An Imperial Journey: Meet Susan C, DCB Class of 2024

This article is part of a series featuring our outgoing Year 13 students, sharing their experiences at DCB and offering advice to younger generations.

In our previous stories, we explored our students' progression from DUCKS to Senior School at Dulwich College Beijing. In this instalment, we delve into the university journey of Class of 2024 Susan C, who shares more about how DCB supported her journey to university, how she selected her university, and her advice to younger students.

How has DCB prepared you for university? 

(Susan C) SC: DCB offers both IGCSE and IB programs. These curriculums have a strong emphasis on critical thinking and time management, which helped me to effectively thrive through my university journey as universities are looking for students who can adapt to new challenges and pursue continuous intellectual growth. Through presentations, debates, and written assignments, DCB encouraged me to articulate my ideas clearly and effectively. This has been crucial in university settings, where effective communication is essential for collaborating with peers and participating in group discussions. 

What attracted you to your university? 

SC: During a visit to London in Year 7, I remember thinking, ‘I’d like to stay here one day.' I like London’s busy urban environment and diverse internship opportunities.  

After starting the IB program, my interest in medicine and biomaterials, inspired by my Chemistry class, led me to switch one of my subjects to Biology. I was already interested in applying to Imperial College London, so last summer I participated in an internship led by an Imperial College London professor, where I learned about producing scientific literature reviews and gained even more insights into the innovative academic environment at Imperial College London's Engineering School. 

I admire Imperial College's self-study approach in the Medical Bioscience course and the opportunities to conduct experiments and showcase our ideas to other students. Speaking to a DCB alumnus who studied Chemical Engineering at Imperial for both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees, he highlighted the rigorous academics and diverse student body, which excites me about exploring and seeing things from different perspectives. I’m looking forward to the level of freedom to explore the field and myself, too.  

What advice do you have for students embarking on their university journey? 

SC: Remain adaptable and open-minded. Explore new opportunities and subjects and seek support from teachers or counsellors when needed. 

I’ve been planning since the start of IGCSE in Year 10, but COVID-19 impacted our final grades for iGCSE, and it took two months to resit our exams. And with increased coursework and extracurricular activities, it’ll only get more demanding. So if you’re feeling anxious about the future, believe me when I say I know how it feels.  

But it's normal, so try not to get overwhelmed. Keep an open mind and be flexible with your plans.  

Take me, for example. When I was younger, I wasn’t as academic as I am now. I was on the sports teams like football, basketball, and even volleyball until I had an injury that stopped all that. My goals and interests then evolved.  

So remain adaptable and be willing to explore new opportunities, new subjects, or new areas of interest. 

If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out – whether it's academic assistance from teachers, or guidance from counsellors – everyone is going to help you. 

Gratitude

SC: Thank you to Ms Lee, my Chemistry teacher and my mentor from IGCSE up until now. I was inspired by Ms Lee’s strong passion for Chemistry, and it was in her class that I had a better idea of what I wanted to take in university. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to my friends Grace, Claire, Angel, Paris, Haruna, Lily, Ellie, Endora, Rachel, Audrey, Lyla, Anna, and Suri. Additionally, I’m grateful to all my subject teachers Mr Williams, Ms Pilgueva, Ms Tiffany Zhang, Ms Toner, and Mr Ozemoya.  

Author’s Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and conciseness.