At the end of this chapter, the Monkey King is no longer content with his status in life.  He faces the reality of his situation—he is a monkey and not a god.  Describe a time in your life when you came to a realization about some aspect of your life and you were finally able to see it for what it was (called disillusionment).  Describe the effect on you. (7-10 sentences)

 

As a young child, I was immersed in an overly progressive and unrigorous California school called Westland. After attending school there for six years, my family and I decided to move to the East Coast. Our journey was abrupt, but exciting. The one  challenge was that I had to apply to schools and take the test as soon as possible. I studied with a tutor for four months, and shortly before the test, took a practice exam. After struggling through every question, I realized the environment I had grown up in did not teach me enough of the academic necessities I needed to take the test. I had a sudden realization that the school I had relentlessly praised, might have not been the best fit for me. After taking the exam, I was accepted into two of my top choices. While my test scores were average, the schools, and specifically LREI, accepted me because of the social and political skills I had learned from my prior education. I was able to finally understand that while I struggled with a state test, I did not have to define my intelligence by that one exam. The lessons I had learned, and currently do learn at LREI, have taught me how to be a person rather than a good test scorer.