When I was little, I was taught the importance of education. If I got below an 80, then that was like a disgrace to the family. My mother would tell her friends and relatives. This made me cared more about my grades and study harder. English was usually my weakness. Growing up as a child, I was not really interested in learning. I had the attitude that how will math, science, or social studies help me in the future? My mother always say work hard in school, try your best, and you will go to a good college and get a fine job. In my family, education is crucial. She does not want me to be like her, doing labor work. She works for 365 days for the whole year and at least 11 to 14 hours a day. Seeing how hard my parents work made me work hard in school and want to go to college. Here I am at Baruch College.

Every summer, I go to summer school, which my parents pay for. Moreover, after school, I go to programs to finish my homework and tutoring. My parents save all their money they work for us. The money that they made had sweats and tears in it. They would safe the best for us. For example, when we go shopping, if we like something, they just grab and pay for it. However, when it’s for themselves, they do not feel like wasting money like that.

My parents were not as fortunate in China. The highest education they achieve is high school. Starting from third grader, I went to prep school. My parents did not know English, so they could not teach us how to do homework. At that time, we only speak Cantonese at home. We love watching TVB dramas, which is Hong Kong dramas. Since as a child, I was not raised in a setting that I was able to be expose to English, my English skills was not great. In my report cards, my lowest grade was usually English. This also affected my other subjects such as science and math because if I did not understand what the problem was saying, then I got it wrong.

The only thing my mother helped me with was math. When I was in Kindergarten, I was doing addition and subtraction. My mother taught me to use my thumb, representing ten. Then I can use my other fingers for the unit digit. Some people stereotype Asians saying that they are good in math. Honestly, as a child I did not like math. I do not understand geometry at all. In my head, I wonder why a three sided thing is called a triangle. Later, I realize I just have to accept for what it is. I was terrible in geometry. Once I got to middle school, I love math, and I continue with my math education in high school and was accepted into the Math Major. If I did not start from basic math again, then I would not have understood math. Even more, I would not have love math. Asian people is not born to be good in math. All race has people who excel in math, not just Asians.