闲忆七年级女儿考SAT和她在CTY的经历
前两天闲逛路过这子女坛，看到大家在讨论CTY，不由地想起女儿七年级时考SAT和1997年夏去CTY的情景。真羡慕现在的小娃妈，可以就此事在 这里提问取经或叙述经过。那时侯我们不可能上网查资料，除了打电话到CTY，几乎找不到任何人能解答和介绍有关CTY的情况，全靠自己瞎摸索，孩子也跟着 受罪。后来，任何朋友的孩子要上六年级，我就向他们介绍这方面的情况，让他们早做准备，少些麻烦。虽然我们那年代的中国孩子七年级就考SAT的不多，参加 这种Camp的更少，但爬藤的竞争也没现在激烈，所以有利有弊。这世界变化太快，各方面都早已鸟枪换炮，今非昔比。现在和大家分享一下我们十几年前的经验，不知能不能对小娃妈有些帮助？只是希望我女儿当年的心路历程，可以让某些孩子借鉴。如有不当之处，欢迎大家砸砖。
我女儿一来美国就是读的私立学校。从她二年级刚入学一句英语都不会说起，一直到七年级，除了有时批评她上课插嘴 讲话太多外，各位老师每学期给的评语都是非常好。当时我所要好的几家中国朋友，他们的孩子都比女儿大五岁到七岁。每每听到他们谈论儿女怎样努力和优秀，我就担心我女儿的竞争能力。因为女儿班 级学生人数较少，将来上高中时，她这样的鸡头能否和那些规模大的好学校出来的牛尾及牛头去竞争，或能否和优秀的中国孩子去竞争的问题，经常困扰着我。那几年每次的家长会，老师都跟我抱怨女儿上课说话插嘴太多，抢答问题不给其他同学机会等等，也让我很头疼。我知道女儿的英语水平上来后，大多数课程对她来说都太 容易了。尽管我希望她能在有挑战的环境中学习，但私立学校就是不让跳级，我也没办法啊。
在女儿五年级时，我带她去本市教育局参加Gifted Program的考试，被录取了，并去市里一所Gifted学校（公立）的六年级班上了一天课。女儿不喜欢那里的环境，认为班上的孩子看上去并不聪明，学 习内容也不是很Excited。她还是留在了原校，我也了解了她的相对水平。六年级第二学期，女儿的数学老师让班上学生参加New England Math League 的数学竞赛。在赛前两三个星期内，老师给了些过去的试卷让大家练习。有些题目女儿读不懂，我就给她补了一些代数和几何的基本概念知识，她很感兴趣并积极认真地做题目。后来，女儿得到了州第一名，但没有进入New England地区的前35名。这让我有所宽慰，同时认识到女儿的学习潜力。
后来，经过一个老中朋友的热心介绍，我知道了Johns Hopkins Talent Search Program。六年级的数学竞赛激发了女儿学习的积极性，那次竞赛成绩不太理想，女儿有些不甘心，所以对SAT的考试跃跃欲试。暑假中间，我们在 yard sale上和书店里各买了一本SAT的书，复印了其中的试题让女儿做了一遍，以确定她的缺项在哪里。在我的辅导下，她自学完了本地一家中学八年级的代数课本，其他数学书中的几何和部分三角以及数列组合知识。女儿和我配合得真是很好，一切都按计划在九月开学初期完成，以致她认为我们俩是最好的 Teammates。那段时期也是我娘俩间最快乐的时期之一。女儿那时是何等的自豪啊：她原来也可以像那些大哥哥大姐姐一样地用功，并不只是贪玩！我也尽 了最大的努力兑现了给她的奖励。
其实，其中也有不少辛酸，但只有我知。为了找到合适女儿自学的数学书，我跑了很多书店，公共图书馆，大学图书馆和朋友家， 翻阅了很多书籍，记不清是打电话还是写信去某出版社才买到了那本八年级的代数书。那时先生在外州工作，我每天在单位里电话遥控女儿的作息时间和自学进度，并解答她的 一些问题。五点下班回来烧饭做菜吃完后，就陪她出去，她在一边玩（打球溜旱冰游泳冲浪等等），我就一边改她的作业。女儿毕竟还是小孩子，有次某个概念看不懂，我解释给她听后，她还是认为那个概念weird，就耍赖躺在地上不肯再学了。我气得踢了她一脚，又耐心地换了几种方式解释给她听，直到她接受为止。为了保持她学习的积极性，我还不断调整她的学习内容和每天的活动安排。与现今各方面的学习条件以及各家的经济条件相比，我不得不忆苦思甜一下哈。
开学后，在女儿学校的帮助下，我得到了JHTSP的电话号码，替女儿报名参加SAT的考试。这时女儿的业余时间主要是阅读和记单词兼做些试卷。我从 女儿很小时，就非常注意保护她的灵气，从不让她死记硬背任何东西，可这次因为时间太紧，也不得不做些单词卡片让她每天晚上临睡前看一遍（尽管有些心痛）。 最后功夫不负有心人，她的SAT考试成绩相当不错，并得到了几百元去CTY Camp的奖学金。我和她一起选了“数学建模应用”的课程，她自己对该课没有足够的信心，可又不喜欢其它的课。不过，这是我在中国教过的课程，我觉得以她的灵气，肯定能学好这门课。
临去Camp之前一星期，看起来非常活泼外向从小就被我训练得很独立的女儿，却害怕起来，天天跟我闹着不想去。其实我心里也担心啊，她只有12岁，来 美国后从未离开过我，在Camp她会不会照顾自己，好好生活和学习呢？当时我周围没有一家孩子去过CTY的Camp，无从咨询，但我真地希望她能多见见世面，知道山外有山天外有天。看着她欲哭无泪的脸，除了耐心开导她，鼓励她外，我只能给她非去不可的结论。送她到Skidmore College那天，我们卸下行李安顿好她的床位，又东找西寻地帮她到处去买那些不在List上的必用品和书。临走前女儿哭哭啼啼地要和我们一起回家，我 除了“NO”还是“NO”，狠狠心留下她去闯世界。
那时的通讯比现在差多了，因为长途电话的付费问题，孩子不可能给我们打电话。而我们只能在规定的时间给女儿打电话，还常常因为忙音打不通，或几个小时后终于打通了，往往只能讲几句话，由于种种原因电话就挂了。那份对女儿的牵挂啊，比现在的孩子妈更甚。好在女儿适应挺快的，一两天后电话里的声音就越来 越快乐。一星期后，又有些想家了，希望我们多寄几次东西去。我们就买了吃的以及她要用的东西，分两次前后相差三四天给她寄去，以解她的思家之愁。其实她并 不真想要这些东西，只是羡慕有些孩子收到家里寄来包裹的那份高兴劲儿，也想High一下。第三个星期打电话给她时，竟然叫我不要经常打电话了，只要在 Camp结束前一天跟她通个电话即可。嘿，瞧瞧，有了好朋友就不要娘了。
她的班上大约有十三四个孩子。大多数男孩是白人，只有三四个亚裔包括印度人（不记得有没有中国人），但仅有的三个女孩全是亚裔。那两个女孩都是生在美国的八年级学生，一个是韩国人，一个父母从台湾来。班上只有三四个是七年级，其他都是八年级，极少是九年级，女儿年龄最小。这些孩子看上去都很聪明，其 中一个七年级俄罗斯裔男孩，SAT数学考了800分（后来他进了哈佛）。一开始上课，女儿极羡慕那些男孩子如何反应灵敏争相抢答问题，很担心自己水平差跟 不上，每次打电话时都会和我讨论一些问题。一个星期下来，女儿的自信心大增，不再向我提问。她的测验成绩竟然进入班级前几名，不久就是三个女生中最好的 了。到课程结束前，女儿自认为除了那个俄罗斯裔男孩，无论是课堂上还是考试，别人都不如她了。我却有些疑惑。当闭营那天我们去接她时，任课老师安排了与家 长会面的时间。在老师介绍了女儿的学习情况并给了我们一份措辞很好的评价信后，我曾问她女儿的真实水平在班上的Rank如何（不要见怪啊，这是我们这些老 老中那时的通病。而我就是为了知道女儿的实际竞争水平，才把她送到Camp来的）。不管我再三追问，老师坚持说她不能给出Rank，只能说女儿是班上最好的学生之一，是她教过的很聪明的学生之一。后来在帮女儿联系寄宿高中时，我还复印了JHTSP给女儿奖金的信和那个老师的评价信，附在申请材料中。
CTY Camp的课程和活动的安排是非常讨孩子欢喜的，女儿后来很喜爱那里的生活，津津乐道各种各样的活动。女儿和其他孩子熟悉后，就恢复了本性，淘气但不失可 爱，负责她们这片宿舍的生活老师都很喜欢她。因她发育晚，个子较矮，和那些大女生讲话时，她为了得到Attention常常连蹦带跳手臂乱舞，连老师都觉得好玩，给她取了个外号。她和很多孩子成了好朋友，有些至今都在保持联系。闭营那天在和任课老师谈过话后，我们去她宿舍装好行李，就想赶紧开车回家。可女 儿和那几个男女孩子依依不舍，眼泪汪汪地不肯走，我们只好又多待了一个多小时。
无论如何，通过这次CTY的 Camp，让我对女儿的学习竞争能力和独立生活能力充满了信心，以后就没再让她去任何学术方面的Camp。女儿CTY Camp难忘的经历，对她后来的学习生活以及国外的暑期项目都有很大的帮助。下面附上一篇她1998年夏的获奖作文，详细描述了她当时的心情和在CTY的 经历。她的文章较长，有兴趣的人才可能耐心读完。希望不要浪费大家的时间。
My CTY Experience
Many experiences form lasting memories, but only a few can change an individual’s life. When I think about the events in my life that were most memorable to me, one experience would distinctly stand out from the rest. During that experience, I overcame social challenges, surmounted academic difficulties, and most importantly, I learned about myself and discovered what kind of a person I really was. The experience transformed me into a better person by revealing my strengths and abilities emanating from perseverance to me. In reminiscence, I realize that it was one of the best times of my life, but at the beginning, I was less than optimistic about it.
It was in the seventh grade when my school suggested that I participate in the Johns Hopkins Talent Search Program. The program enabled seventh graders to take the SATs and later presented the high-scorers with awards. After weeks of preparation, I received a more than decent score and admittance to an academic summer camp called the Center for Talented Youths (CTY). The camp was designed for participants of the Johns Hopkins Program to pursue a course of study of their interest for three weeks in designated colleges. I was ecstatic about my score for I had the highest math score in the state, but less than enthusiastic about going to the camp. I did not want my peers to think that I was “nerdy” or “uncool” by studying in summer, a time that obligated a student to have fun and be free from the academics. On the other hand, the underlying core for my main reasons was that I did not have enough confidence. The idea of not knowing anyone in an unfamiliar place frightened me to death. Also, I feared that at CTY I would not be one of the top students like I was at school for I would be surrounded by nothing but smart children. Furthermore, the camp sounded dull and unattractive to me, and I did not wish to stay at a place without my parents where the campers would do nothing but study. Thus, with all those worries in mind, I firmly decided that I had enough reasons not to go to camp. My mom, however, thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for me to meet other smart people. Abortively, I exhausted all my abilities in convincing my mom to not send me to camp, but she would not change her mind. She and I chose Mathematical Modeling Applications at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York as the course of study. Therefore, despite my unrelenting pleadings, I was unmistakably going to camp.
In the final weeks of July, my parents dragged my luggage and me into the car and drove to Skidmore College. Miserably, I pouted in the backseat and worried about all the disasters I might encounter. Upon arrival, I took time to scrutinize my surroundings. Everybody seemed to know one another as I saw old friends hugging and new friendships forming. I felt desolate and dejected standing in the big reception hall while the whole world looked happy and carefree. Never had I wanted to go home so eagerly. Even my room with a pleasant view of the verdant lawn outside did not cheer me up. I was disappointed that I did not have a roommate for I was sure that if I had one, she and I would instantly be friends and the next three weeks would not seem so unbearable.
Shortly after, my parents and I went to the Skidmore bookstore where I purchased a thick, heavy math book and a computer-programming book required for my Math Modeling course. A sudden panic seized me when I flipped through the pages of the burdensome math book. The book was written for college students and looked so difficult and complicated to read, but what if all the people in my Math Modeling class could read this material easily? What if I was the only one who could not understand the text? The thought of computer programming also frightened me for I knew nothing about that subject. My stomach filled with butterflies as I left the bookstore. That afternoon while my family explored the campus, I frantically entreated my parents to take me home though I knew what their answer would be.
When time came for my parents to leave, I sadly knew I would not accompany them home. In the next three weeks, my place would be here, at Skidmore College. After saying our farewells, I searched my hall for someone around my age that I could befriend, but surprisingly I found no one. After my stuttering inquiries with another hall, I discovered that a group meeting had already begun for my hall. While walking towards the direction indicated, my mind flared up in flames. I had already embarrassed myself by inadvertently stumbling into another hall group and now I was on the verge of humiliating myself even further by arriving late to a meeting where all eyes would fix upon me with mockery, I thought. No mockery, however, appeared on the faces of my hallmates as they greeted me with friendly smiles, but my mind was still untrusting and unconsciously awaiting for someone to laugh at me. From the information that I gathered about my hallmates at the meeting, I was the youngest of them all and the only person who had not attended CTY before. That knowledge stung like a bee for, up until then, I had often comforted myself by thinking that this was the first time for many other people, too. I had desperately wanted someone in my hall to be as scared as I was, so I would not feel alone. Unsuccessfully, I tried to gather up my courage and conceal my fear, but everyone saw through me. One girl named Tova said, “Don’t worry, I was like you last year. It will get a lot better.” I shyly mustered a smile; glad someone was willing to be my friend. With Tova around that afternoon, things looked optimistic, for she was talkative and friendly to everyone. During dinner, pleasant faces and eager smiles surrounded me so the tension unwound and I began to talk freely and openly. By the end of dinner, I was happy for the first time since my parents left.
Then something disrupted my happy spirit, and fear once again enveloped me. I learned that all the campers would meet their instructor and classmates after dinner and only three girls including myself were taking Mathematical Modeling Applications. I wondered nervously what it would be like to only have three girls in the class although my main concern was how intelligent the whole class would be. As I walked to the academic building with the other two girls, Sharon and Christina, I urgently prayed to the God of Math Modeling that I would not be the stupidest student in the class. To begin, our instructor, Lynn Fisher, asked us some interesting questions to stimulate our minds. This is the deciding point where I would distinguish the intellectual abilities of everyone including myself, I thought. As I was contemplating my response, pairs of hands shot up in the air. I quickly glanced around the classroom while the boys fought to answer the questions. That sent me into another panic for I noticed some of the boys brought laptops and one boy even tried using his computer to find the answers. I was also overwhelmed when I learned that a student named Greg had gotten 800 on his math part of the SATs. To calm myself, I took a deep breath. As my heartbeats reduced and became inaudible, I realized that many of them looked almost “nerd-like.” With this thought in mind, I chuckled silently for I could just picture them with suspenders, taped glasses, and high collared shirts. Luckily, the first meeting of the Math Modeling class did not fare too badly despite my discomfiture and uneasiness in the beginning. I had almost enjoyed myself listening to the unique reasoning of the boys in the class. Coincidentally, Sharon and Christina’s views of our class were as same as mine when I consulted with them that evening. By sharing this common opinion, the three of us immediately bonded together. As I turned out the lights that night, I congratulated myself for surviving the first day and dreamt about the happiness I would experience in the days to come.
During the next three weeks, my dream did come true. Sharon, Christina, and I got along together beautifully. I practically lived in their shared room, doing everything in there except for sleeping. I told them secrets that I would not dare tell even my best friends at home. Instantly, the three of us had become exceptional friends. I did not know why this happened, but I guessed being at CTY felt like starting a new life, especially since the three of us associated with one another practically every moment of the day. Christina was actually the literary type preferring English to the mathematics and sciences. Her family compelled her to take Math Modeling to improve her mathematical skills, but she always discussed her love for classics and the novel she was writing with us. She seemed unsure of herself sometimes and told us of her fears and secrets openly. When Christina exposed her emotions to us, she gave me confidence to pour out my fears, too. Sharon, on the other hand, seemed so self-assured. Christina and I admired her for her outstanding achievements in every aspect, numerous boyfriends, and high score of 1540 on her SATs, although now that I think back I believe they were all fabrications made to impress us with. Sharon was also somewhat of a hypocrite, urging Christina and me to do things that she would never have done herself, but her strong sense of generosity, sympathy, and amiability camouflaged that. Christina sometimes, though, became suspicious of Sharon and got annoyed at the jokes she played so she turned to me for comfort. Usually I advised her to forget about it and be the bigger person or as the Chinese proverb that my mom had taught me, A Prime Minister needs to contain a ship in his belly. By keeping that proverb in mind, I could get along easily with both Sharon and Christina because I learned that in friendships you have to meet each other halfway and I was the kind of person who was willing to do that. CTY was actually very enjoyable and quite engaging contrary to my first impression where I thought that the students would be studying all day. Christina, Sharon, and I always had something to do and never found CTY insipid whether it was chatting about the boys in our class, studying for a test, or attending the activities scheduled after classes such as volleyball and jewelry making.
Things got along fine even in the Math Modeling class, though I hardly believed that at first. After the meeting with the class, I was still to some degree nervous about the coming of the first day of class, for the real work would begin then. The teacher assigned me to sit next to Nate who kept making annoying side comments and Simon who liked to raise his hand even though sometimes he did not know the answer. Greg, on the other hand, answered every question perfectly so by the end of the class, the teacher would only call on him if nobody else’s hands were raised. The Math Modeling material was very difficult, but I was never shy to ask questions and always worked hard on my homework. I enthusiastically participated in class discussions and willingly did my share in projects. Soon, we had our first test, which I was quite tense about. I managed to complete it without any nervous breakdowns, but the outcome was not as successful as I had expected. I was disappointed that it was not my usual high as in my math classes at school, but I did fare better than Christina and the teacher even complimented me on my keen explanations at some of her most difficult questions. The more I learned of Math Modeling, the more I loved mathematics. I was fascinated by the simplicity and symmetry of the models from the extremely complicated real world problems. For example, as a project, the class tested different brands of jellybeans and observed if the taster could recognize the flavor without knowing the color. From our data, we drew charts, built models, and even created a different equation for each brand of jellybean. By using the completed equations, we could predict the results for an infinite amount of tasters. The projects captivated me for I had never thought of using math this way.
After a week, Math Modeling became more stimulating but still very challenging. My test scores constantly improved and even my computer programming skills got better. At the beginning, I lacked the special insight that some students had when they approached the problems in the computer lab, but gradually my interest grew. Luckily, Sharon and Christina were just as perplexed as I was at first when we had to stimulate dice rolls and such. Once, the teacher asked the class if she needed to explain a problem any further and simultaneously, three hands shot up in the air. I need not to describe whom those hands belonged to. After awhile, however, I began to enjoy the times in the computer room and quickly grasped understanding of the techniques of programming. The laborious part of Math Modeling, though, was still to come. The final step of the class was to do an independent project where the student would take an unexplored chapter from the textbook and explain it to the class using an oral presentation and a written report. When I first heard about the independent project, I was apprehensive and fretful, but as soon as I realized that the teacher would prepare us well ahead of time for it, I calmed down. Choosing an easy topic that interested me, I prepared my report on the effects of scaling factors on the pressures due to gravity and titled it “Why there are No Giants.” I understood my topic well and presented my information to the class with alacrity and eloquence, while the student with the same chapter stumbled and faltered at every word. I was so proud of myself because everything went smoothly and expectedly. At that moment, I realized that after nearly three weeks of toil, apprehension, and persistence, I had finally conquered Math Modeling.
When the last day finally rolled around the corner, Christina, Sharon, and I sat dejectedly in our dorms and moped. We spoke very little not wanting to believe that the extraordinary three weeks has come to an end. For days, we had been dreading this goodbye and imagining the heartache we would suffer. Christina and Sharon were more than just my hallmates and classmates, they had become my best friends. They knew me better than my best friends at home did, understanding my idiosyncrasies, my fears, my joys, my secrets, my infatuations, my every movement, my every statement – in short, my mind, body, and soul. Numbly, I acted as though it was another average day, but something in my mind would not let go the fact that in a few hours I would not see the beautiful Skidmore campus again. I had even made friends with the boys in my Math Modeling class. While signing everybody’s memory books and experiencing the last conversations with friends, I noticed how everything – the campus, the classes, the people – fitted beautifully together at CTY. How I could let this atmosphere of contentment and serenity go, I neither knew nor wished to find out. Not everything I experienced at CTY was pleasant, but I had overcome all the unpleasantries and found happiness even where there was none. Awakening from my sad thoughts and reflections, I painstakingly found my parents and slowly we walked to the awards ceremony. Afterwards, it would be time to leave.
That afternoon, I received my Certificate of Completion of Mathematical Modeling Applications and hugged my instructor. Lynn had taught me much and I thanked her for her patience and understanding at the times that I had no idea what was going on. During her private evaluation meeting with my parents, she had said, as I later discovered, that I was an attentive, quick, and insightful student whose grasps of new concepts were excellent. She loved my independent study and stated that my written work was remarkable. Furthermore, she highly recommended that I take Advanced Math Modeling next year. A little bit surprised by the amplitude of Lynn’s remarks, I realized that I had achieved many accolades in Math Modeling. On the first day, I had been terrified that I would be the stupidest student in the class, but by the end of Math Modeling, I had, through test scores, rose to the top of the class second only to Greg. Everyone loved my individual presentation and I had even gotten better at computer programming. Not only had my fears of Math Modeling disappeared, but also I emerged from the class as a different person: a person who next time would not shy away from a challenge.
When I sat in the backseat of the car driving home, I squinted through the window trying to find the remaining fragments of Skidmore through the trees. Hours passed before I thought back to the farewell. I remembered vividly when Sharon, Christina, and I embraced and muttered promises that each of us would be back next year. The three of us dawdled as long as we could, but finally it was time. I did not let myself feel anything at the parting, but when I reminisced at what I had just left behind, a numb realization of sorrow came over me. All at once, I broke out in tears for I missed Skidmore, a place I hold dear to my heart. I had learned so much during the three weeks, not only about Math Modeling, but also about myself. I am capable of striving beyond my reach, socializing on good terms with others, making true friendships in a limited amount of time, conquering my fears, and surviving on my own. Most of all, I had learned that even in the toughest situations I can succeed.
As I thought about my accomplishments in CTY, I knew that I would have to call upon my powers again because a few days after CTY, my family would move to another state and I would skip a grade. I was extremely nervous about it, but one of the lessons I learned at CTY was to trust myself, for it would always be beneficial at the end. Of course, I was right. After a year, I have made great friends and even became one of the top ten students in my ninth grade class of 752. In addition, I have used my Math Modeling skills constantly in my Math & Science competitions. I never forget, though, that my success at Texas could not possibly have been attained without my CTY experience. The lessons I learned there are priceless and would be used throughout my lifetime. Soon they would be needed again because I will go to an East Coast boarding school in the fall. Although I chose to go there myself, I am still somewhat worried, but I tell myself that it will be just like another CTY only longer and hopefully even better. I had matured at CTY and transformed into someone who would not be afraid to face the incoming situations when encountering something new. Who knows what my luck might bring if I just trust myself?
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