Gifted Child by Cerra'nnise

Gifted Child by Cerra'nnise - December 2022 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my childhood I found school to be relatively easy. I have always been praised for being “naturally smart” and never struggling academically. In elementary school I was considered for being moved forward a grade however, I was still a kid, and I was far too afraid to do something that would make me stand out. I was sure there were other kids more deserving of the opportunity. Middle school was the same. I still did not have the challenge of struggling academically yet.
High School was when this all changed. Much like other “gifted children” I had finally found that struggle. Algebra 1 was when I was first humbled. My head had become big from adults feeding into my developing mind that I was “naturally smart” and that I did not need to study to be great. Math like this was new to me and it did not come like common sense, but I preserved. I continued trying to please my parents even though things were slowly becoming tougher. I refused to let it show that I was not as smart as everyone thought I was, and I wanted to prove to them I could still be their gifted child.
2022 I graduated high school top of my class and entered college life full force. I started in the summer just to seem smart and like I knew what I was doing. This is where the burnout happened. I went from the top of my class and being known for being smart to being average. I was put into a pool of thousands of other “gifted children”. I was like everyone else and worse. 2022 is where I failed my first class. I never studied before, so I had not developed a good study regimen and instead, I decided to wing it like I had been doing most of my life. However, this is not how things work in college. It truly broke my self-confidence.
This was a big lesson that I needed to learn. I was like everyone else and like everyone else I needed to study and try my best. Subjects like Biology and Chemistry are not subjects that can be learned overnight. My biggest goal going into 2023 is to figure out why I am even in college and also to get out of the “everything is common sense” mindset. There is no such thing as a gifted child, eventually everyone will hit a rough patch and when they do you just have to figure it out and see what works and what does not. I will not be taking my 2022 failures with me to 2023. I will continue forward and work hard to find a good work regimen that will keep me in line for my future.