#third year

China’s National College Entrance Examination— or gaokao, as the test is known in Mandarin, takes place this Sunday and Monday. These two days will decide the destiny for over 10 million Chinese high school students ready to graduate.

In USA, when you apply to colleges you write essays, send your grades, send your test scores, tell them about your extracurriculars. The colleges look at many different things about you to see if you are a good fit. In China, is all about this test. The reading and math classes your parents put you in at age 5, the night classes and weekend classes you have been attending for years, your inability to take a vacation because you always had to study, even during the summer, this is where you see if it all pays off. In a Times article they quoted a Chinese exam tutor who said, “The gaokao is about the most pressure-packed examination in the World, given the numbers, the repercussions, and the stress involved.”

I remember when I was applying to colleges. I was so stressed sometimes I couldn’t eat and there were many tears. I can’t even imagine what all of these students go through here and have so much respect for their hard work and ability to deal with pressure. But many students can’t deal with the pressure. The Globalist states, “Although suicide is the fifth-leading cause of death in China, it has become the leading cause of death among young people. It is estimated that 287,000 people commit suicide every year in China.” This article also stated “The high number of suicides among Chinese adolescents result mostly from the extreme pressure from their families to perform well in school and excel in their studies. In addition to those pressures, teenagers experience feelings of isolation and loneliness which make them prone to attempt suicide.”

Many of these students wake up at 6am to get to school and then stay at school until it’s over at 6pm and then go to more classes or go home and stay up late and do homework. I believe that the way this school system is set up makes it very difficult for students to make great friendships with each other. So, when a student is stressed by the pressure of his or her family, it is hard to reach out and find someone to help them through. My students complain to me almost every day that they have too much homework and at first I was just thinking they were big complainers but then I realized that they are piled on with homework. On Mondays when I ask them how their weekend was they just tell me how they have too much homework and other classes. These kids are under so much pressure that many of them already have grey hair.

These students are under more pressure than I can even imagine, yet they keep moving forward. I talked to a student the other day who is about to take the test and she said she is so excited about her future that she is ready to take the test. These students are put under pressure that I don’t think anyone that age should ever go through, yet I am so impressed by these students bravery to face this pressure and give this test their best shot. I think these students’ attitudes should be recognized and people from all ages, all around the world, should be inspired by them… I know I am.

tiedyeandcampfires:

Last year I spent my summer covered in bug bites, surviving on minimal sleep per night and sweating out my body weight, I know, so attractive right? Yet I am choosing to put myself through this all again for another summer., but why? 

As the tan has faded the memories haven’t summer camp is about making friends and doing something you have never done before, and above all having an adventure, and there is no better adventure than going across the world to work at summer camp. 

There are so many reasons and I could sit here and bore you with a long list but instead I will give you just five reasons I am returning and why I think you should do summer camp at least one:

1. The Friends: Camp friends are like no others, in a few short weeks you share tears and laughter and truly make life long bonds like no others. Camp fosters unique relationships with people from different walks of life than your own.
   
2. The getting unplugged: These days it is rare that you have someone’s undivided attention as they always have one eye on their phone, checking Facebook or posting their latest meal to instagram, don’t get me wrong I am a sucker for social media too, but there is something liberating about everyone around you putting down the phones and just talking to one another and enjoying the company.
3. The Satisfaction: Camp is difficult sometimes for both staff and campers, sometimes it has been one of those long days when the sun is hot and you are covered in insect bites and you are counting the minuets until lights out, but there is nothing more satisfying than overcoming the difficulties or helping someone else you work with overcome difficulties to achieve their goals or doing something they never thought possible, it makes all the hard work worth it to know you helped someone or achieved something yourelf.
4. The Alternatives: For the 5 years prior to spending my summer at camp I would usually spend my time flipping burgers and serving fries, the job has done many things for me over the years but after 5 years I wanted a change and what better way to shake it up than going to work in a different country and learn a whole different set of skills and have new experiences?
5. The Travelling: Plane tickets to America are expensive and as my parents are not on the rich list, I have always paid my way in the things I have done and going to America is no different, camp is a great experience and a working visa allows you to travel for 30 days after camp, I travelled very cheaply and saw many things I would not have been able to with going to camp.

Nothing could better describe the way I feel.

Only 2 days left.