the downsides of uwc // my uwc experience

here is the uwc pros and cons video i promised a long time ago. i am in no way wanting to discourage anyone from applying to a united world college. i would never change or take back my experience for the world. watch until the end to hear my reflection on these past 2 years.
subscribe if you haven't already, and click the bell to be notified when i upload new videos :)
☆ sections ☆
00:00 - intro
00:32 - pro
01:19 - pro
01:44 - pro
04:09 - con
05:58 - con into 06:33 pro
07:29 - con
09:08 - con
10:46 - con
11:58 - con
12:14 - pro
12:24 - con
13:00 - con
13:43 - reflection
other places to find me:
☆ insta: @savannahcjackson
/ savannahcjackson
my backup account: @savannahcjacksonn (two 'n's)
☆ spotify: open.spotify.com/user/savanna...
☆ what is minerva? ☆
minerva schools at kgi is a 4 year acredited university program which is very new and unconventional. it's essentially a travel university with an incredibly diverse student body (kind of like uwc). the first year is spent studying in san francisco, and every following semester in another big city around the world (seoul, hyderabad, berlin, buenos aries, london, and taipei) totalling to 7 different countries.
i'm attending minerva schools at kgi this coming fall, so there will be loads of content about that coming. subscribe if you don't want to miss out!
if you have any questions, always feel free to message me :)

[@mariavic1304]

I may introduce myself haha: I'm that girl that made two videos about her horrible experience at UWC Changshu. Every time I watch these videos, I want to cry. My experience at UWC was very bad for many reasons, and looking at other schools where everything is better makes me sad because it was my dream to go to UWC, and I just feel like I went to the wrong one (not that I chose it). For example: there, you couln't "fight" for things to be better with the administration, they wouldn't listen to you. And it was sooo hard to get people interested in things to make a change. There were people fighting for changes, but they were always the same few people. The saddest part for me is that I feel like the UWC black sheep. Like, I can't post in the facebook group as you did asking for accommodation or something, because it feels like I don't belong there because I left. But I went there so I feel like I'm part of it. IDK, I just wanted to share my sad story haha anyways I'm happy that you had a good experience, UWC Costa Rica looks amazing, I have some friends that went there and had an excellent time

[@victoriaumukoro116]

Where u in china

[@savannahcjackson]

i'm sure you will find your place! you're right, uwc is not for everyone, and that's okay. you will have your own special path, even if it takes you a while to find it, im sure you will

[@user-ue1uo2wx4y]

Hey! I just got accepted in this college. Can you please share a bit more, because I am so nervous and have no idea what to do

[@evaa1.-.1]

Its still the same sadly. Someone recently got expelled for talking about their academic pressure to the counsellor. The counsellor apparently went ahead and disclosed their identity to the administration:(

[@qingyuezhang4117]

love the battery analogy!!!!

[@savannahcjackson]

🥰🥰

[@amiguruli]

Thank you so much. I’m trying to pass on uwc in my country, Brazil, and your videos are making me falling love even more with their purpose. I hope you r ok❤️ and your eyes and hair r SO BEAUTIFUL 🥺

[@savannahcjackson]

thank you so much!! best of luck ❤❤

[@teodorinaconstantin9245]

this is so accurate! good job(:

[@kevinandrews3902]

Wow this video was so relatable and 100% agree with most of your points although I have been to UWC RBC!:) also so nice to see another UWC video creator on KZbin! I feel like I should also make a video about my UWC experience just to look back at it in 20 years!

[@savannahcjackson]

i'm glad you enjoyed it! and you should, go for it :)

[@lailaraslan8310]

youre such a cutieeeee omg! i loved the video so much THANK U

[@ghosty3233]

Thank you for this, it was really helpful🤗

[@savannahcjackson]

i'm so glad it helped 🥰🥰

[@kiia6640]

Thanks for honest information! Ps. your shirt is super cute :)

[@savannahcjackson]

always! thank you ☺

[@azusuh3403]

thank u so much! I will apply this year for uwc, i’m from México i’m so excited.

[@savannahcjackson]

good luck!! 😊

[@carodoesstuff5624]

I'm applying from Mexico too ! :0

[@capdevilleandaluzantuan211]

I'm applying from Mexico too!!!! jaja Your'e videos really make me feel like inspired and excited

[@dulcerios58]

Cómo te fue?

[@jeyakumari]

This was an immensely helpful video! It would be highly appreciated if you could make a video on the how to make a good video application for the Pearson summer seminar and your experience there. I am really looking forward for a uwc experience next year, hope i get in :)

[@jeyakumari]

EVI EVI Pakistan 🇵🇰 And you?

[@ellieronen3986]

I love your videos.❤ I can't wait to see when you go to Minerva. It's my dream school and I hope to see vlogs and other stuff.

[@savannahcjackson]

thank you ❤ you will most definitely see vlogs and more

[@jani9650]

Can you please do a video on like essentials to bring to uwc..

[@ksubscriberswithoutanyvi-oo4ri]

Omg yess

[@victoriaumukoro116]

Please yes

[@maudvalentine4605]

would help soooooo much

[@savannahcjackson]

I hear you!!

[@sallysaboo8973]

Savannah C-Jackson we will be waiting ❤️

[@carennakt1819]

please make some content about Minerva!! I’m hopefully heading to UWCM in the fall (hopefully because of the pandemic) and I’m interested in learning about Minerva for university

[@loreleilou4460]

Carenna KT hi ! I’m also going to uwcm next year and I was wondering if you were on the Instagram or WhatsApp group chat? It would be so great to meet another co year :)

[@jeyakumari]

Are you still going, despite this pandemic? Is UWC continuing next year?

[@savannahcjackson]

then you'll like my next video 😊😊 i'll be making more content the closer i get to attending, and throughout my 4 yrs at minerva. i hope everything settles down in the fall, you'll have loads of fun at uwcm. you'll have to let me know how your experience goes!

[@sofimora5647]

This year I want to apply to uwc CR, I’m really happy and it’s been a dream for two years. But I’m so scared of the academics, I really like to learn and study but everyone I’ve met from uwc they always talk about how it could make you sick, that it is too much... it’s so scary tbh

[@savannahcjackson]

you definitely have to care about academics and learning to do well in the ib, but if you aren't aiming for perfect grades, you can chose not make studying the priority. academics are a big part of uwc you shouldn't look over, but everyone will be in the same boat. don't be afraid :)

[@sofimora5647]

Savannah C-Jackson thank you!!!

[@sophiee.8078]

This was so informative! I was wondering, how did you know UWC was the place for you? Like when were you certain that this is either where you wantend to be or the place you should be?

[@savannahcjackson]

i'm glad you enjoyed 🥰 the honest answer to your question is that i didn't know. i took a huge leap of faith. i had never lived away from home before, never travelled on my own, never really been apart from my parents for more than a week or two. all i knew is that i loved the idea of an experience like uwc. what reinforced my desire to attend was a summer shorcourse i attended called psyl at uwc pearson. meeting people who were already involved in the movement, talking with staff and learning about some of the core values. apart from that, i just knew that i wanted to love my experience so much that i manifested just that. i was always grateful to be there despite the challenges i faced. i hope that answers your question!!

[@sophiee.8078]

Savannah C-Jackson thank you so much!

[@asasa458]

thank you, very helpfull!

[@tavmata]

what is the best campus to go?

[@elinkramer5604]

Thank you so much for this video! If all goes well I will arrive in Costa Rica in August for my first year :). I was quite worried about being a bit of an introvert too, but your video really gave me a different perspective on the matter, so thank you. One question tho, about the school, sleep, socialize part. I know myself when it comes to a having a lack of sleep, so i know i kinda need that. I also want to go for a social uwc experience, but i would still love to get the most out of my education. I'm not aiming for a very high IB score tho. Do you think I would still be able to balance academics and experience with seven-hours sleep? Do you know anyone who struggled with this, who would be open for more questions? Hope youre doing well, and maybe find time to answer this :)

[@savannahcjackson]

i'm glad i could sooth your worry a bit! the concept of the 3 Ss is about learning to prioritize, but it's definitely possible to get enough sleep and still experience both the academic and social aspects of uwc. if you make an effort to determine which you prioritize, you'll find it much easier to make decisions in the future. also learning to overcome fomo (fear of missing out) will be immensely helpful in getting a good sleep. don't worry too much, it's definitely doable, as long as you're not too hard on yourself and you listen to your physical and mental needs :))

[@elinkramer5604]

@@savannahcjackson This is great, thank you so so much

[@elvinyyy3]

What was your english level when you go there for the first time?

[@leonatl8621]

Would you recommend going to UWC? Would you do it again if you had to decide agai?

[@savannahcjackson]

absolutely! i wouldn't have made a different choice

[@liyajohnson7405]

Hey is there anyone who recently got shortlisted for the interview at MUWCI?

[@laura-wm7gm]

this is such a nice video, i’ll be starting with my application for uwc within the next few weeks and i hope i’ll be lucky to get in😅

[@savannahcjackson]

it's not luck if you work hard, you've got this!!

[@laura-wm7gm]

EVI EVI i’m from germany, and you?

[@carawunsche5112]

Laura Rees hi im applying too! Do u want to maybe want to chat with me? I’m from Germany too:)

[@Hakoona]

Where’s your shirt from? It’s gorgeous

[@savannahcjackson]

i made it out of my dad's old dress shirt! check out my most recent video (back to school lookbook) - you'll see i explain this piece and many more that i wear in my videos:))

[@KA-iv1ol]

I have a question: Is UWC courses a replacement for the 11th and 12th grades we have in India? If so, do we learn about subjects like Science, Maths, etc? Or is it just life skills? And what are the benefits of finishing IB?

[@savannahcjackson]

as i mentioned, students range between ages 15 to 21, so for some it's the equivalent of 11 and 12th grade, for me it was 12 and "13th", and some do it after they finish high school. ib is what uwc uses to teach students, and the biggest benefit is that it's internationally recognised. it's considered difficult and therefore is highly respected. the ib in my eyes is a preuniversity program more than a high school curriculum. a lot of the credits are transferable if you do well in them which could save you time in uni/college. since it's so highly regarded and challenging, many consider students who have recieved this diploma ahead of most. it opens a lot of doors and arguably makes it easier to be admitted into most post secondary education programs. if institutions recognise the difficulty of uwc paired with the ib, it can also increase the admission rate for uwc students

[@KA-iv1ol]

Thank you so much!

[@alexandrugabrielburea6632]

@@KA-iv1ol do u want to apply ?

[@KA-iv1ol]

@@alexandrugabrielburea6632 I applied 3 months ago. Waiting for interview short list!

[@alexandrugabrielburea6632]

@@KA-iv1ol I am filling up my application.I am kind of nervous.Did you ever felt like your sentences were not good at all and you wanted to change everything ?

[@xuenn_]

hii, what are the requirements to get in?like what are some things i could do to increase my chances? thank you!

[@xuenn_]

@Noah Leal thank you so much! I think i have done most of the things there but i feel like it doesnt make me stand out i guess haha it's sort of like a stereotypical good student u know? so i was wondering, should i focus on my passions that might not have anything to do w studying so that i have smtg unique about me? also what is a good age to apply? I'm currently 14!

[@xuenn_]

@Noah Leal also how do you know if uwc is the right place for you? because for me, my mom said it was suitable for me but im not sure ahha, i like the idea of an IB school but idk if UWC is the best option for me

[@mickeymac6376]

The IB is the same as bachelor's degree or not ?

[@Hi-wu1se]

No. The IB stands for International Baccalaureate, and is the diploma you get when graduating an IB program, like how you get your HS diploma in the US. It is not a replacement for the Bachelor’s degree, as the IB is a two year program, you still need to go to college/uni for the bachelor’s

[@OtakuBuzz]

Hi, I really live your videos and they are so helpful, but if you don't mind I really think that maybe you should speak louder, some of us don't have headphones and you talk so quietly and its sometimes hard to hear you. I really hope you see the is as a constructed criticism and not being rude.

[@savannahcjackson]

hii solarin! i'm glad my videos are helping you. and not at all, i don't take it as being rude :) thanks for letting me know! i'm just a little surprised, never been told i speak quietly haha

[@rohithraman6856]

Savannah , I love you sooooo much. I’m a UWC aspirant from India and here the age for grade ten is around 14 years since we start school really early so I’m applying this year. You are my inspiration and plz get back to me if you read this comment and if you think I can get into UWC if by any chance. Sooo yea glad you were able to experience this gr8 experience. Also how much money did you pay for UWC’s 2 years totally for boarding and all. Please let me know...😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@savannahcjackson]

that's so sweet, thank you 😊😊 i can't tell you for sure if you will be admitted, but you can do whatever you put your mind to. life always works out in the end. and financial support is different for every person and national committee. email your nc with any questions about that. good luck!!

[@Deepika-pp8db]

Ohh...I'm from india too...so did you receive any emails yet regarding second round??

[@nityakhanna6127]

@@Deepika-pp8db same, did you? im really worried about it lmao

[@Deepika-pp8db]

@@nityakhanna6127 nope...they'll send emails in the end of December...NC told me!! :)

[@nityakhanna6127]

@@Deepika-pp8db thanks!!

[@nm7re]

Poor girl... You're vegan😁