World Traveler Catherine Sole-Pike

Catherine Sole-Pike comes from England. She has been studying for MBA in the School of Economics, CCNU since 2016. Her curriculum includes economic tricks, managerial economics, financial managements, business Chinese, and public Chinese. However, this is not her first time of studying in China. She had been in Wuhan in 2015 for 6 months in an exchange program. Catherine is an outstanding language learner. Catherine’s mother is English while father is Spanish. So she can speak these two languages. She can also spoke Catalan a language spoken in part of Spain around Barcelona and a little Polish. She has been to lots of countries, such as Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Tunisia, etc, because of her love for different cultures. Although she has only one country-mate here in CCNU, she didn’t feel lonely at all, because she likes talking to people and has made a lot of friends here. 

Why do you choose Wuhan?

There was a link between my university and Wuhan, so I had the chance to come here and I liked Wuhan. At that time, I thought after I graduated maybe I can come back for my master’s here. I looked through the avenue and decided to come back here.

I’m a very culture-orientated person, I’m really interested in culture and language. Because my Bachelor’s was on languages. I’m really interested in the Chinese language and culture. So predominantly, that’s the main reason why I came back to China. Secondly I wanted to learn how to work with Chinese people how to do it effectively. I thought in the future I would see what is better to do than to study in MBA and I had an opportunity to do so. 

What is to you the greatest difficulties during the time you study here?

For me, at the very beginning was adapting to Chinese society. Because it’s very different to mine. So I found it was very difficult but over time, it got easier and easier. I understand the languages, I understand why people think in that ways. We have different thinking style and we should try to get the situations better, that way I can become stronger.

Would you like to share your study experience and give some advice?

My academic life here has been very interesting. I’ve experienced a lot of fantastic things here. But If you ask me to give some advice to other students, study independently as much as you can. Because reading can help a lot. Just read, read and read again and read some more. It won’t be enough and ever. The second thing is communication. Communicate with your classmates, teachers and supervisors. Building the relationship is so important. If you don’t build the bond with your teachers and classmates, you will just fall apart. Don’t isolate yourself. In terms of things like theses, if everybody has a thesis to write, I recommend to starting straight away, just organize plan and do it effectively as much as you can because time goes fast. 

When I’m busy, I usually prioritize my goals. If I have some very important things to do, I will do that first and then other stuffs will come after. I’ll make sure that they will be done on time or before.

What would you do in your spare time?

I don’t like to exercise but I do exercise. I like to watch television and film sometimes; I like all kinds of movies. I’m not really a television-kind of person, but more a computer researcher and reading-kind of person. I do like computer games. I like to read about everything and to teach myself. When I read a book, I usually do a novelist research; I have read many things like all the Harry Potter’s books. I don’t really tend to get into novel, I tend to research. I will teach myself literature and science like software.

Do you have some unforgettable moment?

I have been to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou. Wherever I got, I had fantastic experience. I have a bucket list of things to do, like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tian’an men square and the Yellow Crane Tower. When I saw them with my own eyes, I was excited and felt “Oh! I am here. It’s fascinating.” Shanghai is really beautiful. Since I like real culture and Beijing is a place having real culture with some temples.

The most impressive thing is that in the beginning, in our class many students’ English was at a low level, but they struggled a lot. And in two years I watched them transform from knowing zero English to the situation that I can have a conversation with them now. It’s definitely astonishing. We are in China, I do understand their Chinese will improve, but their English? You see, that’s quite impressive to me.

If I ask you to thank someone, who would you like to give your appreciation to and why?

To thank just one person is not enough because there are many people I’d like to thank. First and foremost, I would like to give my most thank to Mr. Chen. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have the opportunity of being here. He didn't really help in my study actually，he helped me with the scholarship to come here and he has helped me to find a job after graduation. Also, he has been very helpful these last two years and he really understands international students. And I do have other people to thank fellow classmates, teachers and friends, I mean to thank them all.

Do you think the food here caters to your appetite?

I think in China, you might not like everything, but you will find something you like. I like quite a lot different things and I have tried many different noodles and fried things. For instance, I like peanut, fried rice and fried noodles. Sometimes I cook in the kitchen to make sure there is no oil in that and sometimes I eat outside. And I don’t really like snacks and stuff like that. I usually drink water, water with lemon and strawberry inside and English tea.

What are your aims and goals in studying in China?

I think there are many goals which are all interrelated. One goal which was to graduate in this semester and other little goals are to understand Chinese culture more, understand Chinese people more and the language predominantly.

When you meet some difficulty, what pushed you to struggle forward and stick to your final goals these years?

I’m quite a self-motivated person. If I say I’m going to do something, I will do it. I’m not be on the push and I don’t pretend or try to give an excuse for that. Unless I finished, I won’t step off the path for the goals I set out for myself. Because if I don’t, I know how disappointed I’ll be in myself. 

Do your family always support you no matter what decision you make?

Precisely. My mother is very open minded, and she is very supportive. And I haven’t seen her for a very long time, but she always supports me. I’m very thankful to her and I think she is my best friend forever.

What about your future plan?

I have finished my master year and I think it is time to get a job to earn and save some money and get a house. And I’m hoping to start a company with my Chinese friend in China and save money and get a mortgage in England. Besides, I want to connect China and England through somewhere like business opportunity and I hope it could be possible in the future. As a language student, if you don’t use it, you will lose it, I mean it will disappear after some years. And that would be a shame. 

Do you plan to stay here or go back to England?

I think I will go wherever the opportunity takes me. I’m not going to say something stupid like ‘’no to this, no to that.’’ If it comes along a good opportunity, I’m going to take it. Now I’m doing internship in a little Chinese company, trying to get much experience now. The business culture is so different, and much business can be lost when there is much misunderstanding, so it is important to learn that.

What do you want to say to CCNU?

To CCNU, I’d like to say: thank you so much for nurturing me, teaching me, allowing me to learn so much. The experience is fantastic, and I will never forget that.