留学案例：致那些温暖的不列颠岁月

九月初飞机降落在格拉斯哥国际机场那刻，第一时间打了电话给爸爸报了平安，当地时间已是傍晚七点多，我深呼吸了一口微凉的空气，排队等待入关。海关叔叔上下打量了我一下后问，你要去哪所学校读书?读哪个专业?我回答说国际冲突与合作。他说，umm，这个世界确实存在很多冲突，好好学习哦姑娘~至今我仍然记得那个叔叔呆萌的表情和鼓励的话语，留学之行正式开始。

我拖着两个20公斤的行李，累die。称职的帅哥学长准时到达机场接到我，和我简单寒暄了几句就帮我拿行李，驱车前往斯特林。一路和我讲他的学习经验和各种在斯村生活小tips。斯特林距离格拉斯哥大约45分钟车程，它的原名是皇家堡，历史上苏格兰的皇城，高贵皇家范儿的小城，至今还保留着中世纪的风格，整座城市弥漫着古典高贵的味道。 

第一晚，我和另外一位北京女孩暂时落脚在一家hostel,就在我们租的房子旁边，晚上我们漫步在小城许久，斯特林城堡，教堂，古色古香的欧式建筑，当时真有些穿越时空的感觉，我爱这里——兴奋期待着新的生活。

到学校注册付完学费后，我漫步在学校，被美丽的校园景色迷得迈不动脚步。第一天我就找到了学校的城堡，这个鬼斧神工的精致建筑是国王的城堡，美轮美奂!读书期间最喜欢的时刻就是手捧一杯浓浓的Costa在图书馆面窗的角落看一会儿书，望着窗外的天鹅，等待去上课。左手咖啡，右手书籍，挎着剑桥包漫步在天鹅湖畔走向Pathfoot教学楼是我每天的routine。

我们专业一共有八个同学，其中六位的母语是英语，另外就是我和一名巴基斯坦男生。一天课程结束后，我在学校乘坐UL或者63路公交车到市中心，到家后欢快地放下书和包包，溜达到附近的shopping mall逛街或者到CaféNero里点杯心爱的摩卡，安静一会儿，有时候在市中心的小店间晃荡~I wasn’t actually buying anything;I wasbuying the leisure,the freedom,of walking in an ancient city,smelling thecoffee and cakes,desperately breathing the moment that I knew I would bemissing so much.

秋学期我选了三门核心课程，其中最难的一门课是Research Methods to InternationalPolitics,因为我们专业只有我一个中国女生，其他同学都是操一口飞快流利的英音。起初我是崩溃的，因为我很难完全听懂他们在说什么。

九月份第一堂课后因为无法融入西方课堂，课后我崩溃大哭发邮件给老师寻求帮助，师恩难忘，这一生我都会放在内心最柔软的地方。我的导师Dr.Andrew Glencross是个年轻有为的学术天才，长得太帅，也是在学习上对我无比照顾的老师，每次上课我不敢正眼看他……更重要的是，他毕业于剑桥和哈佛，在英国读书期间，他把我带向欧盟政治的知识殿堂里。想到这里有些抑制不住眼泪，感谢老师的鼓励让我坚持下去。每当我上台做presentation他会给与我足够的关注。

下面是其中一封老师的鼓励邮件原文：

我开始付出更多的时间和精力在课前阅读准备上，在征得老师同意后，我录下老师的讲课，在课后我反复review,深入理解老师的思路和同学们的讨论。逐渐在之后的seminar里我开始听懂大部分知识点，也更积极地在课堂上代表group发言。

在英国一年半的时间里，发生了很多有趣难忘的事情。很难一一描述，引用一段英国留学期间的日记来结束我对那段温暖的不列颠岁月的回忆。

“Living in Britain was so much different from living in China,wher people are troubled with trifles and wher living is degraded to surviving.I felt,for the first time in my life,a moment of peace and gratitude.I began to see things through in all the time I had,when I did not have to be bothered by anyone jumping a queue or spitting to the ground as Ihad in China.I began to understand things,things that were shadowed or blindedby the busyness of life in China.And maybe it was due to the loneliness thatdid I come to value sentiments that I had ignored or taken for granted.

I saw pigeons walk among people on the plaza.Inoticed an ordinary librarian smile and explain patiently to every student who had confusion.I heard cashiers at small shops say good mornings in a voice sogenuine and happy that it warmed my heart in the winter wind.Every time I helda warm cup of Mocha in my hand and wandered about the streets,I felt my heartas light and cheerful as had captured the first trace of sunlight through thewindow frame.

I am not saying therewere no moments of frustration or depression.I am not saying they were all good memories.I could not understand the menu at the first time when I dined in a local restaurant and it took me a century to google the dishes out.My chats with locals never went that“local”since I really did notknow how to respond to their jokes.The social circle I squeezed in was greatbut I did not feel any sense of belonging every time in the parties orgatherings.I was just a student,a passer-by of their life whose absence wouldstir no sentiments.”