本科第一年总结

本科第一年终于结束了！

这一年里 :

• 取得了良好的学业成绩，跳级升入大三。
• 和 Ronald, Sraavan 一道参加了 ICPC 区域赛，Codeforces 重新打上了 Candidate Master。
• 从去年暑假起，减重 35 斤，减肥快成功了！
• 结识了志同道合的好朋友。
• 在维多利亚度过了一个美好的寒假。
• 与 Amelie 和 Neil 一起去北温爬了山，在 Wreck Beach 举行了篝火晚会, 去 Thunderbird Stadium 观看了冰球比赛。
• 和朋友们一起品尝了许多美食。
• 发现了很多好听的歌曲。

记得第一学期结束前，我回顾了自己参加信息学奥赛时的经历，并写了一篇 回忆录。如今，再次回首那段经历，又有了许多新的体会。高中时期，我曾片面地将进入顶尖学府视为与自己和解，找回自信的唯一途径。 然而现在觉得，即使当年顺利保送，进入清北，我也无法获得真正的快乐。来到大学后，身边的一切不断刷新着我的认知。曾羡慕过身边一些智力超群，一年级便开始选修四年级课程的朋友们; 曾羡慕过那些家财万贯，生活奢侈的富二代们；也曾羡慕过那些不仅幽默风趣，还拥有健美身材，受到女生欢迎的男同学们。最终发现每个人都有各自的烦恼。其实我已经足够幸运: 虽然竞赛生涯遇到了一些挫折，但我拥有一个幸福美满的家庭，能够支撑我到国外求学；也许我并不是最聪明的，但也能不付出太多努力就取得不错的考试分数；相比起一些同学，我的生活有些无聊，但我慢慢地学着从这样简单的生活中找到了平静和快乐。一年的留学生活，有太多美好的回忆值得珍藏。还记得那次北温之旅，和两位同学一起爬上山顶，看到天边如画般的火烧云。从我们身边经过老奶奶对我们开玩笑说 "This is God's country. Don't let anyone else know!" 也许人年轻时就是喜欢 "为赋新词强说愁"，虽然小学，初中和高中时都有一些不太美好的回忆，但回头想想，那些困境何尝不是对我的磨炼。况且，许多人都有着比我更加痛苦的遭遇，我并不是一个 "应试教育“ 下的受害者。如今，我真切地体会到自己是多么幸福。

这一年的学习生活也让我意识到帮助他人的重要性。回国前的学术写作课上，我遇到了不小的麻烦，一度以为快挂科了。如果不是众多好友的伸出援手，我无法想象自己该如何度过危机。然而，令我感到惭愧的是，我自己却曾是一个特别自私的人。来到加拿大的前两个学期中，一次又一次在考试中获得优异成绩曾让我觉得自己无所不能，不需要依赖任何人。事实证明并非如此。归国前和友人的一次对话中，我说，要摒弃内心的傲慢，珍惜自己的优点，并多去帮助身边的同学朋友们。

最后附上肯尼迪 "登月演说" 中的片段，愿自己在剩余的本科生活学习中，勇于直面更多挑战，拥抱崭新的机遇。

And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.

2024 年 6 月 30 日于归国飞机上

[ENGLISH]

My first year of undergraduate study has finally come to an end!

During this year, I have:

Achieved excellent academic results, even skipping a grade to advance directly into my third year.
Participated in the ICPC regional contest alongside Ronald and Sraavan, and once again attained the Candidate Master title on Codeforces.
Lost 35 jin (approximately 17.5 kilograms) since last summer—my weight loss journey is nearing success!
Made many like-minded and good friends.
Enjoyed a wonderful winter break in Victoria.
Climbed a mountain in North Vancouver with Amelie and Neil, held a bonfire party at Wreck Beach, and attended a hockey game at Thunderbird Stadium.
Savored many delightful meals with friends.
Discovered a great number of beautiful songs.

I recall that just before the end of the first semester, I reflected on my experiences with the Informatics Olympiad and wrote a memoir. Now, looking back on that period once again, I have gained many new insights. During high school, I had once naively regarded admission to a top-tier university as the sole means to reconcile with myself and regain my confidence. However, I now feel that even if I had been granted direct admission to institutions like Tsinghua or Peking University, I would not have found true happiness.

Since arriving at university, everything around me has continuously reshaped my understanding. I once envied those friends with extraordinary intellect who, as freshmen, began enrolling in fourth-year courses; I envied those affluent “rich second-generation” students who led extravagant lives; and I even envied the male classmates who were not only humorous and charming but also maintained impressive physiques and were popular with the girls. In the end, I came to realize that everyone has their own troubles.

In truth, I am already incredibly fortunate. Although my competition career encountered its share of setbacks, I am blessed with a loving and supportive family that has enabled me to study abroad. Perhaps I am not the smartest person, yet I manage to achieve good exam scores without excessive effort. Compared with some of my peers, my life might seem somewhat plain, but I have gradually learned to find peace and happiness in its simplicity. My year studying abroad is filled with countless beautiful memories that I will forever cherish.

I still vividly remember that trip to North Vancouver, when, together with two classmates, we ascended to the mountaintop and witnessed a breathtaking panorama of fiery clouds painting the horizon. As we passed by, an elderly lady jokingly remarked, “This is God's country. Don't let anyone else know!” Perhaps youth has a way of finding poetic sorrow in everything—even though my experiences in elementary school, junior high, and high school were not all pleasant, in retrospect, those hardships served as a valuable forging ground for my character. Moreover, many people have endured far greater pain than I have; I am not a victim of an exam-oriented education. Today, I truly appreciate how blessed I am.

This year’s academic life has also taught me the importance of helping others. During an academic writing course shortly before my return home, I encountered significant difficulties and nearly failed. Had it not been for the many friends who extended their helping hands, I cannot imagine how I would have overcome that crisis. Yet I feel a sense of shame in admitting that I was once an especially selfish person. During my first two semesters in Canada, repeatedly achieving excellent exam results made me feel invincible, as though I did not need to depend on anyone. In truth, that was not the case. Just before returning home, in a conversation with a friend, I resolved to shed my inner arrogance, cherish my own strengths, and make a greater effort to help my classmates and friends.

Finally, I would like to include an excerpt from Kennedy’s "Moon Speech," as I hope that, in the remainder of my undergraduate journey, I will continue to face challenges head-on and embrace new opportunities:

And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon...
We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.

June 30, 2024, on the flight returning home.