How to turn pressure into success in college by Anna

How to turn pressure into success in college by Anna - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Growing up in a family where education was always emphasized, I was fortunate to be enrolled in the Richland Collegiate High School program. As an aspiring lawyer, I’ve taken on various debate competitions, including working with my team on cross-examinations. This program was an obvious choice for me, thanks to its rigorous academic curriculum and focus on preparing students for higher education. It has been instrumental in shaping my educational journey and preparing me for UTA and my plans after college.

Given my traditional high school background, it was common for most students to get by doing the bare minimum and simply completing assignments. I was one of these types of students, and I thought I was doing my best. I turned in my assignments, participated in extracurriculars, and maintained a good GPA. One day at dinner, my sister challenged me to leave my traditional high school to attend the Richland Collegiate program. I was thrilled to apply, and fortunately, I got in. In the first year of the program, I didn’t realize how rigorous the curriculum would be and how challenging it would be to manage my schedule to accommodate this and my personal life. Inevitably, at certain points in the semester, I found myself struggling in a certain class, which was Biology. Biology at my traditional high school was significantly different from the college biology I took in my first semester. In high school, I passed Biology with an A+, but in the program, I struggled to even pass with a C. Eventually, I passed the class by attending office hours and working closely with my professor to understand the topics I found challenging. While this wasn’t my best academic moment, this experience highlighted how committed professors are to your success and how you can build lasting bonds with your professors by making constant efforts to succeed in their classes.