Looking back, there’s always some experiences that I can’t let go of. These experiences have deeply impacted and shaped me into the person nowadays. Among them, the most unforgettable period was my high school years, during which I had a completely different life experience.

From elementary school to junior high graduation, I consistently ranked at the top of my school. Therefore, I was admitted to a top-ranked high school based on my excellent grades. However, I never imagined that after arriving at this high school, I would no longer achieve the same level of success. This was partly because my classmates at this high school were equally capable, and partly because the difficulty of the subjects increased significantly, making it almost impossible to master the material in a short time. In addition, the school's teaching pace was quite fast, which often left me struggling to keep up. For example, in math, even though there were only a few problems for homework, the amount of calculation and the level of abstract thinking required were considerable, not to mention the unfinished physics and chemistry assignments. Faced with this predicament, I often fell into a state of self-doubt. This not only affected my studies but also my interpersonal relationships; I became increasingly introverted and almost never initiated conversations with others.

In 11th grade, I was fortunate enough to have my classroom very close to the table tennis desks, so me and my classmates could play table tennis almost immediately after class. So, I had a sudden idea and brought my racket to school. I first invited the student sitting next to me to play, and then more and more classmates joined in. They showed great interest in the sport, which surprised me. After that, during every break, my classmates and I would make the most of those precious 10 minutes to play table tennis. Table tennis truly brought the students closer together, and I also improved my relationships with my classmates through this shared interest. Although I was still struggling for my grade, at least I gradually emerged from my self-doubt and introversion.

Later, through further understanding, I realized that I wasn't the only one with these same struggles. I was always worried about not being good enough, afraid of being the one at the bottom, and disappointing myself and others. But in interacting with my classmates, such worries only increased my anxiety and affected my daily life. I realized that my abilities were what they were; those things beyond my capabilities were not something I could easily achieve. When you are capable of being excellent, excellence will naturally come to you; when you are not capable of being excellent, even with great effort, you won't achieve it. But this doesn't mean losing your self-worth. Achieving self-worth doesn't necessarily require becoming outstanding; for example, being part of a group can provide a sense of existence and belonging, which is also a manifestation of self-worth.

This period of my life shattered my preconceived notions, reshaped my perspective, and molded my character. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of myself. This will be a lesson I will never forget.