第一篇：Counseling Survey

Counseling Survey

Benny Zhang

1.I was born in Shantou, Guangdong and I moved to Shanghai when I was just 1 month old.It is a big city.My father is a food business owner and my mother is a full-time housewife.I have two elder brothers.The eldest brother is 24 years old and the second one is 21.They all just graduated from high schools and they are working in my father’s company right now.2.I attended Fairmont in January, 2012.I knew Fairmont from my father’s friend.The best thing of Fairmont is teachers are very responsible.I would like to change about lunch.Lunch should have more choices.3.My favorite class is Chemistry because I like Chemistry a lot and Mr.W is a very outstanding, amiable and responsible teacher.4.I chose those schools because they have strong business programme and fit me.I hope I could have good study environment in those colleges that we can get together and study together.I hope to meet some outgoing people and responsible professors.5.Hangzhou Special Education School Volunteered to work with over 50 students on art projects.In sophomore year.Community Service(Volunteer)Fairmont Toy Drive Donated and packaged crayons and colored pencils for children living at shelters.In junior year.Community Service(Volunteer)Fairmont “A Time to Share” Program Continue Donated used clothing and shoes to local charities.In junior year.Community Service(Volunteer)Fairmont “Canning Hunger” Program Continue Packaged canned food for needy families so they could have a happy(and delicious)holiday season.In senior year.Work(Paid)Intern at Shanghai Jinchanghe Food Company Continue Served as an intern in the accounting department, entering data, filing, and generating reports.Gained valuable experience and learned how businesses.In junior summer break.Art Art ClubForward Played the position of power forward.In junior and senior year.Red Cross Club Continue Educated members on disaster preparedness, CPR, and blood drives.In senior year.Dessert Club-Member Continue Explored various types of desserts and prepared recipes chosen by the members.In senior year.6.Everybody has a dream.Unfortunately, my dream was defined by my society.Chinese society’s dream consists of sequential steps to success: study hard, go to

Beijing University, get a good job, make the family proud, achieve success.But my

definition of success is different than most people’s.I do not believe academic

success is the only way to become a successful, productive human being.Unfortunately my dream was overruled by the big dream society had assigned me.I remember playing basketball for the first time in 7th

in the desert of my life.It gave me hope and joy.Physical education was the happiest

time of my day.Through basketball I made many new friends, people with whom I

could discuss basketball endlessly.Because I loved basketball, I improved quickly

and I was invited to join the team.For the first time I felt my own personal version

of success.The night before my first game I proudly showed my jersey to my father.He threw it into the trash and said “Basketball will not help your academics.” I was

devastated.Out of 1.3 billion Chinese people, only Yao Ming found NBA success.Obviously my chance of his success was small.So, my basketball plans were put on

hold and I dejectedly returned to society’s dream.A few months later a friend who was studying at a US high school came to visit.He explained that in US high schools students create their own destiny.I knew

immediately that I should study in the US.In order to convince my father, I

researched US high schools, the education system, international student opportunities,etc.Well-prepared, I approached my father.Since I had done such a thorough job in

grade.It felt like a fresh oasis

my research I was able to convince him to let me go.I entered Fairmont Preparatory Academy in 2012.On the first day I offered my host

parents’ phone number to my English 3 teacher.He asked why.I told him that in

China we provide our parents’ numbers in case we receive a bad grade.That way,our parents can meet with the teacher to decide punishment.The teacher smiled and

said “I don’t like punishment.I like encouragement better.I don’t need their number.”

As time went on I saw the positive effects of encouragement vs.punishment, and I

could feel my dream resurfacing.Inspired, I talked to some of the school’s basketball

players and found out they never needed to worry about presenting their jerseys to

their parents.That opened me up even further.The following semester I became a

power forward on Fairmont’s basketball team.When I went back to China for summer vacation I explained to my father how vibrant

school life was in the US.I showed him some photos, but more importantly presented

him with an award I won – the Fairmont Preparatory Academy Varsity Athletic

Award.This is the first award I ever received in my life and I was proud to present

it to my father.I told him that at Fairmont academics is not the only focus;they

reward the whole student.Remembering my school life in China I realize I had no

inspiration.My US high school life reignited my passion for life.I thanked my father

for allowing me to break away from the academic-centric Chinese system to pursue

my definition of success.Chinese society still believes that academics is the only way to succeed, and I am

glad I took the initiative to break away from that stifling system.I now spread the

beauty of my US high school experience to my friends in China.Freely pursuing my

own dream, I am now strong enough to stand up to those who force me in a different

direction.I would not change a thing.7.Friend: friendly, honest, thoughtless

Teacher:

8.Speak to native students.9.I did as little artwork as possible until 10th grade in China, when my parents signed

me up for a drawing class.In the beginning I did not like it because it took me away

from the two things I enjoy most: the outdoors and sports.I love the challenge of

sports, and the freedom of being outside.The idea of being in one place for two hours,drawing, seemed like torture.Our teacher, Mr.Chen, was a very friendly person who created a welcoming and

relaxing classroom atmosphere.He was extremely patient, helping each of us

improve at our own pace.He did not just lecture from the podium, he walked slowly

throughout the room giving gentle direction and encouragement.Much to my

surprise, I started enjoying his class.One day the classroom assignment was to draw 3-D versions of a triangle, square,and circle.I tried every tactic I ever learned, but after an hour of work I still did not

capture the 3-D effect.Frustrated, I dropped my pencil and sat still.Mr.Chen came

over, took my pencil, and added a few touches to my work and… voila!My work

was suddenly transformed into beautiful 3-D shapes.“How could something so hard

be so easy for him?” I thought.He saw my shocked face and said “Don’t give up so

easily.When you are frustrated your vision becomes blurry, which leads to further

frustration.All you need to do is stand up, get yourself away from your paper, and

look at the detail of the world around you.Then draw the 3-D reality you see.” His

magic words inspired my interest in drawing.I started paying more attention in his

class, and soon realized I was absorbing knowledge and my skill was improving.This

made me enjoy drawing even more.Mr.Chen’s class changed me in ways I never would have imagined.I no longer throw

my pencil on the floor in frustration and my focus has improved;I can now sit quietly

and draw for 2 hours with no difficulty.Additionally, I started becoming calmer under

pressure in my everyday life.My new way of looking clearly in 3 dimensions, without

blurriness, actually changed my personality for the better.