My AP Challenge by Audacious

My AP Challenge by Audacious - August 2016 Scholarship Essay

AP Biology is the academic subject I learned the most from in high school. Senior year, my last year of high school, I had to make it count not only for the good times and memories but most importantly for my grades. I also had a determination to challenge myself; I’ve always been in honor classes but I’ve never tried advance placement classes. In April of my junior year my classmates and I received our course schedules from which we had to choose our senior classes; I took a leap of faith and signed up for not one but three AP classes-- literature, physics, and psychology. I had no idea what I was thinking when I signed up for physics because math was never my strong suite. I had doubts but I went through with it anyways believing that I would gain something from the experience.

When my senior year arrived, I knew I had made a mistake because from the very first day I felt as if I was struggling in physics. Feeling frustrated I decided to drop out of physics and opted for AP Biology instead. AP Biology was also a very difficult class however my previous experience in biology during my sophomore year made me feel confident with my decision this time. I decided I was going to go through with it no matter how challenging it became and it took everything within in me not to drop out because AP Biology was just as challenging as AP Physics.

My AP Biology class came with a pretty heavy and demanding workload. Most assignments were due the next day along with unfinished classwork, extra practice worksheets, and lab groups. With such heavy and demanding workload I was able to improve my time management skills and learned how to prioritize my assignments. I also learned how to use a micropipette and learned valuable scientific information from my classmates.

Adjusting to the fast pace of my class and the high volume of assignments I realized I had to step up my game. I wasn’t satisfied with my overall grade average and I wanted to become a better student not just a mediocre one so I sought extra tutoring from my teacher. I also asked her to review my homework and major projects for accuracy and consistency in an effort to ensure that I fully understood the subject. In the end I received the grades I was striving for because I worked hard throughout the school year. Wanting to become a better student and to improve my grades also motivated me to work just as hard in my other classes.

Even though AP Biology was one my most challenging class I’m glad I didn’t drop it because it helped me grow as a student. I learned how to push myself harder than I ever had. I became more motivated to work towards my goals and I learned to challenge myself when things seemed to hard. Along the way I also matured by putting aside fun and games and focusing on what's really important, my education. In the end together AP Biology was a positive experience that helped prepare me for college because now I know now what it takes.