I know many of you, today is your first day of school. For those students who have just entered kindergarten, middle school or high school, today is your first day in a new school. Therefore, it is understandable if you feel a little nervous. I guess some twelfth grade students are very happy because they only need one year to graduate; No matter what grade you are in, some people may still be looking forward to this moment or summer vacation, so you can sleep a little more this morning.
I understand this feeling. My family stayed in Indonesia for several years when I was a child. My mother can't afford to send me to the local American children's school. So she decided to give me more classes in person, starting at 4: 30 every morning from Monday to Friday.
I'm not happy to get up so early in the morning. Many times, I fell asleep sitting at the dining table. However, whenever I complain, my mother always looks at me seriously and says, "Dude, I didn't have a picnic either." Here, his mother is very humorous, which means Obama wants to have a picnic and doesn't like the food on the table.
So I understand that some of you are still adjusting after school. But I'm here today because I have something very important to discuss with you. I want to talk to you about your education and my expectations for your new school year.
I have talked a lot about education and responsibility.
I also talked about your teacher's responsibility to motivate you, motivate you and urge you to study.
I also talked about the responsibilities of parents: to ensure that you grow up on a normal track, to urge you to finish your homework, and not to let you spend all your waking hours in front of the TV or Xbox.
I also talked about my responsibility as a teacher: setting high standards, supporting the work of teachers and principals, and changing schools that don't give students the opportunities they deserve.
However, since we have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents and the best schools in the world in the end, if you don't show your responsibility, all this will become insignificant. Unless you show up at school, pay attention to the teacher and listen to your parents, grandparents. And strive for success.
This is our theme today: each of you should be responsible for your own education. I want to start with your responsibility to yourself.
Each of you has something that you are good at, and each of you has some skills that you can use. So you have a responsibility to yourself to find out what it is. Education can provide you with opportunities to discover your own advantages.
Maybe you are an excellent author, maybe you are good enough to write a book or an article to be published in a newspaper, but if you don't finish an English class, you won't know that you have this specialty; Maybe you are an innovator or inventor, maybe you are good enough to invent the next generation iPhone or new drugs or vaccines, but if you haven't completed a science course (including physics, chemistry, biology, etc.), you won't know that you have such talent. ); Maybe you can be a mayor, a senator, or a judge of the Supreme Court, but you can only discover your potential by joining a student organization or a debate team.
No matter what you want to do in your life, I dare say you need some education to finish it. Do you want to be a doctor, a teacher and a policeman? Do you want to be a nurse, an architect, a lawyer or a member of our army? Every career requires you to receive a good education to achieve. You can't have a good job waiting for you after you drop out of school. For a good job, you need to work, train and study.
This is not only related to your own life and future, but also related to how your education determines the future of this country. What you learn at school today will determine whether this country can adapt to the biggest challenge we will face in the future.
You need the knowledge and problem-solving ability you have learned from science and math classes to treat diseases such as cancer and AIDS, develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. We must learn insight and dialectical analysis ability from history and social studies courses in order to overcome poverty and reduce the occurrence of homeless people, criminals and discrimination. Make our country more fair and free. You need the innovation and creativity you have learned from all courses to create new employment opportunities to stimulate economic development.
The country needs you to improve your talents, skills and wisdom to help us solve the most difficult problems in the future. If you can't do it-if you drop out of school-you don't just give up yourself-you also give up your responsibility to your country.
I know it's not easy to keep good grades in school. I know that many of you may be facing many difficulties in your life, which make you unable to concentrate on your studies. I see. I know how it feels. My father left me when I was two years old. I was raised by my mother alone. Sometimes my family can't even pay some bills, so we can't always get what ordinary children have. At that time, I missed the days when my father was around, and sometimes I felt lonely and unable to adapt.
So when I was at school, I didn't do my part. I have done some things that I regret, and I have also caused some troubles that I shouldn't have caused. At that time, I might go astray if I was not careful on the road of life.
But I'm lucky. I have many opportunities to turn over a new leaf. I can go to college, law school and pursue my dream. My wife, First Lady Mi Xueer? Obama and I have similar experiences. Her parents didn't go to college, and the economy was not comfortable, but they worked hard, and so did Mi Xueer, so she finally had a chance to go to a first-class school.
Some of you may not have such good conditions, or you may have no elders to support you in your life. Family members may have lost their jobs and cannot support you financially. Or you may be in a neighborhood that makes you feel unsafe, and there is pressure from your friends to do something you know is wrong.
But in any case, your living environment, your background, your family's financial situation, and what happened at home can't be an excuse for you not to do your homework and behave badly. This can't be an excuse for you to talk back to the teacher, skip class or play truant. You can't give yourself any reason not to work hard.
Your present position does not represent your future. No one decides your fate. In America, you control your own destiny and create your own future.
In America, young people your age are working so hard every day.
Young friends, like Molly in Texas? Jazmin Perez, Jasmin didn't even speak English when he first went to school. In her hometown, including her parents, few people can go to college. But she worked hard and got good grades, and finally got a scholarship from Brown University. Now she is studying public health in graduate school and will soon become a doctor.
I also thought of Anthony from Los Altos, California? Andoni Schultz has been fighting brain cancer since he was three years old. He went through all kinds of treatments and operations, which even affected his memory, so he had to spend more time and work hundreds of hours more than others to finish his studies. But he has never fallen behind, and he will go to college smoothly this fall.
And Shannon from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Shantel Steve. Although living in a poor neighborhood and constantly changing foster families, she managed to find a job in a local health center and set up a counseling course to help young people stay away from gangs. She will go to college after graduating from high school with honors.
Jasmine, Anthony and Chandell are no different from everyone here. They, like you, have encountered many tests in their lives. But they didn't give up. They choose to get a higher degree and set some goals for themselves. I hope each of you is like them.
That's why I'm here today to call on you to set some goals in your future study-and try your best to achieve them. These phased goals can be as simple as finishing all the homework, concentrating on class and spending time reading a book every day. Maybe you want to take part in some extracurricular activities or community volunteers. Maybe you will stand up and help those students who are bullied because of external and personality factors, because you and I firmly believe that all children should have a safe reading and learning environment. Maybe you choose to take care of yourself, adjust your state and study better. Besides, I hope you can wash your hands frequently. If you feel uncomfortable, you should rest at home. In this autumn and winter, together, prevent more people from catching a cold.
No matter what you decide to do, I hope you can work hard and make real efforts in that field.
I know that sometimes, on TV, you will see channels that can easily make big money or become famous-talking, playing basketball or being a TV star, but it is very likely that you can't engage in any of the above occupations.
In fact, it is very difficult to succeed. You won't like all subjects, and you won't get along well with every teacher. Not every lesson is related to your life now. You may not succeed in doing something the first time.
It doesn't matter. There are many successful people who have experienced many setbacks in the world. J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected by the publishing house twelve times. Michael. Jordan retired from the basketball team in high school. During his career, he lost hundreds of games and failed to score thousands of goals. But he said, "In my life, I failed, and failed again and again. This is the reason why I can succeed now. 」
These people are successful because they know they can't let these setbacks hit them-you must learn from them. You should be able to do better next time. If you make a mistake, it doesn't mean that you are a problem maker. It only means that you should work harder and perform better. If your grades are not good, it doesn't mean you are stupid, but you need to spend more time reading.
No one is born with everything. You can do it well because you have worked hard. You won't become a master of any sport the first time. The first time you sing, you won't get every note right. You must keep practicing. This is the same as your school homework. You may have to do a math problem several times to get it right, you may have to read a math problem several times to understand it, or you may have to type several drafts to hand in your homework.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help I ask others for help every day. Asking for help is not a sign of cowardice, but a sign of strength. This means that you have the courage to admit that you don't know something. So, find an elder you trust-parents, grandparents or teachers; Coach or mentor-ask them for help to make sure you are moving towards your goal.
Even if you are faced with difficulties, even if you feel depressed and feel that others have given up on you-but you must never give up on yourself. If you give up yourself, you will give up your country.
America's success story is not about people who run away when they are in trouble. It's about those who keep going and make unremitting efforts, those who love their country and will never fail.
The story is that 250 years ago, the students sitting where you are sitting started a revolution and founded the United States. The students who sat in your seat 75 years ago overcame the Great Depression and won the world war. And strive for civil rights, and successfully send humans to the moon. Students in this position founded Google, Twitter and Facebook 20 years ago, which changed the way people connect with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what will your future achievements be? What problem will you solve? What new inventions will you have? After 20 years, 30 years, 100 years, what contribution will the then president praise you for your country?
Your family, teachers and I are doing our best to ensure that you can receive the education you need to answer these questions. I am trying to repair your classroom and buy books, equipment and computers. But you also need to do your part. So I hope you can get serious this year. I hope you will go all out in whatever you do. I hope each of you will achieve something. So don't let us down-don't let your family, your country and yourself down. Make us proud. I believe you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.