Studying for the HSK Level 3 exam was such a great opportunity for me to identify my field of interest. It also highlighted the importance of 'process' more than 'outcome', which I have been overlooking so far.

 

For the past several months, I remember that I used to avoid studying for new tests as I had the perfectionism to meet my high standards and others' expectations. This especially happened to my school tests and assignments, as they instantly determined all my efforts and reflected them in just a few letter scales or digits. However, because I enjoyed learning something completely new that was beyond my comfort zone, studying a new language felt like an exciting challenge rather than a stressful burden.

 

Setting this mindset, I was able to focus better and actually enjoy the process of acquiring knowledge. Hence, I realized that I enjoyed learning new languages, and also got a chance to reflect back on my purpose for studying. In fact, although I never pushed myself to reach a high grade this time, I was able to get a passing grade and successfully overcome my weakness.