Simply a Student by Arisa

Simply a Student by Arisa - May 2021 Scholarship Essay

Simply picking one academic challenge to delve upon doesn't accurately represent my college experience as a first-generation freshman student gaining an education during a global pandemic. My challenge: I am a student. After excitingly receiving my acceptance letter to my dream university at the end of my senior year, I was prepared to experience college for the first time as a new adult with a hungry mind. Not soon after, Covid began to rise, and as did my assumption that I wasn't going to be able to attend my first year in person.
My mind raced with overwhelming thoughts that my college experience and in-person classes would take a strain on my capabilities to learn but had also caused worry about the effects that Covid would cause. After the immediate transition to online orientation, registration, and classes, stress began to take its toll. Balancing two jobs, a full load of coursework, and officer positions in multiple clubs all through a computer had strained my mental health over time. Staying organized and maintaining the honor roll, while trying to provide my club members with priority service turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be. Assignments would soon pile up, and work began to cut down study hours which in turn required me to reflect and rethink my situation.
I realized that in order to reduce my stress, planning needed to be done. I had to create a google planner and keep it updated with set reminders to keep me on track. This alone had reduced my stress and kept me organized. I also took some time to relax and enjoy my leisure and came to understand that everyone struggles and that it's okay to admit it and care for myself. By caring about my well-being and planning to stay organized, I was better prepared to take on college and tend my mental health.