I previously transferred from a Korean public school to an international school in Seoul. At that time, I wanted to concentrate more on studying, so I chose an international school. My parents told me that it would be harder. It seemed like they both just wanted me to adjust well to Korean middle school. This made me think about transferring more carefully. Actually, I was a little nervous. Finally, I decided to tell my parents my decision. I was confident that I would do my best not to disappoint my parents.

“Mom, Dad, I definitely want to go,” I said with confidence.

Fortunately, they said, “Yes, give it a try.”

It wasn’t that hard when I first started school because there wasn’t a lot going on. I felt like it was a decent decision to go there. In addition, I had the opportunity to make more friends than when I was in the Korean school because there were students of many different ages. Thanks to my friends, I was immediately accustomed to school, and I felt like I could enjoy my school life. But, as soon as quarter one began, those thoughts disappeared rapidly. Teachers with a cold, dark expression spoke to me in an unfamiliar language that I couldn’t understand. Whenever this happened, my mind turned blank, and I was anxious and lonely.

Seeing me struggling to start, my parents said, “Do you want some tutor who can help with your English skills and assignments? We can provide one if you want.” Of course, I said yes. Since I needed to concentrate consistently on my school work, I didn’t have the opportunity to hang out with my friends or to rest as much as I wanted. My heart had become empty. I was exceptionally stressed out due to the routine that repeated like a wheel every day. I resembled a hamster trapped in a wheel. Although I always tried my best to make an honest effort, I frequently fell into slumps. Now that I think about it, it was probably because I had an obsession that I needed to be perfect. Perfection was everything to me and I continuously blamed myself whenever I didn't reach my goal. The more I continued to blame myself, the more I became mentally unstable.

I couldn’t stand the loss of joy and delight in my life. One day, I cried and conversed with my parents, telling them that I want to quit school. I anticipated their angry faces my mind, but their responses were unexpected. “Don’t stop here. You’ll do better.” They encouraged me to think about it one more time. With their encouragement, I made up my mind to be stronger. It was an awesome choice. After I made the decision, I tried to overcome my slump. For instance, I watched my favorite drama or listened to a song. As it motivated my life, I was able to try my best. At the end of the semester, I achieved the goal that I wanted. I won first place with a perfect GPA score in my grade. After this, I learned that tough times can actually be the biggest opportunity in my life.