By Alex Bao
I have been studying in Shanghai High School international division for almost a year. During this period, I have experienced a challenge with high school study methods that I have come to appreciate.
On one hand, our school is one of the best high schools. There are a lot of prestigious teachers and great facilities, including a science lab and three libraries. The school pays significant attention to our personal growth and tries to develop our interest in a specific field or area. I also have plenty of friends who support me in school. I participated in the school basketball team as a junior player, and I hope that next year I will get into varsity. In a basketball competition, teammates have to look out for their teammates and watch for the best opportunity to get points. This taught me how to cooperate and share a sense of accomplishment.
Moreover, the school always encourages teachers to try new methods of teaching that will bring us self-regulation and motivate our initiatives. For instance, last semester, there were class activities such as ‘group project’, ‘document based questions in groups’, and ‘independent thinking’. We benefited a lot from these activities.
Writing is one of my biggest weakness during high school, and this made it hard for me to get good grades. Even after I tried multiple ways to improve my grammar and paragraph organization, the result still wasn’t great. One day, I went to the library and noticed that there was a writing center where the teachers would correct my mistakes by showing the correct forms and giving feedback. As a result, I continuously wrote essays and received feedbacks, gradually becoming a better writer.
High school is like a stage where everyone shows their unique talent. They can sign up for any student organizations or clubs. As a co-founder club leader of the Jewish refugee club, I gained a lot of experience and a better understanding of history. I have learned to communicate with different people and get along well with them, and at the same time, I realized the importance of hard working and uniting a team.
Finally, we had four important tests in one semester and the midterm is coming up. Final examinations are also an important part of our high school life. I wish everyone good luck and to keep encouraging ourselves to break the boundaries.
