Hello, everyone. It is a great pleasure to stand here today. Now, I would like to begin by asking you to think about a question: Do you know what you are like? Of course you do. Through the mirror early in the morning, the pictures taken for you, and the actions your mind drives you to do. However, have you thought of what all of this is for? Because you have settled in our society, so you have obtained your status quo. But how can you find the most suitable place for yourself in this world? That is what we call to find your own uniqueness, so I will share my unique experience with you.
DDP gave me a fresh perspective on what I want to pursue. The fact that we are free to choose what kind of projects we want to accomplish really piqued my interest. With such freedom, I realized I need to follow my heart while seeking what I like. Once you find something interesting to you, you can dive a little deeper and understand what is all about, take time and think comprehensively. Therefore, you can decide whether the area fits you, find out what you really like, and pursue what you think is right as a life-long goal. My exploration of interests is just done in this way. When I was in Grade 10, I was attracted to engineering because I have been interested in physics since middle school. Therefore, I took advantage of the Independent Study periods of DDP to explore what a real engineering project is like by making a music box. Hence, I got a basic picture of what engineering would be like beyond the application of physical principles. In Grade 11, I got interested in social science, which is far more different from the fields I previously explored, but I still took some time and engaged myself in a research project as my Independent Study. During this process, I did learn a lot of practical skills such as making a questionnaire and writing academic papers. Even though I finally found out that this area is not as attractive to me as I previously thought, it does not matter, at least I have tried.
As I do more of these projects, I realized that I have built my confidence since I knew that I can do it. Confidence enables and motivates you to try different new things. When you come up with a good idea, just try to do it. Success and failure do not really matter when you try. The most important thing is that you have gained experiences. I have tried a lot of things during my high school. One of the things I tried was creating a physics study guide, which I believe many of you have seen. This idea originated from my good friend Susan when she made me realized that Wow, I do have some talents in physics, maybe I can do something for my friends to help them improve, as I know physics is quite hard for many of us. Thus, I tried to make a study guide since G11, with one of my friends Crissy. Once the study guide is finished, it will be released before the Mock Exam as I promised, which includes all four AP Physics courses. If you are also interested in helping others learn different subjects, not only for physics, you may contact me and we help reduce the burden for our classmates by helping each other study.
One thing I’ve found important is to stay calm, no matter what happens, This can be fully embodied by a saying by Fan Zhongyan: “不以物喜，不以己悲”, which means that do not rejoice over external gains, nor grieve over personal losses. This doesn’t mean we should always remain emotionless, but rather that we should avoid being overly affected by triumphs or setbacks. When I was admitted by Cornell University, the news was spread to the whole school and everyone felt excited about this news. On the way, my classmates even said to me “Wow, Mr. Cornell!” I, of course, was delighted. However, after the weekend, Things did not change much after I was admitted: I still needed to face the businesses at school: homework, projects, and exams. The only difference is that I was finally sure which university I am going to, which is a bit early but would be revealed sooner or later. The admission letter inspired me that it says “Our offer of admission is contingent upon you satisfactorily completing any school work in progress and continuing to uphold high standards in all activities within and outside of the classroom.” Therefore, the attitude of “不以物喜，不以己悲” become a crucial motto of my life, motivating me to work in the highest standards possible.
All in all, maybe we only need to spend a quite night sitting down and jot down a letter for ourselves: who am I? and what is the legacy I want to leave for this world? Meanwhile, I hope my fellows can finish this year strong so you can achieve your goals and finish high school with a smile on your face.
Thank you for listening!
DDP gave me a fresh perspective on what I want to pursue. The fact that we are free to choose what kind of projects we want to accomplish really piqued my interest. With such freedom, I realized I need to follow my heart while seeking what I like. Once you find something interesting to you, you can dive a little deeper and understand what is all about, take time and think comprehensively. Therefore, you can decide whether the area fits you, find out what you really like, and pursue what you think is right as a life-long goal. My exploration of interests is just done in this way. When I was in Grade 10, I was attracted to engineering because I have been interested in physics since middle school. Therefore, I took advantage of the Independent Study periods of DDP to explore what a real engineering project is like by making a music box. Hence, I got a basic picture of what engineering would be like beyond the application of physical principles. In Grade 11, I got interested in social science, which is far more different from the fields I previously explored, but I still took some time and engaged myself in a research project as my Independent Study. During this process, I did learn a lot of practical skills such as making a questionnaire and writing academic papers. Even though I finally found out that this area is not as attractive to me as I previously thought, it does not matter, at least I have tried.
As I do more of these projects, I realized that I have built my confidence since I knew that I can do it. Confidence enables and motivates you to try different new things. When you come up with a good idea, just try to do it. Success and failure do not really matter when you try. The most important thing is that you have gained experiences. I have tried a lot of things during my high school. One of the things I tried was creating a physics study guide, which I believe many of you have seen. This idea originated from my good friend Susan when she made me realized that Wow, I do have some talents in physics, maybe I can do something for my friends to help them improve, as I know physics is quite hard for many of us. Thus, I tried to make a study guide since G11, with one of my friends Crissy. Once the study guide is finished, it will be released before the Mock Exam as I promised, which includes all four AP Physics courses. If you are also interested in helping others learn different subjects, not only for physics, you may contact me and we help reduce the burden for our classmates by helping each other study.
One thing I’ve found important is to stay calm, no matter what happens, This can be fully embodied by a saying by Fan Zhongyan: “不以物喜，不以己悲”, which means that do not rejoice over external gains, nor grieve over personal losses. This doesn’t mean we should always remain emotionless, but rather that we should avoid being overly affected by triumphs or setbacks. When I was admitted by Cornell University, the news was spread to the whole school and everyone felt excited about this news. On the way, my classmates even said to me “Wow, Mr. Cornell!” I, of course, was delighted. However, after the weekend, Things did not change much after I was admitted: I still needed to face the businesses at school: homework, projects, and exams. The only difference is that I was finally sure which university I am going to, which is a bit early but would be revealed sooner or later. The admission letter inspired me that it says “Our offer of admission is contingent upon you satisfactorily completing any school work in progress and continuing to uphold high standards in all activities within and outside of the classroom.” Therefore, the attitude of “不以物喜，不以己悲” become a crucial motto of my life, motivating me to work in the highest standards possible.
All in all, maybe we only need to spend a quite night sitting down and jot down a letter for ourselves: who am I? and what is the legacy I want to leave for this world? Meanwhile, I hope my fellows can finish this year strong so you can achieve your goals and finish high school with a smile on your face.
Thank you for listening!
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