Impressed by a 5th-grade girl's essay "I don't need to go to Harvard"

An essay expressing independent thinking by a fifth-grade student in eastern China is going viral on social media, according to reports.Next SharkOctober 31st. This is an entry for a competition where contestants were asked to explore hidden aspects of themselves.

The female student, surnamed Yu, impressed with her mature thinking when she wrote that she is just a tiny speck of dust in the universe, like everyone else. In third grade, she dreamed of becoming a carpenter, but realized that society often discourages people with its prejudices. Many people are often judged as "useless" even before they have a chance to discover their talents.

That discovery left Yu feeling lonely and helpless, but her father advised her not to dwell on what others said and just keep living her life.

Since then, Yu has changed her lifestyle. She wakes up early and goes to bed early, exercises, studies hard at school, and asks for help from others to understand her math problems.

One time, the teacher asked the whole class to run 50 meters, and Yu did her best. "I ran so fast that my hair was flying in the wind. I finished the race in 8.75 seconds and was extremely happy. I even thought I was Usain Bolt. That night, I ate some chocolate, and my dad praised me as a wonderful girl," Yu wrote.

Yu's concluding remarks had a powerful impact on the thinking of students and workers living under pressure in the world's most populous country: "Perhaps I don't need to study so hard to get into Harvard University; I just need to live happily."

China NewsAccording to the information, Yu is studying in Nanjing and her home environment is very relaxed. Her father allows her to make mistakes and doesn't set overly high expectations for her studies. "Our daughter is a relatively simple child. She's very cheerful and has high self-esteem," Yu's father told reporters.

In addition, Yu receives full support from her parents in whatever area she is interested in. Outside of school, she studies violin, piano, plays soccer, and practices karate.

On social media, Yu was praised for finding meaning in life at such a young age. The community enthusiastically discussed the story: "The father is so open-minded, not forcing anything, just wanting his child to be happy. The teacher is also so good! The child's thinking is so flexible!"

Others argue that learning self-awareness and enjoying life is highly commendable. "As we grow older, we'll realize how important it is to keep our minds in a stable state. That's far more difficult than getting into a prestigious university," one person wrote.