＜Find one thing you can devote yourself＞

“Prioritize studying to every other thing.”
This is what my family members always say to me.

My parents, especially my mother, are obsessed with their children’s education. They would like to broaden the future possibility of their two children through studying.

In this sense, they succeeded in growing up their first child, my brother, who is four years older than I.
They sent him to a cram school since he was the fourth grader in elementary school. He liked studying and concentrated on it than playing the piano, kendo, or other thing he learned at that time.

However, the same way as my brother does not fit me.
As well as my brother, my parents send me a cram school and told me to prioritize studying to any other activities. I do like playing the piano and the violin I learned at that time but I was not allowed to be absorbed in. My parents did not let me take part in club activity and required me to leave for a cram school soon after finishing classes in junior high school days. I really understood that it must be very helpful to study hard, but I couldn’t be a hard-working daughter without doing anything that I’d like to do. Then, I got bored with everyday life because I found it everything I did became really halfway done.

When I went on to high school, I was enthusiastic about academic debating as club activity in spite of strong opposition from my parents. That is the first time I devoted myself to something. There are many schools that students do academic debating. Students enjoy improving their debating skill in order to win a national tournament. It is the largest scale of debating championship for high school students that every team of four students competes with each other to get a ticket for a world tournament.
Since I also wanted to be champion with my team members, I struggled over how our team could get victory in national tournament. Then I found that the most important thing is not the logic, sharp view to surpass opponent arguments, and techniques to win the match. It is the cooperation, solidarity, and respect to team members. This experience has dramatically changed my view. Before starting club activity, I looked down those who focus on only one thing to do, because such people seemed to be incapable. My view was, however, totally wrong.

Being buried in one thing needs much more energy than doing a little of several things. This is because, when you faced a big problem that cannot overcome easily, you need to seek a new way that you never see.
Thus, I believe devoting yourself to something can be nice way to cultivate your mind and broaden your ways.