Torch - Spring/Summer 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Head of Social Science Adam Pounder helps students discover overlaps in learning and how to transfer learning in his classes to other subjects, such as Economics and Law.

starting medical school at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Hu, who qualified for direct entry into the program after graduating from Havergal in 2018, says that while she knew medical school would be challenging, “I never expected it to be so hard.” “The biggest challenge I’ve faced during medical school is the sheer amount of subject matter that we need to know— I’d go to Bio class, and the content that would be covered in an entire unit [at Havergal] would be covered in one lecture. But then it occurred to me that the feeling wasn’t that foreign.” She recalls starting her Grade 12 alter ego project for Art class and feeling unsure of where to start. “I started to see all these parallels to this time, and it was

this feeling of familiarity that brought me comfort in my first year—I knew that all I needed to do was put down the first mark, then the second mark and then things would start to come together. I thought back to those moments and I realized they taught me the skills to stay motivated when the work you’re putting in isn’t paying off immediately. “It’s only now that I realize the skills I learned at Havergal aren’t taught to everyone,” says Hu. “When I see how my peers at medical school get stuck on a concept and don’t know how to formulate questions or where to look for answers, I find it surprising. That’s what I value most from my Havergal education: the knowledge of how to learn and ask questions. These skills will benefit me for the rest of my life.”

Mostin Hu 2018 uses the tools she gained in various classes at Havergal to help her navigate her studies in medicine at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

SPRING/SUMMER 2020 • TORCH 23