2018-04-13

【Aiden in English】

        And there goes the third marking period. That went really slow. Like extremely slow. Not in a pleasant way either. So here is, in a nutshell, an autopsy of the third marking period.

        Every single year, the third marking period is a slump to a student who used to perform really well at school. After getting used to the new school year, everything seems fine past the half-way point. Then, it’s like the American economy: you know it’s going to fall. 

        Before you ask, the grades weren’t terrible. They consisted of A+/A and B, which to a normal student is relatively normal. However, Asians are always allergic to a certain type of grade, which is mediocrity. Like I totally understand that some people believe Asians are nearly required to achieve straight A’s or even A+’s, but that is only partially true. Asians are not required to have stellar grades, and they just need something to be exemplary at. Whether it is music, sports, or another talent, Asian parents present a demand to be better than others. In other words, don’t be average. Being average is being worse than being bad because even the bad can improve. Average people can’t. 

        As a matter of fact, receiving a few B’s are more important than they may seem at first. Furthermore, each year the drought lasts longer and longer. In the beginning, it appeared insignificant. Only in the 8th grade did the drought blossom into something that lasted about a month. This year, it might last half a marking period. 

        As per usual, the ending to these droughts saw an increase in test averages. I feel as though this time was actually due to the fact that the third marking period was overwhelmingly stressful and full of events. In my school, for instance, pit orchestra practiced every week and dictated three entire nights in a row for performances. To me, Chinese school kicked up a notch to match the upcoming AP Chinese assessment. A lot of kids enjoyed playing brass instruments. Jazz season was in full swing, holding a variety of festivals every Friday. Eventually, we all were really tired and perhaps that is why the third marking period depression occurred.

        At the same time, this stretch was the best time we’ve had at school all year. Each event, excluding Chinese, was extremely fun, challenging, and qualities that I always want in our extracurricular activities. 

        Now if this truly is a pattern, then we should’ve been able to stop or at least ease the flood from breaking the dam. Well, it wouldn’t be as simple as it sounds, and we somewhat ignored the warning signs. I thought that one or two B’s weren’t that big of a deal. But when more than one class became a problem, we grew alarmed. Perhaps next time, we’ll be prepared. 

        Then again, that’s what I said at the end of the 8^th grade. So this time, I’m always going to be prepared. Next year, the slip could begin in the 2^nd marking period, or the 4^th. But as usual, I hope that it will never come. 

【紅霞譯文】

        第三學制日子過得忒慢，猶如蝸行牛步，叫人着急上火好生憋屈，索性隻言片語剖析一下。

        每逢第三學制，即使之前成績不錯的學生往往陷於低迷狀態，剛剛適應新學年生活之後，頭半部分即前兩個學制一切按部就班，接下來宛若美國經濟：如你所知情況急轉直下。

        且慢，成績倒沒那麼糟糕，拿下A+（優秀）/A（優良）考個B（良好）一般不成問題，對於正常學生而言已然相當正常，不過亞裔對分數檔次一向過敏，傳統意識仍舊根深蒂固，我完全理解這種看法，畢竟有人堅信亞裔學生幾乎肩負橫掃A乃至A+的使命，但只說中了一部分，這些同胞豈止追求成績優異，各個分明身手不凡練就出過人本領，無論在音樂、體育或其它方面，亞裔父母鼓勵子女超群越輩，換句話說，沒人稀罕中不溜，“中等生”比“落後生”差，因為“落後生”能破釜沉舟，而“中等生”則悠哉游哉。

        得幾個B乍看起來小事一樁但實際上事關重大，問題在於陷入迷茫而無力自拔的時間會逐年增長，年級低的時候似乎微不足道，初三頂多持續一個月，而高一年度也許要搭上半個學制。

        按照慣例，最終無外乎得靠提高考試平均分的辦法來擺脫困境，我覺得這都是因為第三學制活動過多壓力太大而致。就拿我所在的學校為例，伴奏管弦樂隊每周連續排練三個晚上，而我為了迎接即將到來的漢語大學預科考試，必須完成急劇加重的中文課業。青少年熱衷銅管樂器，第三學制正值爵士賽季，各種表演如火如荼，每周五樂隊成員定要參加大大小小的音樂節，到頭來大家真的精疲力竭，也許這正是第三學制情緒壓抑的原因所在。

        與此同時，本學制也是我們在全年學校生活中最快活的時光，撇開中文不談，其它各項課外活動不但樂趣無窮，而且充滿挑戰，其質量水平完全符合期待值。

        現在既然高中生活已成模式，我們應該力阻任何失誤惡性蔓延。沒錯，說來容易做來難，何況難免粗心大意，我覺得間或得了個把B別當回事，一旦不止一門功課出現同樣狀況性質就變了，咱得警鐘長鳴，也許下回我們將有備無患。

        其實早在初三結束時我已談及這個話題，因此這次我時刻做好準備，明年低迷狀態或許從第二或第四學制開始，但如往常一樣，我希望它永遠不要露面。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2014: 光華六年級B班演講比賽─我的理想(2014 G6B Speech Contest—My Dream)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

2017: Third Marking Period of Eighth Grade(初三第三學制)

2016: Third Marking Period of Seventh Grade(初二第三學制)