Along the way: Xi'an, Peking University, Stanford

Author: Guo Cong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features:
· In this book, I learned about the journey of a healthy child's growth, and more importantly, discovered a mother who rivals a professional educator. From Guo Cong's maternal grandfather to his parents' natural approach to raising children and their everyday care, we can see the role of daily life in education. It embodies the essence of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's natural education philosophy and John Dewey's life education theory, as well as the modern educational spirit of nurturing children based on their innate nature.
— Tian Ling, Associate Professor at the School of Education and Department of Education and Human Development, Peking University
· After more than two decades, her daughter left Xi'an, entered Peking University, and is now about to pursue a Ph.D. at Stanford. Looking back on these years, accompanying her daughter on this journey has truly been a relaxed, joyful, and rewarding experience. What we did was to provide her with as open an environment as possible, allowing her to develop freely according to her personality. I realized that the most important thing is to maintain a calm and ordinary mindset, not to impose our own standards on our children, and not to have overly high expectations of them!
— Wang Xiankai, Guo Cong's Mother
· Previously, I always thought that raising children was a matter of great chance, and I was merely the result of my parents' unintentional efforts. Now I've discovered that many of my qualities today stem from the seeds they planted back then. But they did it intentionally without being (forcefully deliberate), subtly nurturing my personality in the process.
— Guo Cong
She hopes her daughter grows up this way—a continuously ascending curve, a healthy, happy, and rich growth trajectory with an eye toward the future.
· Her academic achievements:
· She performed averagely in elementary school;
· She was once described as having a "negative attitude toward learning" in middle school;
· She vowed to enter Peking University in high school and worked hard thereafter;
· Upon graduation, she received admission offers from five top U.S. universities: Stanford University, the Southwest Medical Center, Rockefeller University, the University of Chicago, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine;
· Her vibrant life:
· She is passionate about swimming and is a Level 2 national athlete;
· She was once beaten for refusing to practice the violin;
· She had humorous and amusing "romantic" stories even at a young age;
If you are a parent (of a child), then join Guo Cong and her mother on this journey of their little moments. In the midst of shared laughter, you will surely gain insights and rewards.
She was once a "tomboy," the "butterfly" among mischievous boys in her class; she maintained average grades in elementary and middle school; she vowed to enter Peking University during a high school summer camp. In 2005, upon graduating from Peking University's Department of Biology, she received admission offers from five renowned U.S. universities. At the same time, she is passionate about swimming and is a Level 2 national athlete; she was once beaten for refusing to practice the violin.
Yes, she has achieved academically, her life is vibrant, and she has also experienced hardships and confusion. Yet, in her mother's eyes, it all seems to have been expected. She hopes her daughter grows up this way—a continuously ascending curve, a healthy, happy, and rich growth trajectory with an eye toward the future!
This is the story of how she and her mother walked this path—everything is revealed in this book!
· A healthy, happy, and rich growth journey of a city child
· A mother's 20-year path of intentional yet unforced education