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“What’ 6 times 7?” “42!” “how about 9 times 6?” “54!” My mom keeps asking me while we were walking home from the park. These are typical conversations between my mom and me in my elementary school days. My reward for answering all the math questions efficiently and accurately was usually a piece of dark chocolate. The consequence of giving an incorrect answer, however, was more math questions. Because of my mom, I literally grew up with numbers. To cultivate my interest in math, she explored many creative ways to ensure that numbers become part of my daily life. Not only did her persistent habit helped me develop my passion in math at a young age, but it also laid the foundation for my lifelong career.
I consider math to be an important skill that everyone should have. It makes people’ lives much easier and better in everyday activities such as wise management of their money. I always love to calculate details during shopping. One time, I saw two different size of box of cookies at Vons. The bigger box is about 6 dollar with 50 cookies. The smaller box is about 3 dollar with only 20 cookies. The second thought that pops into my mind is that if I buy the bigger box, I will get 10 more cookies than buying the smaller box with the same price. Since I love to eat cookies, I choose to buy the bigger size.
For me math is fun. Its critical precision allows me to use reasoning and logic that improve my understanding of many other subjects in my life. By learning math, I could see that things are built step by step. The mathematical order, much like scientific, social, or moral order, evolves following certain laws latent in this world. Math taught me how to proceed from basic knowledge to a higher level of understanding when I strive to grapple a difficult subject. This method helps me learn more efficiently and with ease.
I find similar learning pattern even in playing sports. Of all the sports I have played, including table tennis, baseball, and soccer, basketball is the one I have the most passion for. I practice shooting, dribbling, laying ups, jumping shot, rebounding, and jabbing steps by myself everyday in the park. I learned passing, screening, cutting when I play game with people in the park. Although I didn’t start to play basketball until the age of 16, I soon became confident in battling against experienced players who started playing at an early age. Because of my height and speed, my friends advise me to tryout for basketball. Before the tryout begin, unfortunately, a procession of return athletes confidently strode into the gym. Their arrival totally unnerved me. Needless to say, I couldn’t overcome my nerve and didn’t make the team. But I learned that I need to train myself to face challenge confidently, and to show my best performance in the future.
The two things that I’m passionate about is math and basketball. I learned from and was shaped by each of them. By helping me with my math, my mom taught me it is an important skill people should have. By learning math and practicing basketball, I realize that a higher level of understanding is required to proceed from basic knowledge and skill to more advanced performance. By tryout for basketball, I learned I need to overcome my nerve to success. Ultimately, doing the things that I’m passionate about makes me feel happy and proud. I’m very grateful that I have these passions. Although I might face great challenge, risk, and strength, I will not give up and will retain my passions.