My academic challenge by Alexandria

My academic challenge by Alexandria - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

I have always done well in school, having great grades and involved in every activity possible. So when it was time to apply for colleges, I believed that I was set and then I was slammed into the wall by two sets of letters: S.A.T and A.C.T. To me, these tests were a whole new section of school despite the fact that they are cumulative test based on the information one learns in high school. They came with stress, time limits, and responsibilities that were different from every other test I have taken so far, but with hard work and determination I overcame all the obstacles in my way.
A major component that produced stress during the test was the time variable. The more I sat for the exam the more humanly impossible it seemed to be. I could not focus on the test in front of me because every few seconds I would have to glance up at the clock. I watched videos of people who had made perfect scores on the exams and one thing became clear; if I wanted the score I would have to do the work. Saturdays became testing days and I would sit for an entire practice exam and as a result, I became used to the time limits. It became so mundane that taking them became more fun than stressful. By drilling the test, I turned the impossible into a solvable puzzle.
Another aspect that made the exams difficult is the vastness of it all. A test taker only has one study guide- everything that they have learned in high school. This can and did become overwhelming. I had no idea where to begin. Thanks to Khan Academy I was given a road map. After every practice test I would receive a breakdown of what categories I need help in. I asked my teachers for aid in the process as well tutors. I went back to old text books a filled in the missing gaps I had. Studying for these exams, while tedious and challenging, allowed for me to be more confident for entering college because it allowed me to make my foundation in core subjects stronger.
I have never struggled in school so when the challenge of the A.C.T and S.A.T was presented to me, I was lost. I had to buckle down and put in the time and effort to achieve my goals. I learned many things while overcoming this obstacle and became and overall better student.