KAHULA KONDWANI CHRISTABEL

SPEECH PRESENTED BY KONDI TO WELCOME NEW STUDENTS

To all the teachers, both old and new students I say good morning.

It is my honour to stand before you and deliver this speech of welcoming remarks to our newly enrowed students of the 2017 Chongqing university of posts and telecommunications academic year.

I welcome you all to cqupt and Chongqing at large. Am sure you will all at some point get lost or confused more than once as it is inevitable being in a new environment. But, am equally sure we will all enjoy this new beginning together.

Many of you are wondering how life will be like in a world and living environment so different from high school, former college, or that of your family home.

Well to be honest my first months here 3 years ago, I wondered why I was here and even after I wondered why everyone else was here……… learning in a foreign language everything seemed not to make any sense. I shared these thoughts with a senior student who I met here and all he had to say was that I would either way fail my entire courses in the first year. These words did not heal my wounded thoughts but left me with unsettled thoughts of how I was going to make it through. Am glad to stand here today and testify that I have not once failed a course since my sophomore year. This did not however happen by luck but through hard work, discipline and persistence.

Everyone here belongs and each and every one of you newly enrolled students will find your place. There will be many things, many traditions that you will come to know. But you will come to understand what i believe is most important about this place—that It is the centre of new and original thought and ideas. And it is ideas that are ultimately most important in this world.

Cqupt provides an environment good to both learn and grow as an individual and as a part of a community. Do not wait to be told or pushed to join an extracurricular activity e.g sports meetings, school organised competitions etc, all these activities are organised for us students and it is up to us to organise ourselves and enjoy these activities together. As the saying goes all work not play makes jack a dull boy.

One question you should keep asking yourself whilst here is, how do I make the most of my time here. It is ok Keep refining your answer as time goes by putting into mind that you are only here for some time and not forever, and what you want to make is the very best and the best of memories out it.

With that said I welcome you all once again and wish you nothing but the very best cqupt has to offer.

Thank you.