memoir (draft)

Memoir

Choosing which university to attend is an immense decision for a young person in China to make. I definitely think that emphasis on academic excellence which is most strongly embedded in our culture. The tradition of encouraging children to strive for excellence through Chinese education system. There are too much pressure and workloads been put on some little kids from their parents, school and society. It may be that some Chinese parents take this too far. There is an annual countrywide college admission test at June 7 & 8 every year, all over China,traffic will be re-routed away from test centers and construction sites will silence their commotion. If anyone failed or missed this test, the only chance will be the next year same time. It's the best or the worst time for seniors. The college entrance exam that I attended at 2005, there were about 10 million Chinese seniors graduated, with less than 6 million will go to college, with about less than 2 million will go to good colleges.

2005 is my lucky year, it is the year of rooster (cock) in the Chinese calendar, I don't believe in Feng Shui master with Feng Shui success, but that year I did I cleared out my room, I got rid of everything that I don’t love and value and I placed frog everywhere. I was really trying to create a positive flow of energy. Even I don't believe in the underlying principles of Feng Shui, but the ideas and actions that go along with it can really help out. At 2005 I did excellent job in that exam.

After finishing my first year of university, I suddenly realized that something was not right. I got a taste of what college life is like. I got an idea of what it is like to learn Economics. Serious academic corruption, dry and irrelevant courses, and rote memorization teaching. I losing interest in the curriculum, losing confidence in China’s education system just like any other Chinese college students. But I would not dropping out of school to express my disappointment or waste time bribe the teachers to passing the test.The only value of my college life in China is I have met so many people and made some great friends. Thereupon I studied English on one hand and wasted my time in university on the other.

At the end of the rooster year, I made the biggest decision in my life, I choose to move long distances to America for my further education to experience a new culture, to learn a new language, to make new friends.

My parents were agree with me studying abroad, and they thought moving to a new country is an eye-opening experience as well. The way society functions among other cultures are very different from one’s own; and my parents also felt I cannot fully understand another culture until I've been there by myself. For these reasons they encouraged me to move to America to go to school there.

Finally,I was filled with desire to move to America, experience my interest in western culture, and learn more in an American school than in Chinese. This has been such a great experience, meeting new people, making friends, and basically enjoying every minute here. I am really glad that I took this opportunities are best for me, and I can now focus on my fields of study. I also learned how to adapt to unfamiliar situations. It was fun meeting so many new people in such a short period of time. It was hard being independent and living on my own and far away from my parents. I am now looking forward to going back to my Chinese college next year in order to finish my degree. And maybe I might end up in America after I graduate. Hopefully.

Studying abroad offer me many new and exciting experiences, and in my generation I believe we should do something new and different.