College not an Option
Qi Xue graduated from a Beijing high school in March of 1969 at the height of China's chaotic Cultural Revolution. Reeducation programs forced most of Qi's classmates to go to the countryside to work as peasants. Qi considered himself fortunate to be assigned to a factory where he began working as an apprentice electrician.
Although he was denied the opportunity to go to college, this didn't eliminate Qi's intellectual curiosity. The dawning of detente between China and the U.S. and Nixon's historic visit to Beijing "opened a window on the outside world," and sparked Qi's interest in the west. Wanting to learn more, he went to a used bookstore and acquired several English texts and began to teach himself English.
Opportunity Presents Itself
After working in the factory for eleven years, Qi's efforts to learn English paid off. The Commercial Press, a government publishing company, needed English proofreaders. Qi was one of three people chosen for the position from over a hundred applicants. He did well and ultimately reached the position of senior editor.
Qi met his wife, Jie Hu, at an English language lecture series in Beijing. Her career as a nurse led to the opportunity to work and study in the U.S where she received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona. She then took a faculty position in the school of Nursing here at UNCG. Jie and Qi made the difficult decision to move their family (their daughter, Jiayin, had been born in 1985) permanently to the U.S. It was a wonderful professional opportunity for Jie and they both wanted their daughter to be educated in the U.S.
A Chance for a University Education
Although it saddened Qi to leave a successful career that he enjoyed, he also saw the move as an opportunity to finally accomplish something that had been denied him as a young man - the chance to acquire a university education.
"I had always regretted not being able to pursue my education when I was young. It has been a lifelong dream to somehow find a way to do this. Coming to the U.S. would allow me to complete my education."
Almost a year after his arrival in Greensboro, Qi saw an ad in the newspaper about an information session at UNCG for adults considering a college education. Qi attended and was greatly impressed. The friendly helpfulness that he encountered at UNCG (and the assurance that he would be eligible for in-state tuition) led to his enrolling for the fall semester of 2001 as a pre-accounting student.
Found the Return to School a Challenge
Qi found the experience a challenge. The fact that he was returning to school in his late forties and attempting to learn subject matter that was completely new to him was difficult enough. Adding on the cultural and language problems that he faced made it that much more difficult. But he had confidence in himself. "I know as a recent immigrant and as an adult student I am in some ways at a disadvantage. But the experience and maturity that I have gained from life is an advantage that none of the younger students have." He does admit,"The first few weeks were very difficult, very stressful."
Qi had the most difficulty with understanding his professor's lectures and he compensated by devoting extra attention to the assigned readings. He would read each text through from beginning to end and then return to specific chapters for a second or third reading. He made a habit of going to the Jackson Library after every class and reading twenty to thirty pages from the text. As he says, "With each reading you learn something more, your understanding is clearer."
Fortunately, he set a reasonable pace for himself and had only enrolled for nine hours his first semester. He could devote the time necessary to compensate for the challenges he faced with the language. His dedication paid off and for his first semester's efforts he received an over-all GPA of 3.76.
During his second semester Qi took the introductory English composition course and that helped to further increase his comfort level with English. "Before I took the course I used to hate to write in English." But the required writing forced Qi to use the language and he gained confidence over time. "I was surprised; I could actually write something good enough to get an A."
His English class also led to his introduction to the UNCG Writing Center. "I learned a lot from the consultants at the Writing Center. I made a point of going to different consultants each visit, because each one had some different insight to offer. It allowed me to know that I was expressing myself properly and effectively presenting my ideas."
Things continue to Improve
Now in his fourth semester at UNCG, Qi has seen a steady progress in his command of his second language. "Things continue to get better little by little." When things get difficult for Qi he takes inspiration from his daughter. A high school junior at the School of Science and Math in Durham, she has an excellent academic record. "As her father, I don't want to lag behind too much."
Although it was a difficult to leave China, Qi is happy with his decision. It has allowed him to pursue a college education. As he says,"There is the expression, 'life begins at 40", well for me you could say 'Life begins at fifty."
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Page updated: 06-May-2009
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