Getting My Degree in America

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I have had a dream since I was five-years old to come to America and get my degree. After finishing high school, I came to America with big hopes and high expectations. I was very excited and thought that everything in my life was going to change. Everything was a lot of fun at first. The new environment, the different language, the school, and the teachers made me feel wonderful. Slowly things got worse, the happy feelings started to turn into discomfort. The different educational system made me feel nervous. When I first came here, I had great difficulty studying in the Unites States, but once I settled into a daily routine things became a little easier. I was afraid I would fail as a student, but once I got used to things everything seemed to improve. I later realized that the education system in the United States is less stressful, but more complex.

The only thing I need in order to learn is comfort. It does not mean that I need to learn sitting in a rocking chair while sipping on my favorite fruit juice. What I mean to say is that I am at my best when I am comfortable in what I am doing. For example, when I am home I like to study in my room with no distractions. I do not like to listen to music when I study. Even a bird singing or the sound of wind could easily distract me. Therefore, I make certain nothing can be heard when I study. When it comes to learning in a class, I am an observer. I learn best when I listen and I do not feel comfortable talking in the class. I like to learn alone, but this does not mean that I hate working with others because I know learning with others has value. Since I am an observer, I am most comfortable when I am not working with a group of people. I like to observe people, their body language...

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...ing. The day the scores are posted is always a sad day for Sri Lanka. Some students who do not pass the exam will go to a place known as the World’s End. This is a high mountain with a drop so far down that the bottom cannot be seen. These students are so depressed about their failure that they will hurl themselves from the edge of the peak and their bodies are never recovered. It is sad that the importance of getting an education can do this to an individual.

I have a strong opinion on tests. I feel instruction based on tests is a poor way to teach. The pressure a test puts a student under is unfair. Furthermore, the knowledge gained by studying for a test is only temporary. I do not like being taught this way because everything is done in preparation for what is on the test. Also, this is not the type of learning that a person will keep with them for a lifetime.

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