Coming to China was surreal. I’m Taiwanese American. My family immigrated twice: my grandparents from China to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War and a second time to the U.S. when my parents were seven and 13 years.I speak Mandarin, but have never visited China. So, coming to China, especially Beijing, was particularly meaningful since my late grandfather grew up in Beijing.

• Read more about MIM China Study Trip 2026: From AI Innovation to Ancestral Roots

There is a question no one tells you to ask before arriving in Singapore. Not "Where will I live?" Not "How will I get around?" But something quieter and more personal: "Will I still be myself here? Will it feel like family?"This Ramadan was my answer. And honestly, I did not see it coming.We had just survived P3 practicals, running on fumes, on group chats, and on the kind of adrenaline that only INSEAD can produce. In the middle of all that, I was fasting. Waking up before sunrise. No food, no coffee, all day under the Singapore sun.

• Read more about From Hawker Stalls to Heartfelt Seats: My Ramadan at INSEAD

Dear MIM'27,You did it. We did it.P1 exams are finally behind us. The coffee machine can rest, our cheat sheets lie crumpled in the corners of our room, and we can finally breathe a little. The relief is real, the celebrations were loud, and the first beer after Data Analysis tasted liked pure heaven.In the middle of the stress and chaos of exams, something special happened. 

• Read more about Between Problem Sets and Parties: What INSEAD Is Really About