Time passes, and this is my second month in HFI, the senior high I had been always looking forward in my junior middle school. Life here is so busy; although a little bit different from what I expected, yet amazing and full of joy as well as confusion, loneliness and sadness.

I hadn’t decided to try best to enter HFI until the last semester of Grade 9. However, I have already made up my mind to go abroad to study medicine when I was young. Therefore, as soon as I knew there was an international high school in the Affiliated High School of SCNU, I became very interested. Then I heard from my mum that the daughter of one of her co-workers who was and still is a student of HFI became more open-minded and independent after studying in HFI for a year, I fell in love with this unfamiliar school. I believe that junior and senior period is the most important period in which one’s senses of values, life and world is gradually formed, but the traditional Chinese education will probably destroy the young’s creativity and curiosity. I want to be in an environment that is more liberal and free, for me to do most of the things I like, instead of losing myself in the infinite homework and endless exams.

HFI, as I expected, has got a lot of activities for its students. I have strong passion of natural science, knowledge and truth, so I quickly join in Mad Scientist Club. Actually it doesn’t depress me; the older students in it are really perfect! I think I have a lot of things to learn from them.

On the other hand, I also join in a sports club, Chinese Kungfu Club. Since I have been learning Kungfu for three years, I think I should stick to it in my entire life. It benefits my health and traditional cultural background, as well as my college application. I also join in Spanish Club, because I think Spanish will be useful in college.

I indeed believe that teachers teaching me in HFI are mostly perfect and responsible, with always high speed of teaching, making me very busy all the time. My favorite classes are Chemistry and Pre-AP. Mrs. Li, the Chemistry teacher, has a scholar’s demeanor, and her classes are really professional and efficient; that is, the speed is fast, and the major points are also stressed. Mr. Cook, who teaches me Pre-AP, is actually a very responsible person, so every class of his seemed to be well prepared. Also, sometimes some parts of the classes that are linked to the literature we are talking, such as his memory about his mum in childhood, can be moving, full of emotion and humanistic concern.

During these days I have really learnt a lot, both academically and personally. The post important thing I have learnt is to be always positive, whatever happens. These days I have actually faced many challenges and difficulties, such as huge amount of assignments, failure in exams, and extreme complicated knowledge. Gradually I become stronger internally, and can always keep smiling. Although hard, my life here is full of happiness.

As I have mentioned, I have to face a lot of difficulties. Among them I think the most serious one is that I cannot manage my time quite well, due to my over perfectism. I sometimes spend a lot of time on one single question or try hard to do my homework beautifully in hand writting, as a result don’t have time to do my extra homework, and have to stay up late, which make me very tired. I believe I should improve my efficiency, and prevent myself from thinking and doing things overly slowly and spending time on unnecessary things; therefore, I can have more time to do what I want.

Generally, things are going in the way that I prefer and expect. I especially love the liberal environment here, in which the teachers trust us, and we have more resources such as computers and mobile, just like in universities. However, although I believe the academic atmosphere here is quite good, I still think some students, or most of the students in Grade 9, haven’t formed the correct attitude toward their results, especially their scores and grades in exams. They get up very early, do not have breakfast, eat cookies for lunch, stay up late, and spending their whole day focusing on their assignments as well as textbooks. They always talk about GPA. I believe that GPA is important, but I don’t think we gain knowledge just for it. We gain knowledge because we love it! Some of those students are too utilitarian and short sighted. I myself do extra investigation about Chemistry; even if that is not required by the teacher and the school, it makes me feel amazing. I believe that in this case not only the students themselves but also the school should reflect.

Hopefully I will make more progress and enter my ideal college in the future.