‘I wasn’t feeling very well yesterday, but luckily, one of the residential fellows accompanied me to the hospital.’

‘Upper-level students in the chat group can answer your questions about course selection. Don’t hesitate, just ask away.’

Messages like the above often pop up in chat groups among students in Shiu Pong College (SPC) of the University of Macau (UM), which exemplify the homey atmosphere the college strives to create for its residents. Inside the college, SPC members enjoy both casual conversations and serious discussions, whether they are in the canteen, classrooms, or atrium.

Creating a Homey Atmosphere

UM’s residential colleges (RC) are a vehicle for implementing community and peer education. Unlike ordinary dormitories, the RCs strive to create a home-like environment that goes beyond mere living and dining on campus and embodies the essence of UM’s educational philosophy.

There is no doubt that entering university is difficult for any student. However, the academic studies that follow are challenges on another level. Students must develop their strengths for the future while navigating an increasingly complex life, and this may lead to exhaustion, frustration, low confidence, self-doubt, or even sadness. Even though these feelings are common among university students, if left unaddressed, they can contribute to dissatisfaction with society rather than the confidence in a better future that we hope to instil in students through education.

In SPC, we hope students will think of the college as their second home, where they can find the care and comfort they need to cope with negative feelings. The college is also a place where students can share their joy from academic achievements, develop new skills, or make new friendships with fellow students and teachers. To help balance work and play, the college also offers a range of recreational and sports facilities, not to mention delicious food in the canteen, to help students relieve stress and recharge for their journey ahead. 

Creating a residential college that feels like home is certainly no easy feat. To thrive, students need to become active partners and trusted allies rather than passive recipients of care and support, and this is crucial to their future success. In today’s fast-changing and materialistic world, one often has to fight his or her own battles alone. That is why it is so important for young people to build meaningful relationships based on trust, support, and care for others, especially their family members and close friends. In this way, society may become more harmonious, and people’s lives may become more meaningful.

A Home for Achieving Personal Growth

The RC provides more than a home from which to weather the storm; it also creates an environment conducive to students’ personal growth. Since its inception in August 2014, SPC has developed its own approach to student development through years of exploration and experimentation. The college has implemented a series of long-term experiential learning programmes, such as the English Table, which develops students’ English language skills; the Choir, which cultivates artistic expression through teamwork; the SPC Dream Building Team, which encourages students to volunteer; the Debate Team, which sharpens students’ critical thinking and communication skills; and the Student Ambassador Team, which promotes respect and kindness towards others. Through weekly activities, these programmes aim to help students achieve concrete improvement in their behaviour, attitude, and character. In addition, the various lectures, floor-specific activities, House Association activities, and interest group activities available in the college also help to promote students’ holistic development. 

In recent years, SPC has stepped up efforts to provide support to help students achieve academic success. The college has transformed many of its premises into well-equipped study spaces to create a positive atmosphere. Students occupy these spaces at the end of each semester when exams are approaching — upper-level students share their study notes and professors visit and answer students’ questions.

Apart from personal growth, SPC hopes to foster in students a strong sense of belonging to their home and country. Whenever the university holds a flag-raising ceremony for an important day, teachers and students in SPC, led by the college master, attend the ceremony together. Moreover, the college organises visits, sharing sessions, and discussions on current affairs for students to learn more about their country and the world and to familiarise themselves with Chinese history and culture, in order to strengthen their national identity and will to contribute to national development.

According to an old Chinese saying, ‘Cultivate oneself, manage the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.’ We hope that our students will learn to seek personal growth and benefits for their families and country. This is what we strive to instil in students in SPC.

Author:

Liu Jingjing holds a PhD in biomedical sciences. He joined Shiu Pong College as a residential fellow in 2014 and currently serves as associate master of the college. As a dedicated educator, he constantly strives to develop new approaches to student development. Previously a public policy journalist, he is also a member of the coaching team for the UM Mandarin Debating Team.

Website of the Residential College System: https://rc.um.edu.mo/

Text / Liu Jingjing

Photo / Shiu Pong College

English Translation / Anthony Sou, Davis Ip  

Source: UMagazine ISSUE 27