I have dreamed of coming to America and getting my degree since I was five years old. After graduating from high school, I arrived in America with high hopes and expectations. I was very excited and thought everything in my life was going to change. It was all great fun at first. The new environment, the different language, the school and the teachers made me feel good. Little by little, things got worse, feelings of happiness began to turn into discomfort. The different education system made me nervous. When I first came here, I had a lot of difficulty studying in the United States, but once I settled into a daily routine, things got a little easier. I was afraid of failing as a student, but once I got used to things, everything seemed to get better. I later realized that the education system in the United States is less stressful, but more complex. The only thing I need to learn is comfort. This doesn't mean I have to learn to sit in a rocking chair while sipping my favorite juice. What I mean is, I'm at my best when I'm comfortable in what I'm doing. For example, when I'm at home, I like to study in my room without any distractions. I don't like listening to music when I study. Even the song of a bird or the sound of the wind could easily distract me. That's why I make sure nothing can be heard when I study. When it comes to learning in the classroom, I am an observer. I learn best when I listen and I don't feel comfortable speaking in class. I like learning alone, but that doesn't mean I hate working with others, because I know that learning with others has value. Since I'm an observer, I feel most comfortable when I'm not working with a group of people. I like to observe people, their body language...... middle of paper ......ing. The day the scores are released is always a sad day for Sri Lanka. Some students who do not pass the exam will go to a place known as the End of the World. It is a high mountain whose elevation is so deep that you cannot see the bottom. These students are so depressed by their failure that they rush from the edge of the summit and their bodies are never found. It is sad that the importance of receiving an education can take its toll on an individual. I have strong opinions about testing. I think teaching based on tests is a bad way to teach. The pressure a test puts on a student is unfair. Additionally, the knowledge gained from studying for an exam is only temporary. I don't like it being taught this way because everything is done in preparation for what is on the exam. Plus, it's not the type of learning that a person will keep for the rest of their life...