Daniel Chen Week 14: My Fondest Memory
Once upon a time in a land half a mile away from American High School, there lived a boy who was frantically studying for a chemistry test.
"What is this??? How do you do this so😭I'm gonna die"
The boy was cramming the night before, oblivious to the fact that he was going to fail the test anyway...
That night the boy learned a valuable lesson: do not try to cram and remember everything just hours before the test.
Of course, this boy is referring to me... HAHAHAH I totally aced that test (probably not) but anyway, I had a fun time realizing my mistake that night and I won't make that mistake again (I 100% will never trust me). Anyways I think that night is currently my "fondest memory." I mean most people say that their fondest memory is their greatest achievement in their live or some random milestone, but for me, my fondest memory is always changing based on what happens in my life; even though the thought of me cramming for the test isn't the most pleasant, I think of it fondly because I think it's funny that I let myself get to that point in hindsight.
I think a fond memory isn't necessarily a positive one or one that has to be life-changing, it just has to be something memorable and fun. Perhaps I'm just a crazy masochist and am coping about the fact that I probably failed the chemistry test yesterday and I'm just doing some random repression thing or whatever (ask an AP psych kid for me or something), but either way, I think it's still funny.
I also totally didn't forget to write this blog guys and I totally didn't do anything wrong, also sorry that this blog isn't as interesting as it usually is, I'm really tired from car shopping yesterday with my dad and I had to drive him around since he was jetlagged. BUT maybe new car????
Anyways I love everyone in this cohort and maybe, just maybe, you'll become my next fondest memory at the end of the year (or not).
Daniel, I didn't know where you were going with this when I started reading this and it turned out to be so meaningful and relatable. I really like the concept of your fondest memories being the ones that are negative on the surface level rather than really happy memories. As much as all memories are valuable in their own ways, sometimes the best lessons are learned from memories in which we struggle. I think this perspective teaches us to not view those "bad" memories as memories worth forgetting, but instead to view them as a life lesson and something to carry with us as we go on. I also like what you said about how your fondest memory is always changing. I don't really see the purpose in pinpointing a specific favorite memory. After all, life is constantly changing, and so are we. I think it's best to just appreciate each memory and day for what it is.
ReplyDeletep.s. i love u too daniel
Hi Daniel! Chemistry is such a complicated subject so you should be extremely proud of yourself for even taking the class! We all forget things and procrastinate so it's important to give yourself grace when you are preparing for an upcoming test. Either way, I’m sure you did amazing on the test! Also, good luck with your new car!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love reading your blogs! They are always super casual and fun to respond to. It reminds me of a diary almost! I love that you use parentheses to include additional information and use capital letters to emphasize your emotions in certain parts of your writing. In multiple parts, you use three question marks back to back which reminds me of having a text conversation with one of my friends. Your use of the crying emoji also contributes to this. Your style of writing is extremely unique and I love it!
Also, I would be honored to be part of your “next fondest memory” as the school year ends! It completely makes sense that your favorite memory changes over time because you make new ones every day! Each minute of your life is a new memory!
I found it interesting how you connected a mundane anecdote that nobody really wants to remember about themselves, such as studying for a chemistry test last-minute, to your fondest memory. I can connect to that moment of procrastination, when you suddenly realize that you really have to do something that you put off for so long. In chemistry last year, I would also never study until the night before. I also liked your thought process about such events: instead of discarding them as a thing of the past and something you do not have to worry about anymore, you choose to remember them in order to not repeat the same mistake. I would like to adopt this mindset, as I often find myself either dwelling on things that I feel I could have done better than I did before or on accomplishments that I feel proud of, as you said. Overall, I liked how your blog flowed from start to finish. You began with a specific event from your life, connected it to a belief that you have about yourself, that it is important to remember mistakes that you have made, and then to the general idea that memories do not have to be all that important: they just have to be fun. I also appreciated the friendly and conversational tone throughout your blog.
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ReplyDeleteHey Daniel! The story you described is literally me for my AP Bio test this Tuesday. Technically, in my head I know that the idea of cramming everything before the test is not gonna work but I still decide to do it anyway.
I liked your interpretation of the words “fondest memory” because it’s extremely significant to learn from our mistakes. This memory that we developed and the unpleasant emotions that we dealt with at the time will stick with us so that the next time we are at least more aware of what the consequences would be. It’s honestly a great learning experience.
I loved that you started off with such a relatable topic and gradually wrote about a psychological concept. Through a connective tone, you were able to engage the readers so they would be interested in reading your blog thoroughly.
Thank you for this strangely enlightening blog!
Hi Daniel! Chem is a struggle. It's possibly THE worst subject known to humans ever. Genuinely. If I could strongly dislike any subject in the world, it would be chem. Chem just has that tendency to make topics go COMPLETELY over your head. Getting my parents to let me take bio instead of chem next year was a literal battle, like literally fighting tooth and nail to not write it down as a course. I swear if I tried it wouldn't be thaaaat hard, but I too am unfortunately a pro-test-crammer (I need serious help 💯🙉) and I know that that would NOT fly in chem. Ok that was enough of a not-pro-chem rant. I really love how you tied back your realization of why not to procrastinate to your memories. I completely agree that a fond memory doesn't necessarily need to always be good. It just has to be decently life-altering, like the realization that cramming isn't efficient and always leads to more stress and staying-up-until-3am sessions. I have to say that I definitely look forward to your blogs every week! I hope you get that new car!
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