Perseverance is Key by Carly

Perseverance is Key by Carly - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

While success in college requires a plethora of skills, from my perspective, perseverance is the most important. Perseverance is an important skill, not just in college, but life. The definition for perseverance is "steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success." I like to think of it as never giving up. To see a person persevere through challenges is an inspirational thing to see. The importance of persevering is far reaching in college. Students can persevere in their studies, community involvement, and to make their overall experience the best it can be.

Persevering in college studies is of key importance. When a student faces academic challenges, as all college students will, those who persevere through those challenges use the hardships as stepping stones to success. They keep plugging away at the work, looking for new ways to help them find success in what they do. This might include looking for tutors to help, scheduling times to meet with professors or other staff members, researching materials online, or using other resources to carve a path to success. These students are more likely to accomplish tasks and achieve success because they will not stop trying to find a way through these difficult situations. They also seem to be focused on the tasks right in front of them, rather than getting overwhelmed by the entire road to their end goal.

Community involvement is an important aspect of a successful and well rounded college experience, and perseverance is often an important part of achieving a high level of community involvement. While colleges offer a vast amount of clubs and organizations, they are not all the right fit for every student. If a student attempts to join a club, but finds it's not a good fit, they should continue looking for areas that work better. Some students may get frustrated and feel that they don't have a good fit, thus isolating themselves further. This attitude breeds negative feelings about the college experiences and could potentially lead to drop outs, or less than stellar experiences. Students who persevere to find the right fit will enhance their level of involvement and their social interactions. It will make for a better college experience and drive them to feed off of the positive feelings. It can also build a level of social support and connections that can play an important role in future success in the workplace.

Everyone enters college with ideas and expectations of how it should be. Students who persevere in all situations can make their overall college experiences the best they can be. Whether its in academics, community involvement, socially, even just in attitude, pushing forward to do better and be better is never going to have a negative outcome. I believe it's always better to keep trying rather than just give up. When I try harder and am aware that I'm doing everything I possibly can to achieve my intended outcome, I feel better. It changes my outlook to a more positive one, and the energy seems to promote more positive growth.

While there are many important skills college students need to come to college armed with, I believe perseverance is the most important. Perseverance can lead to academic success, higher levels of community involvement, and a greater overall college experience. As a senior in high school, I am actively practicing this skill in hopes that I can make my future college years the most successful possible!