We met in 2016, and we said goodbye in 2020. The four-year life in UIC passed quickly, from the beginning when I was confused about university life to now when I have decided the direction of my future study, UIC taught me a lot. The English teaching environment in UIC allows me to read English papers easily, and the liberal arts education and whole-person education in UIC make my vision wider. The teachers in UIC come from different countries and regions of the world, which helps me understand multiculturalism.
As a statistics student at UIC, I learnt a lot of professional knowledge and made many friends. The group projects and presentations at the end of each course helped me quickly understand the knowledge and strengthen my English writing and presentation skills. When I was writing my thesis, I was very fortunate to be supervised by Professor Kai-Tai Fang who is a famous statistician in the world. Under his careful guidance, I successfully completed my thesis and submitted it to an international academic journal.
Finally, I hope that the statistics program will get better and better, and I hope that UIC will get better and better in the future under the leadership of President Tao Tang.
In UIC, every time I have a question after class, the professors will explain it to me very carefully; when I am confused about my future study, the professors will communicate with me, hoping to help me solve the problem. The school often invites research scholars to give lectures and carries out many colorful competitions and after-school activities. The school association activities let me know more about Zhuhai, this beautiful city, and the exchange programs organized by the IDO office provided me with many opportunities to study and experience in different countries as well. Every experience brings me different feelings and makes me understand growing up in UIC is full of happiness.
At first, Statistics was not my first choice. However, when I truly stayed together with the UIC statistics family, I realized that I was so lucky. In fact, I didn't know what statistics would bring to my future when I first study in UIC, but just like high school, I thought if I listen carefully in the lecture and complete my homework on time, I can have a good academic performance. Later, after accomplishing many compact group projects and presentations here, I found that statistics was not the boring knowledge. Statistics has a lot of fields to be applied. Under the patience of the professors, I changed from passively accepting knowledge to active exploration and thinking. I began to have a direction in which I was more inclined to study, and I also tried to put forward my own ideas. This change surprised me, and it was the most precious harvest of my four years in the program of Statistics.
UIC and its statistics program are places filled with love. Time spent here is so unforgettable that sometimes it confused me whether it is statistics itself, the enlightenment from teachers or leisure time with friends that makes me linger on. This is a place where we could stroll while enjoying the cozy breeze and sparking stars.
I like whole person education courses a lot: tennis, Zumba and bird-watching are brand-new topics which I never thought I could explore. General education courses such as Spanish, government and society and Indian civilization refreshed my impression for courses under humanities department. What I treasured the most are psychology related courses. It has become a habit for me to read a chapter after got back in dorm. I could gradually get surrounded by peace and calm while reading. Not to mention statistics program, teachers here were really nice and they opened up to all kinds of problems. It was their help that made me feel like home.
To sum up, UIC constantly infused me with courage during the four years. It is the courage to move forward without hesitation and it is also the courage to step back to reckon upon important matters. That is something I feel deeply grateful about.
From being confused about statistics at the beginning, to determining the direction of my further study. From knowing nothing in academic lectures, now being familiar with most statistical methods. From getting stage fright during presentations, to mastering teamwork skillfully… when I am reviewing the changes that UIC and the programme of Statistics brought to me, the day to say goodbye is almost at hand in a blink of an eye. The four years at UIC made me feel that I passed even faster than the three years in high school was due to a fulfilling college life and the possibility to do everything I like.
UIC's study life is compact and diverse. Statistical major courses are strongly relevant to mathematics and programming, but because of course projects, we can apply the methods and knowledge learned in class to solve practical problems. Moreover, the teachers’ teaching styles add a bit of interest to the originally boring science courses. In addition, UIC offers whole person education courses such as emotional intelligence, outdoor experience, culture and sports, language courses as well as the courses from other programme, so that we have the opportunity to explore other fields of knowledge in addition to specializing in major knowledge and we can fully relax the body and mind during studying. Although the semesters at UIC are short and the academic work is relatively more onerous, many times I feel not only busy, but also happy. Apart from studying, there is a variety of extracurricular activities at UIC, which allow me to find things I am interested in to do. These experiences have not only brought me personal improvement, but also made me know a lot of mentors and helpful friends. I they will be an embellishment in my life and benefit me for life from now to the future.
University is the best time of your life. Every June a group of graduates leaves the school. Now is my turn. Four years have passed by, but many beautiful memories have been left in my heart. During the year, I met a lot of knowledgeable teachers who gave me a lot of academic help selflessly and kindly. I would like to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr. Timothy Wu. He gave me good guidance and encouragement throughout the process of choosing research topics, writing papers, and correcting mistakes. He patiently provided me with many opinions and suggestions and gave me great encouragement throughout my undergraduate study. At the same time, I also met a lot of lovely friends, we accompany each other and make progress together. Graduation is not an end but a new beginning and a higher level of learning. There is still a long way to go in the future. I will start my life in the future with courage and hope. I wish all teachers good health and success in work, I hope every classmate has a bright future.
The four years of study and life at UIC have been fun and fulfilling, especially in the Department of Statistics. Each specialized course will set up a group assignment to solve practical problems with statistical methods through teamwork. These valuable experiences have a subtle impact on future work.
I work as an product manager for Bytedance. When analyzing user needs, writing a product requirement document and reviewing product functions, I was influenced by statistics, which also made me pay special attention to data. Data analysis became the necessary ability of a product manager and it is of great help to my work.
