From Danzhou: A College Freshman's Voice

Hello, my name is Mike, and I’m an incoming college freshman from Danzhou, Hainan.

To be honest, I feel both excited and nervous about starting college. For me, the biggest challenge might be adapting to a brand-new environment. I’ve always lived in a relatively small circle—my friends and classmates are all from the local area, and we know each other well. But college is a completely different world, filled with students from all over the country. I’m worried it might take me a while to fit in. I’m afraid I won’t have much in common with others and may even feel out of place.

Besides social concerns, I also have some anxiety about academics. I attended an ordinary high school here in Danzhou, where educational resources are relatively limited. We didn’t have access to competition training or enrichment courses like those in top schools in big cities. Sometimes I worry that I’m not well-prepared enough, and that I might fall behind when I get to college.

To be honest, kids from small cities face many challenges. In places like Danzhou, extracurricular resources are especially scarce. There aren’t many libraries, and even the ones we have don’t offer a wide range of books. Most students only read for exams, and we don’t really have access to other reading materials. We rarely get the chance to attend cultural events, lectures, or exhibitions, which naturally limits our horizons.

Economically, there’s another very real issue in smaller cities: fewer job opportunities. Especially for high-paying careers like IT and finance, most of them are concentrated in first-tier cities. If we want better development platforms, many of us have no choice but to leave our hometowns and venture out on our own. Even for entrepreneurship, we’re limited by a small local market and low consumer spending power, which means there's far less room for growth compared to big cities.

I’m also a member of an ethnic minority. Honestly, the country has provided a lot of support for us in recent years. Policies like bonus points for the college entrance exam, grants, and scholarships have really eased our financial burdens and given us more chances to pursue our dreams. After entering college, teachers and counselors are also very supportive. Whenever we run into difficulties, someone is always there to help—as long as we’re willing to speak up, we can always find a way forward.

- Mike

Hainan, China

Angel Wu｜Content curator

Simona｜Editor

孙逸铭｜Translator