The person who had the greatest influence on my life was my Chinese language teacher, Qiu Mei. From a young age, I showed symptoms of ADHD. However, because I was academically gifted and consistently earned high grades, my condition went unnoticed. Privately, I was always aware of my poor concentration, which troubled me deeply, though I didn’t know how to address it at the time. It was during ninth grade that Qiu Mei entered my life. My previous Chinese teacher had left to pursue love, and Qiu Mei became her replacement. She had a unique personality. Unlike most teachers who focused solely on academics and exam scores, Qiu Mei believed that education should also nurture character and behavior. She paid close attention to students’ interactions, including incidents of backstabbing and bullying. Naturally, my ADHD symptoms quickly caught her attention. She initially forbade me from playing with my stationery or spinning my pen during class. But I didn’t do these things for fun—they were unconscious habits I couldn’t control. One day, Qiu Mei lost her patience. Seeing me twirl my pen again, she threw it out the window and told me to retrieve it. I felt humiliated and reacted impulsively, giving her the middle finger as I left the classroom. When I returned with the pen, Qiu Mei wasn’t angry. She calmly asked, “Why did you twirl your pen?” I replied, “I couldn’t concentrate. I didn’t want to do it, but I couldn’t control myself.” She nodded quietly and let me return to my seat. As my emotions settled, I realized I had made a mistake. Even in anger, I shouldn’t have disrespected my teacher. I began to worry about what punishment I might receive—but nothing happened. The matter ended there. Remarkably, after that incident, I never twirled my pen again. After graduating from junior high, I ran into Qiu Mei on a train. I greeted her and asked if she had been angry about my gesture. She replied, “Of course not! I know it wasn’t your fault, and I don’t mind.” Then she encouraged me to seek psychiatric treatment, assuring me that therapy and medication could help. Her words awakened something in me. Six months later, I began treatment, and my ADHD symptoms improved significantly. That moment marked a turning point in my life. Qiu Mei’s greatest impact was showing me what a teacher should be. Education isn’t just about grades—it’s about guiding students in character and behavior. She was the first person to recognize my struggle and offer a clear path forward. Without her, I might never have overcome the challenges of ADHD. My current achievements are, in large part, thanks to her wisdom and compassion.

ADHD has caused significant challenges in my life, particularly in academics. I often struggle with procrastination, occasionally submitting assignments late, and maintaining concentration during study sessions. I can only study effectively for a maximum of two hours a day, and without extended exam time, I am unable to perform at my true level during tests. However, ADHD also brings positive advantages, such as a unique way of thinking. For example, when customers complain about the quality of my company’s products, most people focus on trying to eliminate internal issues. But this approach is often impractical, especially when the defect rate is less than 1%—making it impossible to prevent all problems entirely. My solution is to engage with the customer and discuss the possibility of relaxing certain specifications, which is a more feasible and effective strategy. Another advantage lies in my strong emphasis on learning efficiency. In my view, learning effectiveness equals learning efficiency multiplied by learning time. When time is limited, efficiency becomes critical. To address this, I’ve developed several unique strategies to enhance my learning. For example, when studying analytical chemistry, I create challenging and memorable scenarios—such as determining the mercury content in bubble tea—to help me internalize the operating principles of mass spectrometry and HPLC. I also turn textbook content into short stories, which makes abstract concepts easier to retain. This focus on efficiency has greatly benefited me as a tutor. My students often tell me they enjoy my teaching style, finding it both easy to understand and genuinely helpful.