Growth Mindset from one student’s perspective

My mother strived to discover my talent when I was young. I was sent to a variety of classes such as ballet, piano, violin, painting, etc. However, I had very little motivation to pursue these activities as none of them matched my personal interests. I was labeled by my parents and family to have no flexibility, music sense, art sense, or any talent all. From then onwards, I was never motivated to pursue sports, music, etc because I was convinced that I would never achieve anything in these areas without having any ‘talent’. I believed that the ultimate goal of education is to achieve excellent academic performance, and had always felt an enormous amount of pressure upon me to meet these goals.

During my years abroad, I was introduced to the ‘growth mindset’ several times, but it only really got me thinking in a Grade 11 morning assembly. I still remember that one phrase that changed my perspective on education: “What matters is what you learn and get out of it, not how high your score is”. When I went home that day, I felt a motivation to try working on this mindset. Within days, I felt a lot of pressure slide off my shoulders. That’s when I understood that if I focus on what I learn rather than what I score, I feel less stressed and can thus actually perform better. Thereafter, I even started to like studying the subjects which I am genuinely interested in. I had always considered studying to be torturous and painful, but I gradually realized the joy of learning. With this in mind, I refined the way in which I made my daily study schedule and studied for tests, and I noticed an improvement in my grades for subjects that I had previously thought I wasn’t ‘talented’ in.

Over time, I started to realize that the growth mindset can be applied beyond academics; for instance, service is not just about the CAS hours or the end-of-the-year CAS award, but is for the happiness one can bring about in the community. I have learnt that one can master any skill if enough effort is put into it; natural talent is just a small part of mastering a skill. I have also begun to appreciate that the privilege of a good education is not given solely for the personal benefit of securing a comfortable future, but instead, is intended to be a contribution to society as a whole. Personally, I used to believe that I should work hard so that I can afford luxuries and grand possessions which my parents have always told me about. However, I now believe that I should make the best out of my education so that I can contribute to society in every positive way.

With the renewed confidence and determination the growth mindset has given me, I feel that I can still seek my childhood dreams and interests. Fencing is something I have dreamed about since childhood. My mother did not let me learn fencing when I was young because I wasn’t ‘talented’ in sports and not flexible enough. When I brought it up again in the beginning of Grade 11, my mother mocked with the same old ‘talent problem’. However, this time, I insisted upon it and expressed my confidence that I will be able to excel in fencing, with consistent effort and passion. Initially, my mother had her doubts and was unsure about my decision. Regardless of that, I maintained a growth mindset. When I started receiving training, I pushed my own physical limits, and persevered. My mother was ecstatic when I won the bronze medal for a mixed saber branch fencing competition last summer. It wasn’t the highest achievement possible, but I had proved to be myself and to my mother that I could grow and improve through continuous effort. Upon reflection, I realize that beyond the award, what I have gained and learnt from this experience, especially about the aspects in which I can continue to improve, has been so important.