Personal Narrative Learning From Difficulties - 1269 Words

Learning from Difficulties I am typing this essay as I sit in a nice, warm chair on a flight from Los Angeles to Beijing. It is the start of my winter holiday during my junior year of high school. Sitting here on the plane, my mind flashes back to the day when I first arrived in the United States. I was with my mother, looking forward to a whole new life in this amazing place. And now I close my eyes; all the things that have happened in the past two and half years thrill through me as if I am racing in a time machine. My memories are filled with happiness, excitement, sorrow, regret†¦ basically all the emotions that exist on Earth. A lot of things have happened in these two and half years. And, most importantly, I feel I have grown†¦show more content†¦In China, all of the buildings had at least six floors. The weather here in California is nice and warm. Beijing’s weather is less gentle: sometimes super windy, sometimes cold and snowy, almost always with heavy smog. But Irvineâ₠¬â„¢s wind is gentle, and the sun illuminates every corner of this peaceful small city. My parents’ objective for me to study in the U.S. is to expand my horizon, to become knowledgeable and to have a more peaceful high school experience. Chinese and American educational systems are different. In china, we normally have six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and three years high school. At the end of 9th grade and 12th grade, all students take tests, and the results of these tests determine what kind of life the student will have. Compare this to the SAT or ACT test in America, which students can take however many times they like in a year. Because studying these tests are so stressful, my parents decided to bring me to the US. My freshman and sophomore year went easily. There was a lot less homework than in China, so I had more time to get involved in sports and community service. I was on the high school swim team both freshman and sophomore year and basketball team during sophomore year. It was very fun and I became a lot healthier and stronger than before. I could not run a mile in 8th grade, but by the end of the 9th grade I could run a mile easily and I had no trouble meeting the criterion for graduation.