The second quarterly test of the first semester was finished, and I couldn't believe that I'd tested first place in the entire school! This was beyond my wildest dreams. Although it was so unexpected, I was very happy. I'd like to thank my parents, and more importantly, Shifu's guidance. I am a transfer student. I transferred into this middle school just before eighth grade. Before I transferred in, I'd heard that the rate of students from this school going to college was much higher than the rate of my old school. Entering eighth grade meant my workload was much heavier; furthermore, I was immersed in an unfamiliar environment. I had to start over from scratch, to meet new friends, new teachers, and familiarize myself with new surroundings, and take care of my homework. My stress increased by a lot. In my old school, I was able to maintain a ranking as the first or second in my class, and between 20th or 80th place in the entire school. But now, competition was high. In the first quarterly test, I got 6th place in my class, even though I'd tried my best. I'd thought I could at least manage to get 5th place or higher. I wondered if I'd done something wrong. I was determined, so after the test, I tried a new method. I went to bed between 10 and 10:30 pm, so I would be energetic in the morning. I focused in class and went over my notes at home. If there was something I didn't understand, I would ask the teacher or my parents. In this way, I improved the subjects I was weakest in. But the most important thing was to do qigong properly, so I could find peace of mind and focus on studying. So, although my study time decreased, my results improved.
　　
　　The second quarterly test crept up. I was well prepared. Although I was nervous, the qigong and meditation of the night before allowed me to keep calm. I didn't pressure myself too much either. I just had to improve from last time. After they announced each of my test grades from five subjects, I only lacked 11 points from a full score! I was not only first in my class, but first in the entire school! I couldn't believe it. I was really happy. After the test, my classmates congratulated me. Everyone asked how I improved so much from last time.
　　
　　I'm grateful for Shifu, because after my time in Tai Ji Men, my heart isn't so nervous anymore, and I'm more efficient. I'm also thankful for my parents' and my teachers' guidance. When facing difficult subjects in the future, I hope to use a positive attitude to encourage myself, quiet my heart, and hoist myself higher.