Zhao 1

Dingyi Zhao

Professor Marie Webb

LING 12 section 300 Tuesday/Thursday 9:00 am

11 February 2019

Different Learning Attitudes

It was September 2013. It was my first formal physics class in my whole life. As a totally

new subject, physics was mysterious to me. My father told me that it’s extremely important to

learn physics well in that physics cultivates people’s logical thinking abilities which are

indispensable in our lifetimes, and this was the main reason that I wanted to learn physics well.

While my physics teacher was walking into the classroom, there was a mess. My classmates

were talking about the new teacher and the knowledge points of this new subject. The hard-

favored teacher walked straight toward the stage in the front of our classroom and shouted,

“Please be quiet!” All my classmates were scared due to her loud voice and settled down

immediately. After a few seconds, my physics teacher looked stern at us and said, “I will be your

physic teacher and your class teacher.” She was a middle-aged woman who had the same age as

my mother. Her eye old-fashioned glasses gave me an impression of a woman who was very

rigorous but full of knowledge. My physics teacher Min Xu was a very firm and self-confident

master and was the most famous physics teacher in my hometown. As the typical representative

of exam-oriented education in China, Teacher Xu had her unique teaching mode which was

assigning excessive assignments for her students. She forced us to do lots of physics related

problems every day to improve our academic performance.

“Bring Five-year college entrance examination and three-year simulation to the class

tomorrow.” Teacher Xu continued, “You will get higher scores in all the exams if you finish all
 Zhao 2

the exercises that I ask you to complete.” This was my new physics teacher’s second sentence

after she came into the classroom. From that point, I began to contact the typical Chinese

education mode, the test-oriented education.

Since my first physics class, I should finish all the exercises of the given chapters in my

after-class instruction books every day. Those exercises were so dull in that they just required

students to repeat the sterile formulas and remember the question types such as utilizing

Newton's Second Law to answer similar questions hundreds of times. The process would usually

take about several hours. At that time, I was very unwilling to finish these exercises. As a

teenager, I wanted to play basketball with my school mates after school. However, under the

pressure from my father and Teacher Xu who wanted me to learn physics well, doing physics

related exercises after school seemed to be my only choice. They told me that studying is the

only way to be successful in China.

Hard work pays off. Due to tons of physics exercises, all the questions in physics high

school entrance examination were so simple and familiar to me. I got a full score on that exam,

which made me happy for several days. After that exam, I had become aware of the benefits of

using the test-oriented mode as my own study way.

In subsequent years, the typical Chinese education mode helped me a lot. Due to the

repeated practices, targeted exercises and the after-class teachers’ instructions, I got 108 on

TOEFL test and 1460 on New SAT, which helped me be admitted by University of California,

Santa Barbara. At that point, I believed that I found my unique way to study which is doing lots

of given exercises to ensure good grades on the exams. At that time, I was so confident that I

could handle all the subjects under this effective mode easily in the future.
 Zhao 3

However, my faith has broken down very quickly since I study at the University of

California, Santa Barbara. In UCSB, the test-oriented learning mode was no longer useful. I

needed to find a new way to study.

In my first quarter in UCSB, my idea of test-oriented mode had been completely subverted.

While I walked into Broida 1610 to take part in my first physics class, an old man in a suite was

already standing in the front of the classroom. He was Professor Freedman and was my first

physics teacher in UCSB. Professor Freedman was as old as my grandfather. However, I

believed that he was much more energetic than my grandpa. Although Professor Freedman was a

white-headed old man, he stood straight like a pine tree and spoke so loudly that every student in

the large classroom could hear his words. “Let’s do experiments!” He called out. Immediately,

he utilized high frequency noise to break a glass beaker. “Let me show you the beauty of

physics,” Professor Freedman laughed. Subsequently, he applied several extraordinary

experiments to illustrate the important physical formula we needed to learn. However, the most

shocking thing to me was that professor Freedman didn’t assign any homework at the end of the

class. I was so confused that I didn’t know how I can improve myself without doing extra

exercise. To figure this problem, I went to Professor Freedman’s office hours to seek for advice

about how to learn physics well. When I asked him that how can I improve myself in physics and

how can I be familiar with these new formulas and utilize them in exams skillfully, he said, “it’s

your own business. You may find exercises yourself to practice, but you must read my book

thoroughly. Besides, you should focus on using these formulas in your life instead of on exams”

I was dumbfounded at that time. I could never have imagined that I would study myself without

the help from teachers, and I could never have wanted to use physics formulas in my daily life. I

just wanted to get high scores in all exams.

 Zhao 4

In that quarter, I spent lots of time finding after-class exercises to practice. However, my

first physics midterm grade was not very good. The numerous formulas and difficult questions

made me flurried. Professor Freedman combined all the physics formulas in the single question

such as how the differences of temperatures and the shapes of the wings can affect the speed of a

given plane. The complicated question combined the theories of thermodynamics, fluid

mechanics and classical mechanics. I had never done similar questions in my after-class

practices. I was distraught after the physics midterm. I didn’t know why I wouldn’t get a good

grade since I had spent lots of time practicing physics related problems. After days of self-

examination, I realized that my way to study was wrong. There can be thousands of different

questions about the same theorem. However, the theorem itself won’t change. We should focus

on the formulas themselves instead of the numerous practice questions. The test-oriented mode

can only teach you how to do well on exams. However, you will never truly understand the

knowledge until you know the essence of these formulas and utilize them in your daily life.

Finally, I understood Professor Freedman’s words “you must read my book thoroughly and

practice the theory in daily life instead of on exams”. Scores and exams are useless. The only

thing important is that you should have a good command of the knowledge. In China, professors

will test students about their abilities to answer questions. In America, it’s totally different.

Professors in U.S. campuses will usually test their students’ skills to command new knowledge

and utilize new knowledge in their future lives.

From that time on, I realized the defects of the test-oriented education mode. I could only

know how to answer the questions in exams. However, I couldn’t utilize this knowledge in daily

life. In other words, I wasted my time to study in that I learnt nothing.

 Zhao 5

Apparently, there are huge differences between the Chinese education mode and the

American education mode. In China, students’ parents and teachers want them to get good

grades in a short period of time. Thus, the test-oriented model has been produced. It is the most

efficient way to get a good grade. Students in China study for their teacher, their parents and

good grades. Good grades will make Chinese feel honorable. In America, on the other hand, the

case is totally different. Studying in the United States of America is an independent thing.

Students will spend hours learning and reading voluntarily every day. They are learning

knowledge with their enthusiasm. They acquire knowledge for themselves. They utilize their

knowledge to change the world and create better lives in their futures. Others who don’t want to

attend schools will find hobbies they interested such as art, music, and sports. However, in

China, the only way to success is to attend to a famous university and get a high academic

diploma to achieve offer from the great companies. The cultural differences make huge different

attitudes in studying and create different societies.

Instead of studying for good grades, humans should study for themselves to prepare for

their future. Learning should be an enjoyable experience rather than make people become “test

machines.” For me, physics is my starting point and my end point. I will adapt to the academic

culture in America and change my way of studying. However, I will always love physics no

matter how different the cultures are. These are the lessons I have learnt from American culture.
 Zhao 6

January 28, 2019

Dingyi Zhao
2116 Girvetz Hall
Goleta, CA 93117

Dear Dingyi:

I hope that you are doing well in the new year. I want to write a letter to you to help you make
great academic improvements in the new quarters in 2019 in the University of California, Santa
Barbara. In 2018, you left lots of irreparable regrets such as failing the final exam in Math. You
felt so self-condemned in that these failures can be prevented easily. To avoid these mistakes and
to improve your college performances, I believe that you should develop good habits such as an
enthusiastic attitude towards studying, practicing English every day, and cultivating to manage
your time and your health. I write this letter to you to help you find the correct methods to
achieve academic success and make significant improvements in the following quarters without
any regrets.

First and foremost, you should be more diligent with your study at UCSB. Although Santa
Barbara is a beautiful city which is suitable for vacation, studying academic knowledge is the
main reason you are here rather than relaxing and enjoying the sunshine on the beautiful beaches.
To be successful in academic areas, keeping study every day is necessary. Every effort and
attempt will bring you to the final academic success. On the other hand, if you are lazy and idle,
you will accomplish nothing. As a famous scientist, Jahren is still working very hard. “My
laboratory is a place where the lights are always on. My laboratory has no windows, but it needs
none” (18). Her accomplishments don’t make her become leisurely. Oppositely, Jahren still
works all day in her laboratory to search the truth of sciences. She will not be interrupted by the
environments in that nothing can draw her attention from the experiments in her laboratory.
Diligence is the key that Jahren made the tremendous breakthrough in the area of isotope
chemistry. Similarly, you should spend most of your time in the library, which is a quiet place
and is excellent for studying. Jahren sets up a great example of learning. Following this model,
you should keep studying in the library and preparing for the learning of next new week during
the weekends instead of relaxing yourself on the bed or wasting your valuable time in front of
the electrical devices. It's not horrible that there many people who are better than you, but it is
horrible that those who are excellent still work harder than you. Being assiduous is the most
important thing you should learn during this quarter. You may not be one of the members of
talents; however, you will be the members of diligent people. Knowledge is infinite. Learning
will never stop. Keeping learning and be industrious are essential steps to success.

There are many ways you can do to make yourself assiduous. Getting up as early as possible is
the first thing you should do and utilizing the morning time to study in the library. Drinking a
cup of coffee can help you be concentrated. In the library, you should prepare lessons before
each lecture. Previewing will make the new concepts easier for you to understand. Listening to
 Zhao 7

the professors carefully and taking notes precisely are the two crucial things you should do in the
lectures. After lectures, you should go back to the library to review your notes. Analyzing every
important idea and read your notes thoroughly will help you consolidate your memory. If you
have any problems, you should go to teachers’ office hours or ask your friends to solve all your
questions. In the afternoon, doing homework is the next thing you should do after reviewing.
Doing homework is a perfect chance for you to improve yourself and a good chance for you to
test your ability to utilize your new knowledge. In the evening, instead of going home and idly
lying in bed, you should do extra exercises of all the subjects in the library. These extra exercises
will make you become more confident in the final exams. Reading is an indispensable work for
you. You should read academic books to broaden your horizons. These academic books will not
only help you in your academic areas but also will enhance your ability to read and write. By
following this mode every day and being assiduous, it’s easy for you to achieve your academic
success.

How to manage time to set up a reasonable schedule is also of great concern. In the last quarter
in 2018, you wasted a lot of time due to the unreasonable schedule for your daily life and your
studying. You had done nothing until all the works met the deadlines. The phenomenon is called
procrastination which is the action of delaying and postponing something. Procrastination is a
terrible habit which must be corrected. At first, you should make a distinct arrangement for all
the significant incidents. Then, you should follow your schedule as strictly as you can in that
your schedule will be useless if you don’t carry out your plan. A suitable schedule is extremely
helpful in your life. During working for the hospital, Jahren not only widened her work
experience but also cultivate her ability to arrange affairs. She needed to set up a perfect
schedule to ensure that she would finish everything on time. She needed to squeeze the limited
time from her busy hospital job and utilized the limited time to study and write papers (34).
Jahren did all the jobs well in that she has the outstanding ability to arrange all her time.
Compared with Jahren, you have much more spare time. Utilizing your spare time rationally to
improve your academic performances is your target in this quarter. Especially, instead of wasting
a lot of time in the weekend, you should make a clear weekend timetable such as writing papers
in the morning and reviewing physics in the afternoon. Arranging several learning objectives in
given periods of time for yourself and using the memorandum in your phone to help you stick to
your objects. The alarm clock in your phone will help you get up at 8 a.m. at weekends. The
timetable on the memorandum will remind you to finish all your learning objects. You can also
ask your friends to remind you to study. Studying together in the library will help you enhance
your efficiencies. Making a clear schedule and strictly follow it is the essential habit that you
need to develop during this quarter. They will not only save your time but will also bring you to
your academic success.

To continue academic success, learning English well is of importance. Although English is your
second language, it is the everyday language and official language in California. You cannot live
here if you cannot use English. Though it seems that learning English well doesn’t help you
improve your scientific study, the function of English is imperceptible and invisible. It will help
you all the time. All the materials and books are written in English. People are all talking in
English. Even in scientific areas, there are thousands of specialized English vocabularies. You
cannot understand the meaning of the theory if you don’t master English. You cannot
communicate with others if you don’t master English. You even cannot order food if you don’t
 Zhao 8

master English. Learning English is the fast way to adapt the life in the United States of
America. To master English, you should read English books every day before you go to bed. I
know that you love reading novels such as A Song of Ice and Fire. You can try to read this book
to help you improve your reading level. Also, you should talk with your friends in English in
your daily life. It’s definitely will improve your level of speaking. As for writing, writing
journeys every day is an excellent habit. Writing journals will not only help you improve your
writing level but also remind you of the exciting events in your daily life. Besides, while you are
listening to lecturers, you should take English notes. This is another method to improve your
writing level. All the things you do will improve your English level and help you continued to be
successful in academic areas.

Compared with your academic success, keeping healthy is also crucial. Good health is the
foundation of everything. People can do nothing if they are unhealthy. All the academic targets
will be meaningless if you don’t have a healthy body. To get academic and literacy successes,
you must be healthy first. Unlike Jahren who needs to have held ten different jobs to earn the
tuitions (32), you don’t have any economic pressures. Your parents pay all your tuitions in time.
In other words, you don’t have to do part-time jobs. Logically speaking, you have much more
free time than Jahren. Using your spare time, you can take part in lots of sports events such as
playing basketball. I believe that you should take some time to exercise every week no matter
how busy you are. Keeping exercise is an extraordinary habit which can help you prevent lots of
diseases and make you be more energetic in future learning. You should go to the gym every
three or four times a week to release your pressures and to enhance your immunity system. To
achieve this goal, you can take exercise with your friends. Your and you friends can encourage
each other to develop the habits of keeping exercises every day. Besides, you should get enough
sleep to maintain your health. All these good habits will bring you a healthy and robust body.
Having a strong and healthy body, you can be more hard-working than others and devote more
time in studying. Good health is the basis of everything. To continued academic success, good
health is indispensable.

Being assiduous, learning how to manage time, improving your English level and keeping
healthy are the most critical targets you should achieve in this year. You should develop these
excellent habits and abilities as soon as possible. With them, it will be easy for you to achieve
your academic goal and eliminate all your regrets. Hoping you will have a prosperous year!

Sincerely,

Dingyi Zhao
2116 Girvetz Hall
Goleta, CA 93117
 Zhao 9

Works cited

Jahren, Hope. LAB GIRL, First Edition, Vintage Books, 2017.