In the past two weeks, I had been focusing on all kinds of exams which are extremely stressful for me. Surprisingly, I got A-in math and ece while I did poorly in Chinese history. So I wanna talk about exams. At the very end of the College Entrance Examinations of China, journalists always get a funny answer from graduated students: "Now, what I want to do most is to burn my textbooks and exam papers." It seems few students have other ideas than to count the total number of pages of all exam papers over a period of three years, or six years. It must be a extraordinary number---over two thousand or even more. Really, such a surprising quantity of exams harms not only students' health but also their social development.
First, overburdening exams destroy students' health. Every day, all they do is stay inside classrooms and study. Students have no time for regular exercise, which is an essential part of maintaining good health. Day after day they go without adequate sleep, which lowers their resistance to disease. In addition, worrying about endless exams, students lose their appetites and are incapable of relaxing themselves even during sleep. Suffering from lack of exercise, little sleep, bad appetites, and long-term tension, students look pale and sick when the Entrance Exam ends.
Besides bodies' destruction, lots of exams also make students socially narrow. Without good grades, a student may consider he is useless and doomed to failure henceforth. Probably, he would rather pursue high grades than deep friendship. He may take it for granted that improving his grades is more important than caring for his surroundings in his life as a human being, not a student. More ridiculously, a so-called "excellent student" can refer to one who is devoted to high grades, but indifferent to the benefit of his class. His young world seems to be built on exams and grades. Miserably, grades have deeply occupied his heart, brain, and dreams.
Of course, the proverb of "No pains, no gains." is doubtless true. However, entering a good school at the expense of healthful bodies and social awareness is too high a cost.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
EXAMS...
Friday, February 26, 2010
Popularity of Fast Food Restaurants
Thesis Statement:
Among reasons that lead to the popularity of fast food restaurants, four of them are the most significant: they are fast indeed; the locations are always good; the price is really low; the advertisements are attractive.
Topic Sentence 1:
First of all, it has to be mentioned that fast food is really fast.
Secondly, the locations are always good so people can find a fast food restaurant easily.
Thirdly, fast food is really cheap.
Besides, the ads of those restaurants contribute a lot to their popularity.
Among reasons that lead to the popularity of fast food restaurants, four of them are the most significant: they are fast indeed; the locations are always good; the price is really low; the advertisements are attractive.
Topic Sentence 1:
First of all, it has to be mentioned that fast food is really fast.
- People don't have too much time to consider what they are gonna eat. Customarily, standing right next to the cashier, they are only given a few seconds to decide what to order and the choices are limited. People pay for the food immediately after they order. So fast food restaurants make customers fast.
- It usually takes less than 5 minutes to get your food, which is impossible in those first class restaurants.
- People like students and white-collar workers don't have too much time for lunch during workdays. They prefer fast food.
Secondly, the locations are always good so people can find a fast food restaurant easily.
- Most fast food restaurants are located near shopping malls, cinemas or other crowded areas.
- Some restaurants set their foot in theme parks.
Thirdly, fast food is really cheap.
- For less than 5 dollars, people get a generous portion of food.
- Fast food restaurants always give coupons to customers. With a discount, it only costs you less than 1 dollar sometimes.
Besides, the ads of those restaurants contribute a lot to their popularity.
- The ads look attractive since the food always look delicious.
- The ads are even more attractive for children when they claim that toys come with food.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Parents' Different Views on Education
I was really seriously absolutely shocked by the difference between American and Chinese parents' perspective upon their children’s education. Here are two most significant differences.
The first one I notice is parents’ views on college ,or say higher education. In America, lots of parents wanna know the tuition and board fee firstly when they choose a college for their kids, in addition, such as scholarship, loan and part-time jobs, which can be regarded as an unbelievable thing in the eyes of Chinese parents and teachers. Because of the highly selectiveness and abstruse questions in the final college entrance examination in China, entering college seems to be a glorious aim for all families, that does not only mean your high IQ, quality of diligence and potential to do well in college, but also mean children’s future such as their jobs, salaries and social status. Thus, parents in China would like to support their children financially to enter colleges, even, when they need to loan thousands of dollars from banks and friends and kinds, as soon as they receive the admittance from college without hesitation. Before I went to UIUC, I was a little worried because the tuition was higher than my expectation and I was admitted by other schools which could provide me scholarship. My parents also thought it expensive but they insisted that I should study in a top engineering school. Now, they always tell me that money is not a problem, and just pursue my dream freely. But I know the tuition is definitely a burden for the family.
Another thing is the distances that children would like to choose between school and home. All the American people I know here are from Illinois. Nevertheless, nowadays, many reports in China indicate that Chinese students have the disability of living alone to be compared with American students. Independence of children is highly recommended in China now. Every diligent student full of aspiration wants to enter a university out of their provinces, especially in Beijing, Shanghai and Hongkong. Some of them, like me, would prefer to study aboard where there is no previous acquaintances and relationship, what there are the difficulties of languages, misunderstanding, and the differences of social value system, which is unlikely to be solved entirely as we have followed disciplines in China for at least 10 years. The reason is to pursue independence, chances, and experiences which will be the worthy for whole life.
The differences never have a critical correct answer. There is no use to just imitate the formation from other countries. The only thing we can do is to pursue our own dream via a way that we want personally, that is placed in the most important part in your mind, because that is truly what your significance of life is.
The first one I notice is parents’ views on college ,or say higher education. In America, lots of parents wanna know the tuition and board fee firstly when they choose a college for their kids, in addition, such as scholarship, loan and part-time jobs, which can be regarded as an unbelievable thing in the eyes of Chinese parents and teachers. Because of the highly selectiveness and abstruse questions in the final college entrance examination in China, entering college seems to be a glorious aim for all families, that does not only mean your high IQ, quality of diligence and potential to do well in college, but also mean children’s future such as their jobs, salaries and social status. Thus, parents in China would like to support their children financially to enter colleges, even, when they need to loan thousands of dollars from banks and friends and kinds, as soon as they receive the admittance from college without hesitation. Before I went to UIUC, I was a little worried because the tuition was higher than my expectation and I was admitted by other schools which could provide me scholarship. My parents also thought it expensive but they insisted that I should study in a top engineering school. Now, they always tell me that money is not a problem, and just pursue my dream freely. But I know the tuition is definitely a burden for the family.
Another thing is the distances that children would like to choose between school and home. All the American people I know here are from Illinois. Nevertheless, nowadays, many reports in China indicate that Chinese students have the disability of living alone to be compared with American students. Independence of children is highly recommended in China now. Every diligent student full of aspiration wants to enter a university out of their provinces, especially in Beijing, Shanghai and Hongkong. Some of them, like me, would prefer to study aboard where there is no previous acquaintances and relationship, what there are the difficulties of languages, misunderstanding, and the differences of social value system, which is unlikely to be solved entirely as we have followed disciplines in China for at least 10 years. The reason is to pursue independence, chances, and experiences which will be the worthy for whole life.
The differences never have a critical correct answer. There is no use to just imitate the formation from other countries. The only thing we can do is to pursue our own dream via a way that we want personally, that is placed in the most important part in your mind, because that is truly what your significance of life is.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Perhaps Ready
Every time I look back, I still can't believe that I have been in United States for 3 weeks. I remember that night in Pudong, Shanghai, the taxi driver had some trouble finding the hotel that I lived in. He drove around the highways, not knowing where to go. That was my last night in China before I went to USA. I was angry, not sad that I thought I supposed to be. The next day in the airport, I just said goodbye to my parents and turned around. Tears dropped from my eyes. I couldn't help it. I only knew I had to hide my tears from my mum and dad since I understood it would break their hearts to see me crying. And I also promised to myself: no more tears from then on. At least, I wouldn't cry in America. Because I guessed in a very long time, no one would be there for me when I cried like my parents do. I had to depend on my own so I had to be strong. Getting aboard on the plane, taking off at O'Hare, arriving at Champaign in a freezing late night. They all seemed to happen in yesterday. I still feel so unrealistic even now. I feel like in a dream.
Back in China in 2008, I went all out for the College Entrance Examinations. I had been prepared for those exams for 12 years. It seemed like from my first day in primary school, my goal was to get to a good university. Almost every child in China have a goal exactly like mine. So everything I did, I did for my future university. Finally I made it. I completed my goal. I guess I was lucky, maybe not as lucky as I expected. But I have nothing to complain. I was happy. I eventually had a vacation without worrying about homework and test scores. I shopped with my friends, staying up all night just to chat online. I went to learn French and went to travel. It felt like I had done the most important thing in my life, so I could rest forever. At last, when I began my life in university, I asked myself: why you come here. And I didn't know the answer. I guessed I was wrong from the start. I just wanted to get in the university. What I want from college? What I should do in college? I didn't know.
I made the decision to study abroad maybe because I thought a many years of studying that hard, I deserved a better school. Before I came here, I assumed what kind of problems that I might come across and how to deal with them. I thought I was ready. Because this time, I knew what I wanted. I wanna get the best education in one of the top engineering colleges. I wanna start a new life in a totally different country. I wanna pursue my career in California, one of my favorite places in the world. Maybe that is my kind of American dream.
However, life doesn't always go my way. I have all kinds of trouble here. My English is always my problem. When I try to talk to my roommate, I don't know how to start the topic by English. When I try to discuss a math question with my classmates, here it comes again, my poor English. But I don't worry about that. Because after all that happened, I believe there is always a way out. So just keep on trying and live my dream. I think I can make it this time.
Back in China in 2008, I went all out for the College Entrance Examinations. I had been prepared for those exams for 12 years. It seemed like from my first day in primary school, my goal was to get to a good university. Almost every child in China have a goal exactly like mine. So everything I did, I did for my future university. Finally I made it. I completed my goal. I guess I was lucky, maybe not as lucky as I expected. But I have nothing to complain. I was happy. I eventually had a vacation without worrying about homework and test scores. I shopped with my friends, staying up all night just to chat online. I went to learn French and went to travel. It felt like I had done the most important thing in my life, so I could rest forever. At last, when I began my life in university, I asked myself: why you come here. And I didn't know the answer. I guessed I was wrong from the start. I just wanted to get in the university. What I want from college? What I should do in college? I didn't know.
I made the decision to study abroad maybe because I thought a many years of studying that hard, I deserved a better school. Before I came here, I assumed what kind of problems that I might come across and how to deal with them. I thought I was ready. Because this time, I knew what I wanted. I wanna get the best education in one of the top engineering colleges. I wanna start a new life in a totally different country. I wanna pursue my career in California, one of my favorite places in the world. Maybe that is my kind of American dream.
However, life doesn't always go my way. I have all kinds of trouble here. My English is always my problem. When I try to talk to my roommate, I don't know how to start the topic by English. When I try to discuss a math question with my classmates, here it comes again, my poor English. But I don't worry about that. Because after all that happened, I believe there is always a way out. So just keep on trying and live my dream. I think I can make it this time.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Welcome to Brooke's Blog
Hi, guys. I'm Qian Xue and you can call me Brooke. I come from China to U of I, studying electrical engineering. I' d like to share my life in Champaign-Urbana with everyone. Really glad to be here.
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