My Struggle Faced By Immigrants Into High School

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I had only heard Chinese before I was adopted at 18 months. When I first arrived in the United States, it was hard adjusting and understanding everything. I had to learn a whole new language and it caused me to be a slower reader. I had a harder time in elementary school. I was always behind in reading skills, and I had multiple tutors. My biggest academic struggles were standardized testing. It has made me doubt myself and my intelligence. I felt the need to double check my work and the of a second opinion. My struggle with reading has improved, but it has followed me into high school. I don’t do as well on my semester exams, and I struggled with the ACT. When I got my April ACT score came back, my parents and I were very concerned, because my reading was a fifth-teen. My boss at work told me about a tutor she hired who was really good. I started studying for the ACT with the tutor at the end of May. My tutor was nice, funny, and supportive. We laughed and played …show more content…

My anxiety overwhelmed me. For the first few months, every day I met with my tutor was a hard day. I would go home feeling anxious, upset, and exhausted. I gradually became less exhausted and less anxious. It helped that I got more comfortable with my tutor. He could tell when I had enough and would help me relax. We would discuss how our days went and why I was upset. I began to deflect my anxiety into humor, and it helped me work harder. And with each practice test I took, I became less stressed and anxious. I reviewed my practice test and tried new techniques for reading. My tutor helped me learn that the best reading technique for me was reading the passage once, then answer questions without looking at the passage. Then, I would review the questions again but with the passage. My practice test scores got better. By my last practice test, it was a part of my Saturday routine, like washing my face and eating

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