Using the Word "No" by Blake

Using the Word "No" by Blake - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Becoming a better student is a lot easier said than done. While I do not take away the fact that I am a pretty good student, there is always room for improvement. One area that I want to focus on is prioritizing my life, so that my goals can be reached.
Being a first time college student, I was not prepared for what I was getting myself into. There are so many distractions in college, unlike any faced in high school. First and foremost, in college you are with your friends pretty much all day, everyday. It was difficult for me to say no to hanging out and staying up til three in the morning. I mean, I wanted to make a good impression. As you know, doing that does not lead to greatness in the classroom. Slowly but surely, the reason I was put in college became distant. I was there to learn, and to pursue my career in nursing. Do not get me wrong, it is totally okay to have fun in college, but I quickly learned that is not okay to let grades skip. And little did I know, most professors will not warn you. In college, it is all you.
In 2016, I need to set my grades first, and other activities second. Especially if I want to be accepted into nursing school in a couple of years. Simply, the word "no" needs to become apart of my vocabulary. I need to say no to going out in the city when I have a test over organic chemistry the next day. Especially when I Know I haven't studied nearly as much as I should have.
College is about making choices, prioritizing, and owning up to your responsibilities. But indeed, it is also about making mistakes, and learning from them. I can assure you that I have learned from 2015, and I'm ready to tackle 2016.