Qiu Yinong, Class 1, Grade 7, Haide School Instructed by Yan Yifan The one thing I personally love is equine sports. Seeing the ambitious horse try his best is a great joy. Imagine the wind brushing your cheeks when jumping fences, and how elegant you and your horse are when doing dressage. That’s my passion. But nowadays, many students don’t have the opportunity to have a passion or interest outside school because of all the work they’ve got. After a day of study, they still need to do homework. Chinese students spend three hours on homework per day according to a report on China Daily, so students have almost no time to enjoy their passions. First, it’s everyone’s nature to have a passion about something; a hobby or an interest can really help students to find happiness, and happiness is something that’s important. If students are happy and positive, they can do better in school, instead of being lethargic all day long. One of my friends, for example, is bored with her school lessons and many other things. But when she had the opportunity to seek her passion, which is soccer, she has turned positive toward many other things. All because of her passion’s influence. A passion gives you a reason to keep learning and to work towards mastery. For me, equine sports are the thing that I love, it’s the passion that I enjoy almost unconditionally. No matter wins or loses, it keeps me cheerful, therefore it actually gives me a reason to keep learning and working toward success. It’s necessary to have a passion for students; just ride out your passion with your reins. Second, within all the stress students get from school, it’s nice to have a passion that can help them relax. The amount of school work sometimes can’t let students breathe; it’s like some dark clouds pressing down nearer and nearer, but if students seek a passion, it’s another thing. Your passion is your inner fire. It’s burning, the flames sparkle and light up your dark sky. The passion is like dawn, when the sun gradually lights up the sky from the horizon, chases the darkness away, and takes the dominant role. Who wouldn’t like to sit there and watch flames, like sunlight leads the sky out of darkness? It’s all relaxation, to witness all the things come to life and your burning, Who wouldn’t want warm sunlight to shine on their faces? From your expression we can know that passion is the thing that can make you feel relaxed, after work, after darkness; no matter what your passion is, it’s all sunlight, it’s all relaxation, and that is something students need. So it’s important to have the opportunity to seek a passion. Third, having a passion can make students feel more confident, and with that confidence, students can do other things more confidently too. For me, equine sports are something that’s pretty dangerous, and I fell plenty of times, but in spite of some pain, it gave me confidence, because I know what to do and what I shouldn’t do. And that confidence actually influenced me in many ways, such us when taking an exam, I no longer feel nervous because I understand what should be done and what shouldn’t. It’s the same for every other student, because confidence if something that can “flow.” Passion is something that everyone loves, and usually people find confidence in the things they enjoy; therefore, they’ll probably become confident people, and do other things more confidently. For students, they may be less nervous when taking exams or giving speeches if they all have something that they are passionate about. But how can students seek their passion? There are actually some solutions for that. Focus on your interest and skills; we all naturally gravitate towards things we’re interested in and are good at, so find something you enjoy . Students can try lots of things and they’ll find their passion eventually. Notice when you lose track of time, or what you hate to stop doing; it’s possible that you’ve found your passion. It’s important for every student to have the opportunity to seek their own passion. | 