We Learned It Wrong

I've been to many places. I've lived there too.

One thing that always grabbed my attention was my concern about the huge differences in education. Why did people assume Asian kids were smart? Why do people say that they never studied but the next day they come home with A's and B's? Why do some people give up so easily while others are motivated to continue?

All of these questions lead to the differences in the world we live in and the way children are taught among the others. The way we are taught creates a huge gap in society. While others might think one way is right, there's still plenty more ways we haven't explored in the topic of education.

During the years of my life in China, I've learned a few things no one has yet noticed in America, hardship at a young age. Likewise, during the years of my life in America, I've experienced things I've never thought it existed before — a childhood. A childhood filled with the joy of happiness and the freedom to spread your wings and let them fly. A childhood of finding your true self, standing out from a crowd because of your uniqueness. What caused those severe differences was the way I was taught, the way I was treated at such a young age, and my surroundings that impacted my life.

One of my most vivid memory in China was the harsh education they gave me. I was given at least 6 homework assignments to finish every day when I was only in first grade. Everyone cared about grades. It was like grades were the only important thing in the world. Every day, there would be a test on every single subject. I felt pressured by the amount of work I got in 1st grade. I felt depressed and upset at the scores I received. I stayed up till midnight to finish all of my homework. It was too much for me. It was way too much for a young girl. However, all of this impacted me. It made me learn what true hardship and struggles are. These two elements, hardship, and struggles are something only an adult or teenager would experience. Yet, I've already known what those are because of the way I was taught. I also learned that hard work leads to a successful path.

In America, I felt relieved. I barely got any homework. Everything felt so much easier to me. I felt something new that changed me a lot in a variety of ways. A childhood. Like I said before, it was freedom. I boosted my confidence without being pressured constantly. I saw what a real childhood was supposed to look like with my very own eyes. Something I've always treasured in my heart. However, not every child in the classroom wanted to learn. Not every child would decide to pick up their pencil. Instead, they would distract others constantly. Grades were not the most important thing. Some parents simply didn't even care about their children's education. Yes, it's true. I've noticed it so many times it's unforgettable to me.

China's education made me learn hardships and hard work while America's education made me learn what real joy and happiness looked like. But both education lacked that sparkle on the Fourth of July. You've all noticed. China's education lacked something called joy and happiness, something that occurred without being pressured and forced to learn. America's education lacked the knowledge of hardship and what hard work would bring.

In my opinion, we learned something wrong.

We learned it wrong.

I feel like somehow we needed to combine these differences. Like taking a part of Asia's education and mixed it in America's education. Or taking a part of America's education and mixed it in Asia's education. This might be a solution to that huge gap between education. This might be that sparkle on the Fourth of July we've been missing. This is just my own opinion. Yours may be different.