I was born in Shanghai, a super metropolis covering only 6,340 square kilometers yet crammed with 24 million people. The morning subway stations are filled with the aroma of pan-fried pork buns, while the downtown area glows with neon lights at dusk. I could feel the fusion of diverse cultures and cuisines here. Not only do people from all regions of China come here to seek opportunities, but many from other countries also choose to settle in Shanghai. Although I lived in such a vibrant city, the sole educational goal instilled in me from childhood was to achieve a high score on the Gaokao, China’s standardized college entrance exam.
From early childhood, I felt like I was constantly studying. I had to attend school classes and after-school tutoring sessions. Every grade level was deemed critical, with academic performance becoming the sole measure of a student’s worth. Whenever I got a bad grade, my mother would become furious. She would lecture me. Hiding tests was impossible because teachers required parental signatures next to grades to confirm acknowledgment. After poor exams, I dreaded going home and would linger on streets after school, browsing shops or admiring scenery to delay the inevitable.
I never enjoyed studying back then. The meaning of learning eluded me – it felt tedious and compulsory. While others studied under parental pressure, I preferred sports and handicraft classes where I could move freely without solving problems. Despite constant supervision, I failed miserably in the Zhongkao, which is the high school entrance exam. When the ordinary high school admission letter arrived, my father slammed his teacup on the table: “You will end up selling scallion pancakes at the market!”
This failure became my wake-up call. Through the lens of Chinese education, ordinary high schools meant slim chances for a good university, which translated to poor job prospects and inability to support a family. The Gaokao, China’s national college entrance exam, is considered life-determining. Good scores promise social mobility and family pride. The formula for success is simple: practice makes perfect. With fixed test content, rote memorization through endless practice problems guarantees high scores.
Thus began my high school “problem-solving marathon.” After daily lectures, I tackled every possible exam question type. Gradually, I mastered test-taking techniques and improved across subjects. Though disliking some topics, I persevered for the Gaokao. Ultimately, my scores rose significantly, culminating in a decent Gaokao result. This epitomizes Chinese education.
Yet this system left me feeling unfulfilled. While my scores and problem-solving skills improved, life is not a set of predetermined questions. My knowledge stagnated despite countless hours drilling fixed content. Why waste time on disliked subjects? In China, students must declare majors before university, often choosing lucrative fields blindly. Unlike American universities, changing majors is extremely difficult here, trapping many in four years of disliked studies. This realization drove me to study in the US.
At Lafayette College, everything changed. The free-spirited American education system lets students explore before declaring majors. We choose courses freely rather than following rigid curricula, with abundant extracurriculars available. This liberation allowed me to study subjects I genuinely love rather than prescribed content.
In this environment, I discovered unexpected advantages. My Chinese-trained test-taking skills made exams effortless. However, I struggled during open discussions. While American classmates articulated lengthy opinions confidently, I grew nervous speaking up, fearing mistakes. Their innate curiosity and eloquence made me realize I must learn to voice ideas courageously.
During eight months of study in the United States, I have been meditating on whether this kind of freedom is really right for everyone. Some people may be better suited to the Chinese education system. Anything that goes beyond the boundaries can trigger a systemic imbalance. Too much freedom can lead to misdirection, and if the direction is wrong then the effort will be meaningless. Structured freedom is more favorable to directional correctness than absolute freedom.
All in all, I have gained tremendously: exposure to global cultures, meaningful connections with professors and peers. I appreciate professors’ office hour guidance and classmates’ diverse perspectives. The International Student Association helped me adapt, making Lafayette feel like home. I hope more people understand American education’s possibilities to make informed choices.
[Chinese]
从高考到美国的教育双城记
我出生在上海，这座面积只有6340平方公里却挤着2400万人的超级都市。清晨地铁站飘着生煎包的焦香，傍晚繁华的市区里灯红酒绿。我能感受到来自各地的文化美食在这里交融。不仅是中国各个地区的人来到这里寻求发展，许多来自其他国家的人也会来到上海生活。虽然生活在这样的城市里，但我从小被灌输的教育目标就只有一个，那就是在高考上拿一个高分。
从小时候开始，我感觉就一直在学习。我不仅要在学校里学习，还要在课后去补习班补习。在学校里的每个年级都很关键，而成绩成为衡量一个学生好坏的唯一标准。每次我考了一个差的成绩时，我妈就会非常不高兴。她会和我谈话。我也没办法把试卷藏起来，因为老师规定，每张试卷家长都必须在成绩的旁边签名以表示家长知晓了成绩。每次我考了差的成绩，我都不敢回家，生怕我妈会打我。于是为了能晚一点回家，我会在放学回家的路上闲逛。看看风景，逛逛街边的小店，享受最后的幸福时光。
当时的我是非常不喜欢学习的，因为我并不知道学习的意义是什么，觉得非常枯燥。只是看到别人都在学习和父母的要求才去学习的。比起学习，我更喜欢体育课和手工劳动课。因为在这些课上我不需要做题，可以做我想做的事情。就这样，虽然有家长和老师盯着我学习，但我在中考，也就是进入高中的考试中考砸了。普通高中的录取通知书寄到时，我爸把茶杯重重磕在茶几上：“你这样以后只能去菜场卖葱油饼！”
考砸以后，我突然醒悟了。我发现我的人生要完蛋了，因为从中国式的教育角度来讲，如果在一个不怎么好的高中里学习，将很难有机会考上一个好的大学。而不考上一个好的大学就找不到一个好的工作。找不到一个好的工作就没办法挣到钱，没法养活自己的家人。
高考，是作为中国进入大学的唯一一场由国家举办的考试。高考对于大部分人来说是很重要的，因为很多人都认为一考定终身。只有高考考得好才有机会出人头地，家里人会觉得自己的孩子出息了。然而能把高考考好的方法就是做题。中国有句古话：“无他，唯手熟尔。”高考所考的知识点是固定的，只有做了足够多的题，形成记忆，就能考出高的分数。
于是在高中里，我开始了我的“刷题计划”。每天上完老师上课讲的内容，我就开始做题。无论是什么样的题，只要高考有可能出现我都会去做。渐渐地，我学会了许多做题技巧，而我的成绩也在慢慢提高。虽然有的学科我并不是特别喜欢，但为了能在高考中考一个好成绩，我都会去努力做更多的题。最后，我的每一门成绩都得到了提高，并最终在高考中取得了不错的成绩。而这也是中国的教育模式。
可是，在这种教育模式下，我并没有觉得我得到了很多提高。我的成绩确实得到了提高，对于各种各样的难题我也会了不同的解决方法。但是人生真的是固定的题目吗？我虽然做了这么多题，但学到的知识永远是这么多。我花费了大量的时间做题，学到的知识从来没有变过。更何况我在学习我不喜欢的学科，我为什么要这样做？在中国，进入大学前就必须确定专业，有很多学生并不知道自己喜欢什么专业而报了一个赚钱多的专业。而不像美国，中国大学确定了专业是很难再去更改的。这也就导致了很多人会去学自己不喜欢的专业却必须去学习这个专业四年。我并不想继续这样了，于是我选择来美国读大学。
来到拉法耶特学院后，我发现一切都变了。美国的教育模式非常自由，学生可以先在大学里探索自己喜欢的专业，再最终决定自己想学的专业。我们可以自己选自己想上的课，而不是像中国一样课程被定死。在学校里也有丰富的课外活动可以让学生们参加。这让我感到无比的自由和放松。我可以学到自己想学的知识而不是固定的知识，选择自己想学的学科。这也是我向往的。
在这种教学环境下，我发现了许多有意思的事情。因为我学会了很多做题技巧，这让我在学校的考试中得心应手，可以取得高分。可是，一到上课自由讨论的时候，我发现了我不擅长的地方。其他在美国学习的同学都能站起来大胆地表达自己的想法，而且一说就是很长的一串。而我回答时却总是觉得很紧张，生怕会说错些什么。这也导致我不敢表达自己的观点。这里的学生具有强烈的好奇心，他们自信的发言总让我感觉他们与生俱来就会说话一样。我需要努力学习这方面的内容，让我勇于将自己内心的想法展现出来，变得更加自信和勇敢。
在这半年多的美国学习中，我在沉思这种自由真的是对每个人合适吗？有些人可能更适合中国的教育体系。任何事物一旦超越界限，都可能引发系统性失衡。太过自由会让人产生方向错误性，如果方向是错误的那努力就会没有意义。结构化自由比绝对自由更有利方向正确性。
总的来说我收获了许多。我接触到了丰富的全球文化，与学生和教授建立了有意义的联系。我感谢每一位教授在办公时间解答我的问题，也在和不同学生交流中收获了许多。我感谢国际学生协会在我刚进入美国时帮助我适应美国生活，让我在拉法耶特这个大家庭中感受到了温暖。我希望能有更多人知道美国的教学环境是怎么样的，以便让他们做出正确的选择。