time status provision may be granted in the last semester if degree requirements can be met with less than a full-time course enrollment. This and any other requests for an exception to the full-time status provision of the tuition waiver must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and authorized by International Student Services.

10. An undergraduate partial tuition waiver recipient is eligible for the partial tuition waiver to cover coursework leading toward the completion of their degree, but for no additional undergraduate coursework after the undergraduate degree has been completed, unless the courses lead toward completion of a graduate program. The same applies to graduate students.

11. A partial tuition waiver recipient will not be eligible for the partial waiver for a second degree at the same educational level.

12. An applicant who has earned an undergraduate or graduate degree in the United States will not be eligible for the partial tuition waiver for the same educational level at UW Oshkosh.

13. International students sponsored with grants from their home governments are ineligible for the partial fee waiver. Those receiving government loans will be considered on an individual basis.

14. Undergraduate fee waiver recipients who have earned a total of 120 credits must justify continuation of the award to cover credits beyond that point. A letter of explanation from the student’s academic advisor may be required.

15. Fee waiver recipients who fail to meet minimum requirements for continuation of the award may be granted the award on a probationary basis in the following semester. Failure to meet the minimum requirements in a second consecutive semester likely will result in the loss of the waiver.

16. The student whose waiver has been rescinded is eligible for reinstatement of the waiver in the semester immediately following the semester in which minimum requirements are met.

17. Eligibility for a partial fee waiver will be permanently revoked following the second time the waiver has been rescinded.

18. Any tuition waiver above the amount of out-of-state tuition, up to a full tuition waiver, can be recommended by the members of the International Student Fee Waiver Committee and other interested parties to the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh or his designee for approval.

19. Full tuition waiver awards shall be limited to a maximum of 15 students (30 student semester awards) per year or a maximum total award amount of $150,000 per year, whichever is greater.

The Difference Between a Fellowship and a Scholarship

Both a fellowship and a scholarship are considered grants, and sometimes the terms may be used interchangeably. Most fellowships are also scholarships, but scholarships may not be fellowships. Some differences exist between a fellowship and a scholarship, but these can be variable and depend upon the grant-giving organization.

A fellowship and a scholarship are usually differentiated because scholarships tend to be given to undergraduate college students, primarily for the purpose of general education expenses. They may be limited as to the type of major a student has, but most are more general and award gifts of money for education based on superior school performance. Some also take into account need, or may require specific skills. The Miss USA pageant and Miss America pageant are both scholarship programs. Women who win these pageants receive money to continue their education at the undergraduate or graduate level.

In many cases, you don’t need to get into a swimsuit in order to win a scholarship. Most are based on application only, and any qualifications that make you particularly eligible to receive the scholarship. There are many peculiar conditions which may make you eligible for a scholarship: your last name, your status as a single parent, your possessing a disabling condition, or your specific research goals as a student. More general scholarships given by countries and states may be given to students who will attend school full time, have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least a B average, and who can demonstrate financial need.

One difference between a fellowship and a scholarship is that most fellowships are not based on need. They are usually based on skill, GPA, and qualifications to work in a certain field. Another distinction between a fellowship and a scholarship, is that most fellowships are payment for some type of work, such as teaching at the college level, while obtaining a master’s degree or Ph.D, or doing extra training in a hospital to earn board certification as a specialist in a certain field of medicine after an M.D. has been earned. Fellowships tend to pay for internships or fieldwork, so that students, usually at the graduate level, can enhance their training in their field of interest.

There are some paid internships available to students at the undergraduate level. These may qualify as both a fellowship and a scholarship, or they may simply be referred to as scholarships. Many of the country’s top museums offer fellowship and intern opportunities to students at the undergraduate level, usually in their junior or senior year of college.

The fellowship further implies a limited timeline and a stated period of months in which work or internships will be completed and people will be paid. The main difference here between a fellowship and a scholarship is that most scholarships last for at least a semester in school, though some may be given more generally to pay for school expenses. Fellowships can last for a few days, a few weeks, a couple of months, a year, or a couple of years depending upon the scope of the work involved, and they normally pay in increments, by monthly stipend, instead of awarding the total amount of money at one time.

Scholarships in the world

America's Junior Miss （for American high school girls）
Canada Merit Scholarship Foundation (only to the TD Canada Trust Scholarship for Community Leadership, for entering college students in Canada) 加拿大成就奖学金基金会
Canadian Millennium Scholarship 加拿大千禧奖学金
Target the Post-secondary education for all Canadians.
Chevening Scholarship由英国外交及联邦事务部（FCO）资助的志奋领奖学金
Chevening Scholarship is a well-known scholarship scheme for international students who wish to study in the United Kingdom. The scheme is funded by the British government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In most countries, the local office of the British Council selects the appropriate candidates each year and manages the administration of the scholarship. The number of available scholarships varies from country to country.
Commonwealth Scholarship 英联邦奖学金
The UK offers:
Scholarships for postgraduate study
Academic Fellowships for staff in developing country universities
Split-site Scholarships for PhD students to spend up to one year in the UK
Professional Fellowships for mid-career professionals in developing countries
Distance Learning Scholarships for developing country students to study Master’s degree courses
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange 美国国会和西德议会青年交换项目( for German and American students through grants to private exchange organizations in both countries.)
Fulbright Program 富布赖特计划
A program of grants for international educational exchange for scholars, educators, graduate students and professionals, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright
The Fulbright Program provides funds for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools abroad. The initial reach of this program had been primarily European countries, but now the program operates worldwide.
Grants for recent B.A. graduates, graduate students and younger professionals are administered by the Institute of International Education. These grants are available for U.S. citizens with a bachelor's degree to study in other countries, and for citizens of other countries to do graduate study in the U.S. Grants for faculty and professionals, as well as grants for U.S. institutions wishing to host scholars from other countries, are administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. Grants for K-12 teachers and administrators are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Fulbright-Hays grants, including grants for doctoral and postdoctoral research, summer seminars abroad, and group projects abroad, are sponsored by the United States Department of Education.
Gates Scholarship 盖茨奖学金
Applicants from any country other than the United Kingdom are eligible for the scholarships. (40 percent of them are from America)
George J. Mitchell Scholarship (only for Americans) 米切尔奖学金
IITA Scholarship 国际IT和电子专业奖学金(to the international students studying in South Korean universities for IT & Electronics majors. It is 2 years for masters and 4 years for Phd. It is offered twice the year (Spring and Fall semesters). To apply in the scholarship, the students are supposed to apply directly to the universities. It covers tuition fee and all other expense with stipend. )
Kennedy Scholarship (only for British students) 肯尼迪奖学金
Marshall Scholarship (only for Americans) 马歇尔奖学金
Meyerhoff Scholarship Program (only for African-Americans)
Monbukagakusho Scholarship日本文部科学省博士生奖学金
There are seven types of Japanese government-sponsored scholarships available under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship program: those for research students, teacher training students, undergraduate university students, Japanese studies students, college of technology students, special training students and YLP students.
National Merit Scholarship (only for Americans)美国成就奖学金
New York Times College Scholarship Program 纽约时报学院奖学金(only for Americans or have a valid green card and alien registration number)
President's Scholar 总理奖学金(only for Singaporean)
Rhodes Scholarship 罗德奖学金(only for the citizens from Australia; Bermuda; Canada; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Jamaica & Commonwealth Caribbean; Kenya; New Zealand; Pakistan; Southern Africa (South Africa and neighbours Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland); USA; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.)
Rotary International Scholarships 扶轮国际奖学金(offers a number of scholarships worldwide for periods of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years.
There are six types of scholarships. Briefly, they are:
1. Academic-year Ambassadorial Scholarships (academic and investigative)
US$23,000 for one academic year. Can be used for studies or investigative work (proposal required)
2. Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships
US$12,500 per year for two years
3. Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarships
Either three or six months of intensive language study and cultural immersion. Funds range up to US$19,000.
4. Peace Scholarship
To pursue a two-year master’s degree or certificate in international relations, peace, and conflict resolution at one of the Rotary Centers for International Studies. Locations: Duke University (NC, USA), Univ. of California – Berkeley (CA, USA), Japan, France, Argentina, England, Australia
5. Faculty Scholarship
To teach in a low-income country. $12,500 for 3-5 months or $22,500 for 6-10 months of service. Must have been a university professor for three or more years
6. Group Study Exchange
A team of business and professional people (4 members of ages 25-40 and one Rotarian leader) for four to six weeks visits farms, schools, industrial plants, professional offices, and government establishments. Funds range from $1,000 to $11,000.
Special Funds for Low-Income Countries
There is also a special funds pool for low-income countries that provides 20 Ambassadorial Scholarships (One-Academic-Year, Multiple-Year, and Cultural) on a world-competitive basis.
Samsung Global Scholarship Program
三星全球奖学金项目 主要包括工程硕士和MBA项目培养计划，其中MBA是与MIT斯隆管理学院合作
Siebel Scholars
西贝尔基金会于2000年设立的奖项，主要是给在世界领先的研究生院主修工商和计算机专业的学生。
Truman Scholarship 杜鲁门奖学金
United Negro College Fund 黑人奖学金 Only for Africans
World Bank Scholarship 世界银行奖学金  
主要是日本政府和世界银行的联合操作和罗伯特•麦克纳马拉研究金项目。
There are two kinds of scholarship currently available on a very competitive basis:
1. The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is run with funding from the Japanese government and the World Bank; scholarships are awarded to individuals from World Bank member countries to study at renowned universities in other member countries.
2. The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program provides support to young researchers working in academic and research institutions from eligible countries preparing a doctoral dissertation. Research grants cover residence costs for a 5 to 10 month period in a renowned university or research center

The last day of 2008

Just now I was feeling blue, and I didn’t know why. Finally I got know this is the last day of 2008. I accessed Youtube, and watched some videos as follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmjQgZPj7F0&e

At seven pm, I went to the party hosted by Mr. Peter Arthur Stanleigh, a Canadian expat living in Wuxi. Last Sunday I gave him a small souvenir from Yixing, a pair of teacups. I guess he had many, ‘cause he’d been living in Wuxi for more than seven years! Much much longer than me. I thought I would no need to pay for the buffet, but I paid. About one hour later, I left alone. Anyway, I talked to Peter for a while, mainly about his business in Wuxi, and I had an idea to conduct an interview about him and published on the MBA magazine. Unfortunately, his company was pretty small, only he and his wife. He also worked for the ArkMedia as an International Sales Director, which was the title on his business card.

I really want to make some close expat friends, and hang out with 'em. I even could help 'em though I am busy most of the time. One day when I sat in the kfc just beside my workplace, an idea suddenly came into my mind when I was looking at the girl with blonde hair. Later I went back to my office and founded a blog called “WuxiVolunteer,” In the preface I wrote:

Too many times I happened to meet a few expat who really needed help, because life is tough, life in China is tougher… Yes, I know China is developing, and more and more open, that’s exactly why you could come here. For many expat, China still remains one of the remotest places in the world, with strange culture and languages. Moreover, the society is designed not for the average, but privileged people, so you will find it kinda hard to do numerous kinds of things here.

People in China usually sit on their emotions, and expat don’t know what they are really thinking. They never thought of providing guide in English, much less did they do. 90 percent of people had learned English in high school or college, but few could convey their ideas in English fluently, no mention the conversation.

English speaking companies in Wuxi

Last night, I enjoyed a dinner at Banana Leaf Thai Cuisine, where I danced with a Filipino woman, and had a nice short talk. Her name was a bit mannish, Jacky. Filipino could speak English pretty well.

I wanna work in an English speaking company asap. Sadly, there’re just a couple of American companies, and most are German's.

I sorted out some this afternoon:

Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd
GE Healthcare’s Clinical Systems
Caterpillar Component Manufacturing Co. Ltd
Donaldson (Wuxi) Filters Co. Ltd
Wuxi - Atlas Copco Compressor Co. Ltd
WSP Holdings Ltd
Lanxess (Wuxi) Chemical Co. Ltd
Bosch Automotive Diesel Systems Co. Ltd
Siemens Medium Voltage Switching Technologies (Wuxi) Co., Ltd
Krombach Fluid Control (Wuxi) Co. Ltd
Allen Autoparts (Wuxi) Co. Ltd
Wuerth Electronics (Wuxi) Co. Ltd
Putzmeister Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
Siempelkamp (Wuxi) Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Froeteck Plastic Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd
Boellhoff Fastenings (Wuxi) Co., Ltd
GAUDLITZ Green Point Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd
EPCOS (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.
Dystar Textilfarben (Wuxi) gGmbH
Kongsberg Automotive (Wuxi) Co. Ltd
AstraZeneca China Ltd
Exir (Wuxi) Technology Co Ltd
Timken Wuxi Bearing Co Ltd

This is exactly what I'm thinking

It's better to be in the right place than to be smart and work hard.

In 1963, IBM discovered that about 80 per cent of a computer’s time is spent executing about 20 per cent of the operating code. The company immediately rewrote its operating software to make the most used 20 per cent very accessible and user friendly, thus making IBM computers more efficient and faster than competitors’ machines for the majority of applications.

If we did realize the difference between the vital few and the trivial many in all aspects of our lives, and if we did something about it, we could multiply anything that we valued.

Work Less, Earn and Enjoy More shows how the 80/20 Principle can be used to raise the level at which you are operating in both your work and personal life.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
------ George Bernard Shaw

You have to work out your own uses for the principle: they will be there if you look creatively.

Never read a book from cover to cover, except for pleasure. When you are working, find out what the book is saying much faster than you would by reading it through. Read the conclusion, then the introduction, then the conclusion again, then dip lightly into any interesting bits.
What he was really saying was that 80 percent of the value of a book can be found in 20 percent or fewer of its pages, and absorbed in 20 percent of the time most people would take to read it through.

No doubt 80 per cent of the money to be had by people of my tender age was concentrated in 20 per cent of the jobs.

It's time to reflect on my goals

Just now I accessed JustinUSA and to my pleasantly surprised, I found two comments and one flower. This is a big breakthrough for this blog, ‘cause almost nobody knows here. So I really want to know where you found this blog. (Hi Rob, how did you know this place?)

I really appreciate the Internet, which helps me get so many info that I couldn’t get before. Google, among them, is the best. It is brilliantly efficient at shifting information from the hands of those who have it into the hands of those who do not. It’s the information age for all of us. Internet has vastly shrunk the gap between the experts and the public. Additionally, I could also enjoy the comments from you an ocean apart.

What have I done these two days?

1. During the weekend, I’ve read a couple of books in Chinese about study abroad, such as How to choose a major, how to select a country, how to pick a grad school, and a city, as well as a prof.
For me, how to select a major and lessons is the most important.
Don’t choose MBA or other kinda administration and management majors. Don’t too keen on financial aids. If the major I choose that will make me unemployed, who cares the scholarships?

2. Be sensible, set up a goal as quickly as possible and more directly. Make the best of Info on matriculation for international students.
It's time that I reflected upon my mistakes, including my current financial crisis. Success depends on details, which I’m very lacking of.

3. Yesterday morning I went to the library and joined the party hosted by Mr. Peter Arthur Stanleigh, a Canadian expat living in Wuxi. I gave him a small souvenir from Yixing, a pair of teacups. I guess he had many, ‘cause he’d been living in Wuxi for more than seven years! Much much longer than me. By the way, he invited me to the New Year’s Eve party at Hotel Ibis.

What have I done today?

1. I found an amazing site could download many English books! (as Justin Linklist shows: esnips)
2. Posted two diaries for previous two entries.
3. Added a few links to my Justin USA.
4. Have downloaded a couple of books, and read 80/20 Principle.
5. Watched Ai Iijima’s Platonic Sex, a semi-autobiographical novel about a young girl who leaves home to escape her parents and ends up as an adult movie star.
6. I can’t remember what I have got from the listening to Bloomberg radio.
7. Undertaken the MBA English test, and taught them at night.
8. Jot down this “what have I done” list. I gotta go home asap!

Diaries for these two days

December 24, 2008

1. The journal needs a serial number when sent out to the public. Not an ISSN, just a CN is enough. But, it’s very expensive as far as I know.

2. The column of “Impression of professor” is a little bit short-term. As the issues goes, the professors in HHBS is very limited. The way is combine it with the column of “Cover People”, which would be the interviews of entrepreneurs. The title of the column should be “Impression of Supervisor.”

3. Lily didn’t take her keys, and she waited in the bar until I was back from Nanjing at thirty past nine Christmas Eve.

Dec 25 

1. Lily and I registered our marriage at Xin Tian Di just near our apartment building. The state of being a concubine is over, lol! 40 RMB for service charge, 9 for material fee, and the joint photo cost us another 40. Finally we got a Christmas Marriage Certificate in China.

2. I went to the new Carrefour this afternoon, and it’s incredible! Beside the supermarket and shopping area, there’re many fast-food restaurants, including KFC, Lou Shang Lou, seven plus seven, Da Niang Dumpling, ect. The Wanda Mall is under constructing. There’ll be all kinds of stores encompass our home.

3. Wuxi ranks third among top 10 best cities in China, according to the 2008 Scientific and Comprehensive Rating Report on Chinese Cities, produced by the China City Development Institute (CCDI). The top two are Shanghai and Hangzhou. Wuxi Surprise:)

My blog description

I changed my blog description today, since the old one “I’m on my way” seemed too obscure. JustinUSA is mainly focusing on my own experience of pursuing a Ph.D. in the United States, but from the beginning I’m seeking information about the Scholarships, Fellowships, Education Grants, Assistantships, Full and Partial Tuition Fee Waiver, and other Useful Educational Resources available in USA. So, this is my description at present.

Find a safe haven during the economic downturn

University officials say enrollment in graduate programs tends to boom in recessions, with some students finding a safe haven in higher education. Students can wait out the economic downturn while earning a degree that could give them an edge over other job candidates.

From: Higher education's safe haven

But my wife told me a phenomenon as follows:
During the financial crisis, people prefer to buy potatoes instead of soil, therefore the price of potato become higher than before.

That’s exactly why the American colleges and universities begin to charge higher tuition and fees.

Pursue a Ph.D. directly with B.A., bypassing M.A.

These two days I was digging at the stuff, some of which were conveyed in Chinese, about studying in the U.S.A., and to my astonishment, American colleges encourage the students to pursue PhD so hard that it’s available to pursue with BA directly, and have more opportunities to gain scholarship and fellowship. Is it true? 

Justin USA: Everybody wants to go to American colleges and universities

Justin USA: Everybody wants to go to American colleges and universities

I had added a post about the Robert Gates interview, and he said that everybody wants to go to study in the United States, "Even those who hate us the most wear American college sweatshirts, and want to go to American colleges and universities." To a great extent, I agree with him. But the United Kingdom is also a fierce competitor, both for China and India. Last time, I'd mentioned China, just now I found the relevant figure from The Times of India:

More and more Indian students are preferring the UK for higher education, and many of them are from South India. The

British Council on Tuesday said 11,126 student visas were issued in September from the southern states, marking a 63% increase over 2007.

A seminar on student visas was held at British Council library, Kasturba Road. It aimed to assist those who have secured admission for the January/February 2009 intake, and highlighted requirements for visa applications. The minimum qualification for students is to clear the IELTS examination.

Around 44% of UK student visas issued from the country are from the four southern states. "The number of student visas issued from South India in September 2007 was 6,846. The number has shot up by almost 5,000 this year. Almost 31,000 Indians are studying in the UK," L Dhanasekaran, head, Education UK (South India), said.

Preferred courses include MBA, IT, engineering, biotechnology, microbiology, pharmacy, physiotherapy, social science, law and journalism. A 20% increase is expected in the number of Indians going to the UK in 2009.

Traditionally, students prefer foreign universities for post-graduate programmes because the one-year course entails lesser expense in terms of fees and cost of living. A new law in the UK allows international students to work for up to two years after their education.

WHy I chose the USA to study

Today, a student approached me, “Mr. Chen,” He asked, “How do I become as talented as you? How can I get the knowledge?”

I walked with him to the beach, and when we reached the ocean, I pushed him under the water and held him there with his head. The student pulled himself out, gurgling for breath, and I pushed him under again. Again he surfaced, and I pushed him under a third time. Finally, when his lungs were nearly bursting and he was on the verge of passing out, I freed him and he lay there, gulping for air. I stood over him and said, “Man, when you want knowledge as much as you just wanted air, you’ll get it.”

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Well, relax.... I'm kidding. The truth is I'm going to show you a letter from an international student in the United States:

Hi, Justin!

I'd like to tell you why I chose the USA to study and why I chose my university.

My story might be very different from any other international student, due to the fact that I came to the USA at a much younger age than the age at which most students plan on coming here. When I was a child there was a civil war in my country of Rwanda in 1994, and I was one of the survivors. At the end of the genocide, the few family members I had left and I decided we had to get away from the bad memories of our native land. It was just too chaotic and being in Rwanda simply ached our hearts forevermore. So what better way to change environments than to choose a country that is far away from Rwanda?

After dealing with the challenges of learning a new language at age 15 in the largest high school in Northern Indiana; I was ready for more challenges because I knew it was only the beginning. I spent all of high school learning not only about American culture, but also the cultures of the many nations that are represented in the United States. Also, one thing that I probably never thought I was going to encounter in my lifespan was living in a community with people of various colors. When I was still in Rwanda we were all “Brown People,” as I like to call it. So, being part of this diverse population was another awesome experience.

I am glad that I was younger than I am today because all of these situations were exciting, a thrill, and a craving. However, today I look back and I can simply say that those were some of the heaviest rocks I will ever push in this adventure called LIFE. I look back and I can tell that those were obstacles, but I am glad I did not feel the pain when they were in effect.

One thing I can say, however, was the loneliness I felt from time to time. It was really hard to fit in as much as I tried. So I spent most of my free time caring for my siblings, doing a variety of chores, and really going the extra mile on my homework. Another thing I tried was joining a variety of extra-curricular activities (after school activities). Originally, I had plotted out that these school clubs were going to help me meet more people and help me practice my English. Later, I developed a mission to make friends from these various activities so that they could show me around the city, teach me more about the USA and maybe we could do things together in our free time. For reasons unknown, only international students were interested in me and in making friends with me. Out of frustration and loneliness, I gave up and I stuck with the international students which was not what I had originally wanted because we all had a similar struggle with the English language and so there was nobody to help us.

Now that I am a satisfied college student majoring in Finance at Indiana University of South Bend, I am glad that I responded positively to the invitation of friendship with the international students. I cannot imagine what I would have done without their humor, kindness, and open-mindedness that carry me to this VERY day! I have learned so much about them and where they come from including two other languages very fluently (French and Spanish). I have learned from their examples to embrace myself, to clarify my identity and to stay true to my inner conscious. Without their open hearts, I would have been a long lost child by now.

Now, I can tell you about the personal choice I made to attend Indiana University of South Bend (IUSB). It took a tremendous amount of thought, energy, and research. I concluded that my undergraduate studies could not have taken place any better institution than IUSB. Some of the reasons why I chose this university include its location, its tuition fees and its educational programs.

LOCATION
IUSB happened to be the best location for me because it is located near the friends I had struggled to make. It is located in the city I was starting to get used to. It is located ten minutes away from my family’s apartment, which is very convenient for me as far as driving back and forth considering the rising gas prices. Also, I have the privilege of family and friends’ support as I face my studies. I have the privilege of free homemade meals, with free shelter, transportation and much more. I also did not want to have to undertake a new environment in my life. I felt like it was about time to decrease all of those fluctuations for my well being. It is very important to research the location of the school you would like to attend. For example, I am also very supportive of small college cities as opposed to, for example, the location of Northwestern or Columbia Universities. Those universities do not attract me because I have a hard time imagining myself being studious right in the middle of the most active/vivid cities in the world- Chicago and New York respectively. Plus, it is easier to feel right at home when the city is more manageable (smaller per se).

TUITION and FEES
IUSB, being a public school, is very affordable. Scholarships are available for international students and jobs are offered on campus to international students first because IUSB keeps in mind that international students are usually not allowed to work outside their school campus. Even though an international student pays twice the amount an American citizen pays, it is worth it. Despite the double price tag, it is still probably one of the least costly American universities.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
At IUSB there is a very unique program called the SBEI (South Bend English Institute), which provides International students with 9 intensive months of learning the English language in its entirety. Upon acceptance, you pass a test which places you in level 1 to 9, depending on how your English is. Once level nine has been completed, there is a small graduation ceremony and certificates are distributed. The benefit of this program is that as an international student if you are interested in attending IUSB, the university will automatically give you a student visa. Also, if you are not yet in the USA, once you apply to the English Institute and you are accepted, they will immediately provide you with all the papers you need to request an immediate student visa to the USA.

SBEI facilitates your adjustment in the new environment and also the university will not require the international student to take the TOEFL exam in order to be granted admission. However, if you do not have an SBEI certificate you will need to score decently on your TOEFL exam as part of the application process.

In addition to the SBEI, IUSB really tries to make its school more pleasant for its students. There will be more campus housing as of fall 2008. There is an extensive international club and various other student clubs that certainly will incorporate one or two things you might be interested in.

Sincerely,

Gisele Elise Iliza

Overseas study during the financial crisis

Frank told me he got sick, not homesick, and was going to back home soon or later. I'm praying that his life will be easy.

Just now a Jap woman toured around my office, and finally she talked to me. She could follow Chinese if I speak slowly, and was glad to hear that I was teaching English here.

After that, I have read this:

The long-harbored dreams of many Indian students to pursue higher studies abroad may remain a dream for some more time in the wake of the global financial crisis.

A few education destinations are already feeling the meltdown heat. Experts say that countries like USA, Australia and New Zealand, which have always been high in the priority list of students, are likely to take a major blow in the coming months.

The student population had already diverted to other destinations ever since the Australian government tightened the immigration rules in September this year. Now, the newfound destinations are engulfed in uncertainty. With the intake time for universities in different countries approaching, the shrink may double up, feel experts even as Visa consultants remain hopeful.

Jaideep Mukherjee, business head of Equinox Education Management Group that assists in visa assistance for students going to the UK, said that in most cases, the finances are planned quite early. Students start the process of obtaining visa by September-October if they have to go in January, he added.

He further said: “While there has been a dip in the number of students going abroad, it is not quite a substantial one, as only 3 to 4 per cent students going to the UK depend on odd jobs.” Mukherjee admitted that the coming months are likely to witness a major shrink with the competition for odd jobs increasing, “as more and more people are being sacked”.

Amit Rao, the managing director of Rao Overseas Consultancy that assists visa applicants to countries like Australia, New Zealand and those in Europe, pointed out that the shrink is from “country to country”.

“The visa approval in the US has gone down from about seven out of 10 earlier to nearly four. European countries and New Zealand are seeing a major shrink. The trend will continue in the intake season of each country. Many worried parents are already thinking of not sending their children abroad or fit them in lesser known institutes,” Rao said.

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OK, I need a nap, really.