Help me go to University

Hi everyone. My name is Mingyue Wu or you can call me Jessica.I am an ordinary girl from China. I never thought I would have to find a way to raise my tuition fees for university like this but "you can't always get what you want".

Last year was my first year in university, I could say that it was the best year of my entire life so far. I met a lot of people and made tons of friends from different countries, which was not supposed to be a easy thing for an international student like me to fit in, but somehow I pulled it off. =]

My parents was not very loaded but they decided to support me pursuit my dreams anyways, whatever it takes. I had been dreaming to study abroad in North America since I was in grade 8. What triggered me was actually my English teacher who came from New York. I don't remember how, but I just happened to become a good friend of hers. She told me a lot of new things as if she opened a door to a brand new world to me. Like other people, I had my "American Dream" since then. She was such an inspiration and still is.

After graduating from high school, I had a conversation with my parents to ask them if I should and if I could apply for university abroad. At first they were not quite sure but they decided to support me even though we didn't have a lot of money. But back then, they were just doing fine......

So I spent a whole year to study English(for those who don't know, our English education system is actually not very good), I tried so hard that I could literally talk to a random stranger (who looked like speaks English) to practice.

After this year which some of you may choose to call it a "gap year", I got an offer from the university overseas which gave me a small amount of scholarship. And I was so glad that I finally made it!

I wouldn't say that last year was perfect but this is life and you have to deal with it. Since last year was my first year abroad, for some reasons I was not allowed to work and sometimes I felt so homesick when I left home all alone and with not so much money. I didn't go home for Chinese New Year (The biggest festival in China) and I spent all my Christmas break in my room (sometimes in library) because the flight tickets were a bit too expensive for me.

If things work out, next month should be the first month of my second year. My mom retired by the end of last year and now she gets some small amount of pension, my dad's company is now cutting down the number of persons employed so his job is in risk, and my grandfather who is diabetic has been suffered from several diseases and needs some surgeries in no time. So basically my family is going through a financial breakdown.

So far my parents sold some properties and they've applied for a loan from bank but it hasn't been approved yet.

I am now very nervous and worried because I am not so sure if I can still go to my second year of university. I am majoring in Books and Media Studies and I am learning Italian. I wouldn't say I am very talented in languages but I like English and I like western culture a lot. My favorite poet is Dylan Thomas. You could say that the beautiful contrast between western and eastern culture is where my passion comes from.

If I can really go to the second year of my university, I would be definitely happy and words can't even express my gratitude. And I will do my best to balance my studies and work.

I am Mingyue Wu.

if you wanna know more about me or make friends with me no matter how, it'd be awesome. I like pen-palling and exchange postcards.

This is my favorite lines from Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night": "Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright; Wild men, who caught and sang the sun in flight; Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sigh".
It is always your decision to choose what kind of man you want to be. =]