On July 21st,14 students from our freshman to junior college went to the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to exchange and study. The project includesseveral courses in informatics, including artificial intelligence, controlsystems, network analysis and other courses, as well as some activitiesorganized by UIUC to understand the local customs of the school and the UnitedStates. From the time we got off the plane, we entered the English-speakingenvironment. In the constant communication, our English expression ability hasalso been improved. Due to the late arrival of our flight, the time to arriveat the school is close to 8:30 in the evening, but Teacher Matt of UIUC stillgreeted us at the entrance of the apartment and helped us to check in. On thefirst day, we took the break and slept early after finishing the room to adjustthe time difference, being prepared for the following study.
Image 1. Chicago O’Hare InternationalAirport
Image 2. Dormitory
In the next two days,UIUC arranged for us to introduce campus visits and other activities. We arealso guided us to register and complete the campus card used at school. Duringthe visit, we visited various buildings of UIUC, including libraries, teachingbuildings, laboratories, etc. At the same time, we also learned at the briefingthat UIUC is a strong research academic in science and engineering, businessand other fields, cultivatinga large number of big experts. Since this issummer vacation, there are not many students on the campus, and the whole campusis quiet and academic. It can be seen from the two days of visits andintroductions that UIUC is one of the top American research universities inscience and engineering. We are also interested in and expecting the followingcourses.
Image 3. Picture in front of thefamous sculpture of UIUC
Image 4. Library of science andtechnology
After a few days offamiliarity with the campus, the formal courses began. According to differentchoices for each person, we went to various classes according to different timeperiods. Prof. Svetlana Lazebnik, given 'Artificial Intelligence'class, introduced the development and application of artificial intelligence,such as search algorithms and game games, in this week's class. Prof. Jana Diesner,given 'Network Analysis' class, vividly and interestingly describedthe various concepts of the network through various examples. In order toconsolidate the classroom knowledge, the teachers also arranged homeworkassignments. It is certain that through this stage of careful listening andtimely completion of the homework, we can have a better understanding of theknowledge in these areas and apply it to later learning and research.
Image 5. Network Analysis class
After four days of study, UIUCarranged a trip to Springfield for us on Saturday. We visited the IllinoisState Capitol, the Lincoln Museum, and the home and cemetery of PresidentLincoln in Illinois. Throughout the visit, staff members introduced us to therelevant historical knowledge of various attractions, which gave us a deeperunderstanding and respect for the president. At the same time, this day's touralso allowed us to further experience the local community culture in the UnitedStates. Through this day's rest, I believe that everyone can participate in thenext week's study with a more positive attitude.