<![CDATA[IWE Study | College Planning & Learning Centre & Study Tours - Student Journals]]>

<![CDATA[IWE Study | College Planning & Learning Centre & Study Tours - Student Journals]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:23:22 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Easter, 2020 — Jimmy]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2020 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/easterAh, what a world is it out there,
Buncha streets with no peeps.
Where is everyone?
Are they outdone?
By a mythical “loved” one?
No...
Just No.
Why? What’s going on?
What are we walking on?
What does the world run on?
Gasoline, polythene, silver screens?
...
Why is everything unforeseen?
Why are markets not routine?
Of all places, you would see
A fierce roller coaster on a computer screen?
Nah mate, I’m listening to you.
I am here to help the troubled you.
Are you worried about the sun glistering?
Or the truth finally relistening?
...
Don’t you worry,
I have a plan
I am no enlisted man,
Yet
I bet...
I bet it is just some cold sweats.
...
Here, take my corvette,
Loaded with cassettes
Take this big drift net,
Armed with this rosette
Drive into the sunset
Escape this world, beset
I will call you on this handset
Telling you the newest datasets.
Through the ARPANET.
Once you establish a secure foothold
Watch the diseased planet unfold
This is no common cold
The corona is uncontrolled
The curve increases sevenfold
This is no common marigold
It will have the ultimate freehold…
But one day, it will burnout
The viruses will clock out
We will get slight fallout
We will all run out
and workout.
No more takeout.
It’s time to logout
Of that 24/7 online hideout
‘n print out some flyers for the neighbourhood cookout
We will
Turn on the afterburn
Watch for that upturn
Portfolios will get exponential returns.
As we adjourn
At that grand joint-return.
Enjoying the pay as you earn
Filled with unconcern.
As I press carriage return,
I finally ran out of words of concern.
Stay safe everyone.]]><![CDATA[March 28th, 2020 -- Amy]]>Sat, 28 Mar 2020 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/august-11th-2020In the blink of an eye, I have immigrated to Canada for almost 7 years now and a lot of things have happened since then. I have met a lot of new friends from school and from my extracurricular activities. I learned a lot of new skills like how to cook and some survival skills after I came to Canada. I tried new activities like badminton, piano, voice, and music theory. I have also continued to take lessons for violin and joined an art class. Along the way, I learned a lot of important concepts of life.

When I first came to Canada, my English was terrible. My poor grammar and incorrect pronunciation caused a lot of confusion. However, with the help of teachers from school, a tutoring center, and every-day conversations with my Canadian friends, my English had a lot of improvements. From Grade 5, I didn’t need to attend the school’s ELL program anymore. I was able to have fluent English conversations with other people. I could understand everything the teachers said and my writing skills along with other areas barely had errors anymore. I was also able to take French class with the rest of my classmates. Whenever my family would go out, they would always bring me as a translator.

Over the next few years, my English continued to get stronger. A short story I wrote in Grade 8 was awarded to be published in a collection of young writers’ works. When I graduated from elementary school, I got the English Language Art Award out of all of the grade eights. As a student from China, I was very proud to be on the stage to receive the medal. I think all of the accomplishments are rewards for the hard work I’ve done to improve my English. Even though my English has gotten better, I am still striving for more improvements. I believe that nothing is the best, but only better.

I participated in a wide range of extracurricular activities after I immigrated to Canada. In music, I received many awards and scholarships. I am preparing for a Level 10 violin exam and a Level 8 piano exam for the upcoming summer. I am also proud of my accomplishments in badminton. My team and I got first in Saskatchewan’s Summer Games, and I got chosen to represent my province to compete with other teams from Canada. I really enjoyed those experiences that made me a stronger badminton player.

After my family and I moved to B.C from Saskatchewan, I decided to stop taking voice lessons and drawing classes so I could focus better on Grade 9, first year of highschool to me. My parents learned about the IWE Study Center and asked me if I wanted to try it out. After my first meeting with Maria, I fell in love with the way everyone studied at IWE. I met a lot of new friends when I joined the IWE family. Everyone there has their own goal they want to achieve. When I came in August, I finished the Grade 8 level of Wordly Wise before school started. I am close to finishing the Grade 9 Wordly Wise. Everyday I try to increase my vocabulary and comprehension reading skills. At first, I disliked reading. However, I am starting to enjoy it because I can learn new words and ideas from books. Every time we show Maria our accomplishments, she would always compliment us.

I am happy with my new school, friends and everything I gained when I moved to Canada. The achievements I made in Canada came from my persistence and dedication. I want to thank everyone who helped me succeed: my parents, my teachers, my coaches, and my friends. Thank you! I enjoy living in Canada and I will continue to put my best effort in everything I do so I can become a better person.

]]><![CDATA[March 6th, 2020 — Henry]]>Fri, 06 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/march-6th-2020-henry-zhangI finally finished the big group project for my science class. We have an upcoming chemistry final exam at the beginning of the semester. I haven't taken any science course before, so when I was first introduced to chemistry I thought it was going to be really hard, but I am wrong.I‘ve learned that whatever you study will not be hard as long as you give it all of your efforts and pay full attention in class. That’s similar to learning a new vocabulary. We may not remember much of the vocabulary that we don’t use a lot in our daily life, but you just need to study it. Studying is not very hard. If you want to study, you can just do it. You can also get feedback on your progress. The way you study is also important. Good studying habits can save you time and make your studying more efficient. Life is not hard. Try to solve new problems by yourself first, and you will always learn something new.

]]><![CDATA[January 29th, 2020 — Henry]]>Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/january-29th-2020-henryEverybody who loves basketball knows who is Kobe Bryant. He is Lakers legend, Los Angeles icon, and openly imperfect person. I am not a really big fan of Kobe but I respect that his spirit in the game. He gave us a lot of amazing moves that let us remember him. He may not Michael Jordan, Lebron James. Those guys are born for basketball. Bobe’s body is not the strongest, but he always working hard on it. The mamba spirit it’s exactly what we need to learn. Never give up is Kobe’s own defense ion of this sport. Mamba's spirit is to never retreat, never give up, never escape, bear the humiliation, and create miracles in difficulties. Life is like basketball, we will meet some trouble in our life. It can be a lot of aspects. We need to try to solve it not walk away from it. Never give up that’s what I learn from Kobe Bryant. In his career, he has 1 MVP, 2 FMVP, 2 scoring titles, 5 championship rings, 11 NBA All-NBA First Team, 18 All-Stars, and 2 Olympic Gold Medals. Kobe is one of the greatest stars in the history of basketball, but he also said that real greatness is not to be the strongest player but to inspire others and the next generation. We need to remember what he told us when I have trouble. Never give up. May heaven be free of injuries and tears of the Achilles tendon. May basketball and the five championships accompany forever. Mamba out. Rest In Peace.]]><![CDATA[January 29th, 2020 — Catherine]]>Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/january-29th-2020-catherineYesterday, which is the 26th of 2020, Kobe Bryant died in an air crash at Calabasas, aged 41. Kobe’s daughter, Gigi, was died in the same accident, too. There were nine people on the same helicopter that was confirmed the death. I didn’t really know who was Kobe before this tragic news. I had only heard his name in my friends’ conversations before, and I knew he was a famous basketball player in the NBA. After the tragedy, almost all of my friends are posting on Wechat about Kobe’s death. Then I decided to search for Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant was an NBA basketball player who was regarded as one of the greatest basketball players at all times. As a shooting guard, he played for his whole life in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. Altogether, he had scored 33,643 points for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kobe, Rest In Peace. We will never forget you.]]><![CDATA[January 29th, 2020 — Maysie]]>Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/january-29th-2020-maysieJanuary 26, 2020, The words “Legends never die” swept through WeChat like a tornado. I opened Google news with trepidation. The first link that popped on the page was “Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash.” I was shocked and I felt like someone punched my chest as if the person wanted to kill me. There is no basketball player who doesn’t know Kobe Bryant, even I, who don’t play basketball somehow know him. Kobe Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, Bryant played his entire 20-season career in the National Basketball Association with the Los Angeles Lakers. A happy and perfect family is shattered like glass, and the youth of basketball fans around the world is lost at the moment when the helicopter crashed on the merciless mountain. In 2008, wenchuan earthquake, when all people are immersed in the grief of losing their loved ones, the United States from the other side of the earth lend a helping hand. Bryant has donated more than $5 million to support the victims of the earthquake and has traveled to sichuan in person to comfort those devastated spirits by the disaster. People always say God will take the people he wants, maybe he needs a basketball legend and a kind and brave heart. Kobe Bryant is gone now, but the mamba spirit lives on forever! May you go well, the unyielding Philadelphia boy!]]><![CDATA[The Day When Everything Changed — Amy]]>Sun, 26 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/the-day-when-everything-changed-amy-zhangA notification popped up on my phone. I read the heading and it said: “Basketball Star Kobe Bryant Died in a Helicopter Crash.” My mind went blank. I thought I read it wrong so I clicked into it. I unlocked my phone and it directed me to a website about the tragedy that happened to Kobe Bryant along with his daughter and several others. After I read the information, my jaw dropped open and my eyes widened. I couldn’t believe this famous basketball star that everyone knew was really dead. I am not a huge fan of basketball nor do I watch basketball games, but of course I knew who Kobe Bryant was. He made new records on the basketball court, he taught the Mamba Mentality to everyone, and he was a great father with beautiful daughters.

Even I was shocked and overwhelmed by this tragic news and I don’t even know the sport of basketball that well. I wonder how many basketball players who have Kobe Bryant as their idol will be discouraged by his sudden death. I believe everything happens for a reason, though. Maybe God needed a basketball in heaven, who knows? We will not forget you, Kobe. We will remember you for all the good things you left behind for us. Thank you for your amazing basketball games. Thank you for showing us the Mamba Mentality. Thank you, Kobe Bryant, for everything you have done for us. Mamba out. ]]><![CDATA[August 7th, 2019 — Leo]]>Wed, 07 Aug 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/august-7th-2019-leo-yangA great way to start the day: Kung Fu class. I was really excited for my class today because I will be training with a weapon today, which is a staff. After the usual warm up, Master Yandi gave me a staff. It is made out of wood and the two ends are wrapped in bandages. One side of the staff is thinner than the other. Master Yandi then told me about the history of the staff, about why it is “The King of all Weapons”. He said that most weapons’ basic forms are made from the staff. For instance, a spear is basically a knife attached to a staff. Master Yandi also said that if I can master the staff, then mastering other weapons will be much easier. Since it was my first day of using a staff, Master Yandi only taught me two basic techniques, which roughly translate as “Toss” and “Smash”. The toss is basically flicking the thin tip of the staff upwards, and the smash is a downwards slam using the heavier and thicker end of the staff. The two moves are quite easy. I grew adept to them pretty quickly. In the next class, I will probably be able to learn more techniques, which is already making me excited again.
]]><![CDATA[May 19th, 2019 — Jimmy]]>Sun, 19 May 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/jimmy-chen-may-19-2019After much speculation and excitement, I finally got to try out something called the Beyond Meat® Burger. It is a plant-based burger that took a jaw-dropping seven years to develop and perfect. It is meant to be a vegan replica of a typical beef patty. While the price is slightly higher than your run-of-the-mill beef burger, my first impressions were, “Wow! Is this actually meat?” Unlike other vegan patties, the Beyond Meat® Burger had a processed beef with its little strips of beef combined together to form a disk. Off to the grill it went! Apparently during the seven years of development, they also made sure that the burger also cooked like an actual one, identified by the red juices that leaked out and the color changing characteristic of the surface. The four minutes per side passed by quickly without me getting too hungry, now, the Beyond Meat® burger is on a plate, ready to be consumed by a hungry carnivore. As the pea protein isolate along with a plethora of ingredients activated my taste buds, all I was able to think of was, “I am DEFINITELY munching on a plain hamburger right now.” It was an amazing experience and miles better than other veggie burgers that either use potatoes or textured vegetable protein (think tofu) to barely get by.
]]><![CDATA[April 17th, 2019 - Qintu]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2019 20:51:30 GMThttp://www.iwestudy.com/student-journals/april-17th-2019Ironman

It has already been the third year of my high school career. I never thought that time could run this fast, and yesterday seemed like to be my first day in Canada. During the three years, I did manage to improve myself, bit by bit; however, I consider myself wasting most of the priceless time ---- after all, I could have done more.

It was only recently that I realized that I didn’t live as industriously as I was supposed to. It all comes after a few books I’ve read recently, which primarily consisted of biographies of several famous people. Elon Musk was one of them, for instance. After finishing his biography, I surprisingly found myself ---- although having an utterly different characteristic with him ---- being attracted by some of his behaviours. Characteristics come with people when they are infants; therefore, they are a part of ourselves that could not easily be altered, and should not be altered. Nevertheless, ideas, logic, rationality, means and behaviours can be learnt, for good purposes. Among all of those things that humans can acquire, what I realized is that if I want to achieve a goal, then I should do it. The word “do” only has two letters, yet it seems so powerful.

When I review my life of my high school career in Vancouver, I found that I achieved all the things that I actually spent time on. For example, my app, my website, the pitch presentations. All of them went well only because I got my hands dirty on those things. Having to admit that sometimes lack of talent, dearth of skills and knowledge inadequacy could be potential barriers ---- I once read a book about algorithms and I found myself completely not comprehending the content. I still believe that 99% of the goals will be achieved by just doing it.

Going back to present, I still have more than two months left until I graduate. A decision on attending U of A relieved a portion of pressure given by the Provincial Examination, and that turned out to provide me more time to work on things that I really want to work on. Learning more programming concepts, finishing more projects, reading more books and keeping healthier habits are the few little things I would love to focus on the last bit of my high school. I don’t have to send people to Mars, but I will keep working on the be the best version of myself.

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