真人图书馆Living Library这种阅读理念，起源于丹麦哥本哈根，是一种通过与分享者的交谈，从而获得更多知识的活动。达罗捷派升学指导中心，为帮助低年级同学对海外留学建立初步的了解和认识，特邀请我校教师进行专题分享活动。
JPED双语老师均毕业于海外知名院校，拥有多年海外留学及工作经验。通过老师们的讲解能够更好地帮助学生贴近真实的海外留学生活，从而获得PPT或者纸质书籍等载体所无法达到的直接的感受。
第一期分享，邀请到达罗捷派人文教师、活动策划负责人Mr.Will作为分享嘉宾，与同学们交流13年海外留学及工作所带给他的所思所感。
李蒙霏 Mr.Will
达罗捷派人文老师/活动策划负责人
瑞金大学战略传播文学硕士，霍顿大学传媒文学学士
热爱文学，精通中文、英语、德语三门语言，擅长国际媒体项目管理、多文化团队协作工作。曾任全球国际新闻节目制片人、环球亚洲新闻记者，2018年作为志愿者为国家会议中心提供翻译服务；2013年至今，深度参与CBN演讲俱乐部活动，现为俱乐部成员之一。
跨领域的工作经验、不同国度的文化链接使教学变得丰富多彩，带领学生感受不同语言，文化的魅力。
13年的海外留学工作经验带给他的拥有独特的经历和感受，并结合自身经验对于未来将进入海外留学的学生提供可参考的宝贵建议。
2005年8月1日，我一个人踏上了美国的土地，开启了求学生涯。当时最大的感受就是害怕，因为觉得自己到了一个陌生的国家。
2005年时，我成为北京市英语单科状元，这使得我非常自信，甚至有些盲目的自信。自认为，在出国之前就拥有了良好的英语水平。
当海外求学的第一个月正式开始学习时，令我引以为傲的英语却让我备受打击，我发现我完全听不懂课程内容。而且我所就读的学校中没有其他的国际学生，我是唯一一位中国籍学子。
学生时代的Mr.Will
突然进入到一个沉浸式的英文环境，迷茫的同时又有一种举目无亲的感觉。开学的前两周，我的成绩基本上都是零。这使得学校联系我当时的寄宿家庭进行沟通，再由寄宿家庭与我交流。通过交流我知道了这不仅仅是语言上的障碍，更重要的是文化的障碍。
和朋友们在一起庆祝节庆
中外方的课程设置是完全不同的，国内课程基本上就是中国历史、中国政治、世界历史，但是在美国中学，是需要学习美国政治、美国历史这些课程，这都是之前从未经历过的。我记得当时教授美国历史的老师教授知识教得非常好，但是他的作业是非常严苛的。例如：需要学生在两天之内把美国50个州及各州首府背下来，作为考试的一项。
种种挑战都让当时的我觉得很痛苦。但是我当时的寄宿家庭，他们告诉我说，这只是一个过程。回想当初，我很感恩。
攻读硕士时期的Mr.Will
于是我开始改变自己。每天去联系老师给我补课，大量地去阅读相关书籍。在这个过程中，我找到了我自己需要的东西是什么，我想学什么。慢慢地我逐步调整自己的状态，适应学术难度。
我在美国从高中到本科一直到研究生这十几年的求学生涯中，我经常会讲让我自己感到最骄傲的事情，就是我是以全额奖学金的形式进行升学，没有让家庭因为我的海外求学花费高额的费用。
18岁时，我开始自己的工作生涯。因为当地政策的原因，属于国际学生的我，不能去校外工作，只能选择在校内打工。
第一份工作地点选择了麦当劳，我的工作内容是去后厨做炸鸡，整整做了5个月。在麦当劳工作的时候，每个人都会拥有一个柜子，用来放个人物品。我会把我的全部家当都放在那个柜子里面，包括我最心爱的iPod。这是我辛苦攒了一个月的零花钱买的，对于还是学生的我来说，非常珍贵。
与朋友们在一起
就在工作的时候，我发现我的包被翻了，遗失了我的全部家当，包括这个iPod。当时我处于一个非常崩溃的状态。可是面对没有监控、没有证人的情况下，我只能自认倒霉，边哭泣边联系我的住家联系来接我下班。
记得我的住家告诉我，你现在经历的一切，实际上是帮助你变得更加坚强。
参与现场采访工作
研究生毕业之后，我选择成为一名国际记者，这项工作大概从事了8年左右。成为一名记者让我打开了我的世界观，让我看到了这个世界中不同国家、人群、种族他们的文化、历史、生存环境。这份工作让我走访过非常多的国家，比如叙利亚、伊拉克等相对来说可能处于战时状态的国家，甚至一些比较紊乱的东南亚国家，等等。
与其他国家人员进行沟通采访
在美国工作生活的这些年里，不同的工作经历，带给我的是不同的感悟。在摔得最惨的时候，最快地成长。在接触不同文化时，塑造着我的世界观，也让我不断地反思，海外留学生活到底是一种怎样的感觉。
出得去，回得来。
什么叫出得去？是指把中国的历史文化带出去。
什么叫回得来？是指可以把国外的东西带回来，同时能够跟中国的文化结合在一起。
11年来始终坚持从事国际新闻工作
我认为这是我在国外学习生活多年以后，我认为我能够带回来的，以及最享受的一点。
初到国外的时候，我发现寂寞感特别强，那个时候还没有现在这么多的媒体方式，可以用来消磨时间。当时的通讯工具还不像现在这么发达，唯一的联系方式就是打电话，和家中约好固定的时间去交流我在美国如何应对生活学习。
这也就意味着，在十三年的留学生涯中，大部分的时间，我都需要一个人去应对未知的挑战。因此，我总结了三点，希望能够给我的学生将来开始海外学习生涯时提供帮助。
第一点，找到让你享受的一种娱乐方式
在海外的时候，我把自己所有情绪方面的变化都放在健身馆，通过运动健身这种健康的方式来发泄自己的情绪。
在海外坚持健身
因此，大家可以思考一下，当你遇到困难，遇到很大的问题时，将会以什么样的方式去宣泄情绪，让自己能够变得轻松一些。
第二点，持续保持阅读状态
Mr.Will的书架一角
我希望我的学生能够大量地看书，养持续阅读的习惯。阅读不仅能够在和别人交流时给你帮助，还能够充实自己。这是一个非常好的生活习惯，我从学习时期一直坚持到了现在。
第三点，拥有诚挚的朋友
在海外与好友相聚
希望我的学生可以找到两个非常好的朋友，是指那种能够帮助你，引导你正向发展，能够在遇到困难的时候帮助你去分析、去交流的朋友。
与学生们分享海外留学经历
希望我的留学经历，我的分享能够给大家提供一些思路，去思考一下，想要出国读书的目的是什么？想在大学里得到的是什么？希望你们对自己未来的道路至少是明确且清晰的。
Mr.Will与学生们在一起
希望你们做一个做一个快乐的人，希望你们能够多学一些东西，能够去应对未知的充满变化的时代。
认真倾听老师分享的JPEDer
我很感恩能够回到中国，能够进入教育行业，成为一名教师，与我的学生去分享我的经历。同时，我更希望将来有一天，当我再遇到同学们时，或者当同学们再次回到学校的时候，能够看到他们通过海外学习生活能够拥有不一样的人生故事。那将是最精彩的事情。
“
Will老师讲的都是自己在美国的亲身经历，让我体会到了在美国生活的不容易，也让我对未知的海外求学生活有了更多的心理准备与无限的期待。
——Miya
“
“
周三的真人图书馆中，Mr.Will为我们分享了他在美国的留学经历。独自一人背井离乡，在完全陌生的环境下一边打工一边求学，其中的辛酸和苦楚或许只有切身体会过才能理解吧。虽然遭遇了许多困难，但是在寄宿家庭的鼓励和父母的劝导下，他还是靠着自己的力量完成了学业和生活的考验。在吸取教训，总结经验的同时，我们更要学习他永不言弃的精神。风雨过后，必有彩虹，克服了挫折之后，前行的道路自然会变得清晰。
——Tina
“
“
Mr. Will 讲述了他在美国的留学经历，上大学、找实习工作和一些发生的趣事。这让我对美国留学有了一定的认识，同时也让我学习到了留学时需要做的事情包括需要用全部的精力投入到学习上，这样以后才会有个理想的生活
—Cissy
“
“
Will老师的故事让我们感受到了置身异国的艰辛与不易，同时展现了他坚强勇敢的内心，也是因为这样的努力他才能变得这么优秀！
——Cici
“
“
Will老师的真人图书馆让我印象深刻。他在国外的生活可以用艰苦来形容，刚入学的一个月分数全是不及格；在麦当劳打工，包被偷了，辛苦攒钱买的手机也没了。这些我从前只在文章里见过的经历全在Will老师身上体现了出来，我由衷的佩服他。
——Linda Fu
“
“
Will老师在美国的经历就跟小说剧情一样，自己一个人在国外有经历过艰难也经历过快乐，一些发生在他身上的小事也让我对留学生活有了了解
——Allison
“
“水晶帘动微风起，满架蔷薇一院香。”Mr.Will结合自己的亲身经历给同学们提供了非常有效地思考，并提出了有建设性的建议。帮助同学们能够结合自身情况更好的为将来的海外留学生活做好准备，并明确规划自己未来的发展道路。下一期我们将邀请两位具有英国留学经验的老师为同学们讲解如何快速适应英国留学生活。
JPED Living Library
The Living Library, a reading concept that originated in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a way of gaining more knowledge by talking to people who are sharing. The JPED Progression Centre, in order to help the younger students build up an initial understanding and knowledge of studying abroad, we invited our bilingual teachers to share the topic.
JPED's bilingual teachers are all graduates from renowned overseas institutions and have many years of experience in studying and working abroad. Through our teachers' sharing, students will be able to get closer to the real life of studying abroad and get valuable experience that cannot be achieved through PPT or books.
In the first session, Mr. Will, a humanities teacher and event planner at JPED, was invited to share his thoughts and feelings from his 13 years of studying and working abroad.
Mengfei Li Mr.Will
Humanities teacher/Event planner at JPED
Master of Arts in Strategic Communication, Regent University;
Bachelor of Arts in Media, Houghton University
Passionate about literature, fluent in Chinese, English and German, specialising in international media project management and multicultural teamwork. He has worked as a global international news programme producer, a reporter for Global Asia News, and provided translation services for the China National Convention Centre as a volunteer in 2018; He has been deeply involved in CBN Speech Club activities since 2013 and is a member of the club.
The cross-disciplinary work experience and the cultural links between different countries enriched his teaching, and able to lead students to experience the charm of different languages and cultures.
The 13-year overseas study and work experience has brought him unique experience and feelings, and combined with his own experience, he can provide valuable suggestions for future students to study abroad.
Academics: a short-lived pain that will eventually become a gift
Back in 2005, I was ranked the NO.1 student in English in Beijing, which made me very confident, even somewhat blindly so. I thought that I had a good level of English even before I went abroad.
When I started my first month of study in the US, my English, which I was so proud of, gave me a shock since I could not understand the lessons at all. There were no international students at my school and I was the only Chinese student.
Mr. Will as a student
Suddenly entering an English immersion environment, it was confusing and at the same time a feeling of having no one to turn to. For the first two weeks of my study, my grades were basically zero. This led to the school reaching out to my host family to discuss my situation, then the host family communicate with me. Through the communication I realized that it was not just language barrier, but more importantly a cultural barrier.
Celebrate with friends
The school curriculum is completely different between the Chinese and American school. The chinese curriculum is basically Chinese history, Chinese politics and world history, but in American high schools, students learn American politics and American history, which is something that I have never experienced before. I remembered that the teacher who taught American history is excellent in teaching , but his assignments were very difficult. For example, students were required to memorise the 50 US states and their capitals in two days as part of his exam.
All kinds of challenges were extremly painful for me at the time. But my host family told me that this was a process. Looking back, I am very grateful for that.
Mr.Will during his Masters studies
So I started to improve myself. I went to teachers every day to ask for extra lessons and read a lot of books. In the process, I found out what I needed and what I interested to study. Step by step, I gradually adjusted myself to fit in the academic environment.
Throughout my 13 years study in the United States, the thing I am most proud of is that my progression was always on full scholarships from high school to Undergraduate, then to Postgraduate, I did not cost my family for my overseas study.
Work: Be a global citizen who can makes it outside there but also can be back
At the age of 18, I started my career. Due to rhe local policy, as an international student, I was not allowed to work off-campus so I had to apply for jobs on-campus.
My first job is in McDonald's, and my job description was to go to the very back of the Kitchen to make fried chicken for five whole months. When I worked at there, we all have a locker to keep our personal belongings. I would put all my belongings in that locker, including my iPod, which I saved up for an entire month, it was extremly precious to me.
with my friends
While working, I found out that my locker had been stollen and I lost all my things, including that iPod, and I was at the edge of breakdown. But with no surveillance and no witnesses, I had to accept that and call my host family to pick me up with tears.
I remembered that my host family told me that what you are going through now is actually helping you to become stronger.
Participate in on-site interview work
After my postgraduate studies, I chose to become an international journalist, a job I have been doing for about eight years. Being a journalist has opened up my view to the cultures, histories and living conditions of different countries, people and races in the world. This job has allowed me to visit many countries, such as Syria, Iraq and other countries that may be in the state of war, or some of the troubled countries in Southeast Asia, etc..
interviews with other countries' government staff
Over the years of living and working in the United States, different work experiences have brought me different insights. I have grown the fastest when I have fallen the hardest. The exposure to different cultures has shaped my world view and made me reflect on what it is really like to live abroad.
Can be out, but can make it back.
What does it mean to go out? It means taking chinese history and culture out.
What does it mean to make it back? It means being able to bring back the foreign culture and able to combine it with Chinese culture.
11 years of international journalism
I think that's one of the things that I can bring back and enjoy the most after studying and living abroad for years.
Life: Three tips to help students studying abroad
When I first arrived, I found that the loneliness was particularly harsh. During that time there were not as many media platforms to kill the time as there are now. Communication tools were not as advanced as they are now, and the only way to get in touch was to make a phone call by arranging a regular time with my family to talk about how I was coping with life and study.
This also means that for most of my thirteen years of studying abroad, I had to deal with all the challenges all by myelf. Therefore, I have summarised three points that I hope can be helpful to my students when they start their overseas study.
First, find an entertainment that you can enjoy
When I was overseas, I put all of my emotional changes in the gym and let out my emotions through exercise as a healthy way.
Keeping exerise
Therefore, you can think about a way that you like to vent your emotions when you are in trouble and have a big problem, so that you can get relaxed.
Secondly, keep reading
A corner of Mr. Will's bookshelf
I wish my students can read a lot and develop a consistent reading habit. Reading not only helps you when interacting with others, it also enriches you. It is a very good habit to live by and I have keeping it from my days as a student to present.
Thirdly, have sincere friends
Get together with good friends in America
I hope that my students can find good friends, the kind of friends who can help you, guide you in a positive way and help you to analyse and communicate when you are in trouble.
sharing experience with students
I hope that the experience of studying abroad I shared can give you some tips to think about what is your goal to study overseas. What is it that you want to achieve from university? I hope that you are clear and definite about your future path.
I hope that you can be a happy person, you can learn more, and that you have the capability to cope with unknown furture and changing times.
Listen carefully to the JPEDer shared by the teacher
I am grateful to be back in China and to be able to step in the education industry as a teacher and share my experiences with my students. At the same time, I hope that one day in the future, when I meet my students again, or when they come to school again, I will be able to see that they can have a different life story through their overseas experience. I believe that would be the most wonderful thing.
Students view：
What Mr. Will talked about was his own experience in the United States, which made me realize that it was not easy to live in the United States, and also made me more mentally prepared and excited for the unknown life of studying abroad.
- Miya
On Wednesday's Living Library, Mr.Will shared his experience studying abroad in the United States. Leaving home alone, working in a completely unfamiliar environment while studying, the bitterness and suffering may only be personally experienced to understand. Although he encountered many difficulties, but with the encouragement of the host family and the persuasion of his parents, he still rely on his own strength to complete the test of school and life. While drawing lessons and summarizing experience, we should also learn his spirit of never giving up. After the storm, there will be a rainbow, after overcoming setbacks, the way forward will naturally become clear.
- Tina
Mr. Will shared about about his study experience in the United States. He went to college, got an internship and some interesting things happened. This gives me a certain understanding of studying in the United States, and also enables me to learn the things I need to do when studying abroad, including putting all my energy into study, so that I can have an ideal life in the future .
- Cissy
The story of Mr. Will makes us feel the hardship and difficulty of being in a foreign country, and also shows his strong and brave heart. It is because of such efforts that he made to become so excellent!
- Cici
I was impressed by Mr. Will's living library. His life abroad can be described as hard. He failed in his first month at school; Working at McDonald's, got my bag stolen, lost my cell phone I saved up for. These experiences, which I had only seen in articles before, were all reflected in Mr. Will. I sincerely admire him.
- Linda Fu
Mr. Will's experience in the United States is just like the story in the novel. He has experienced both hardship and happiness in a foreign country by himself. Some small things happened to him also made me understand the life of studying abroad
- Allison
"The crystal curtain moves and the breeze rises, filled the garden with rose scent." Mr.Will combined his own experience to provide students with very effective and constructive suggestions.
It helped students to better prepare for their future study and to plan their future paths in the light of their own circumstances. In the next issue, we will invite two teachers with UK studying experience to explain how to fit in the life in the UK quickly.
