Looking to the years ahead with a heart full of hope

Now that the Asian koel's cry no longer serves as the morning alarm urging me to the classroom, and drowsiness is no longer my daily constant, I finally realize that high school life is fading into the distance, while university life draws near.

As a famously significant life experience, university holds immense importance in people's minds, and in mine too. After all, under the intense pressure of the heavy academic load in senior year, my heart often turned into a bird yearning for freedom, peering toward the future through thickets of thorns.

After the National College Entrance Exam, or gaokao, scores were released, I solemnly typed "teaching" as my major in college into the computer.

Being a teacher has always been favored as a stable job, but beyond that, I have my own pure emotional inclination. Especially as I have encountered many excellent teachers who were very kind to me.

The phrase "both teacher and friend" was perfectly embodied in them. Beyond solid teaching skills, they never lacked soft, kind hearts. During what should have been political theory recitation time, my teacher Li Jiayu allowed us to spend a few minutes appreciating the pink-purple sunset outside the building. During back-to-back English classes, my teacher Yin Guiling readily permitted us to open the windows and doors to feel the strong wind and pouring rain outside. That dusky, apocalyptic sky, the excited shouts of classmates, and the teachers' smiles looking at us — all are deeply etched in my memory, becoming one of the motivations for me to choose teaching as my major.

I, too, aspire to be a teacher who excels in ability on the podium and wins hearts with sentiment off it. Therefore, even though the chances seemed slim, I still chose the history teacher education major at South China Normal University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

On one hand, I've loved history since middle school, and on the other, many teachers at my Shenzhen High School of Science graduated from this university, and their teaching abilities filled me with admiration.

For the summer vacation, I mostly plan to reward myself. After resting throughout June, I intend to return to my hometown in Anqing, Anhui province, in July to see relatives and travel with my cousin, who also just finished the gaokao. Additionally, I want to learn drawing, read many classic books I had to abandon due to the tight study schedule in high school, and catch up on movies and novels recommended by classmates.

My gaokao score wasn't very ideal, only 569 points, about 30 points short of my target. But after careful consolation from my parents and encouragement from friends, plus my own relatively easygoing nature, I gradually came to terms with it.

The gaokao is merely one of life's countless significant events; not doing well in this one doesn't matter, just as people often say now, "Life is a vast wilderness, not a single track".

The path of life lies before me, and the gaokao is only a beginning. Moreover, I am full of expectations for university life; this anticipation is enough to help me slowly overcome the sadness of the setback.

Beyond continuing to learn new knowledge at university, I also hope to meet more people, understand the world beyond my small corner, and especially make many friends. I have long yearned for the rich and colorful club activities at university and very, very much look forward to meeting like-minded people in various clubs to explore shared interests together.

I want to continue my volleyball hobby. Of course, after reading many tips from seniors about university life, I sincerely hope my university years will pass smoothly and safely, and that I can live harmoniously with roommates, teachers and new friends.

Yu-Yang Chenxi spoke with Zou Shuo.