Take It Easy by Christopher

Take It Easy by Christopher - July 2024 Scholarship Essay

It’s finals season, and I just finished cramming in another two hour study session before my exam the next day. It’s three in the morning, my body is exhausted, and my brain is overworked. My head hits the pillow and immediately I drift away into a deep sleep. I blink and suddenly I’m awake again. Something feels off so I quickly check my phone and notice the time says 9:50 A.M. My messages are flooded with texts inquiring about my whereabouts from my fellow group members. I’m reminded that it's the final presentation day, and of course my group is assigned to go first.
I jump out of bed in a panic knowing that I have a class that started ten minutes ago. I brush my teeth and wash my face as quickly as I can, throw on the first pair of pants and shirt I see and rush out the door. I run down the stairs of my dorm hall and begin the usual fifteen minute walk to class. Except this time I’m racing against time because the professor is strict on attendance and tardiness, and it is also the very first time I have ever been late to this class. I walk into the class’s building at 10:03 and check-in with the usual security guard who knows my face, so she lets me through easily. Climbing the stairs, I skip three or four to get to the third floor as quickly as possible. I attempt to catch my breath before I walk in the door knowing the humiliation that I am about to face. I open the door to find my group members standing at the front of class sharing our project. Everyone, including my professor, turns to the door to find me red in the face.
I quietly find a seat and watch as my group continues the presentation. I reminisce about how we have spent weeks preparing for this very day, and I continuously tell myself how much of a mistake I’ve made. This final presentation was worth thirty-five percent of our final grade, and I blew it. Fortunately, one of my group members called me up to the front and told me to present a few slides. Before I knew it, the twenty minute presentation was over. For the remainder of the class, I watched other groups present but overwhelmed myself with thoughts that I ruined not only my grade, but my group members’ as well. When class was over, I apologized relentlessly to my peers and talked with my professor to ensure that I would be the only person to take a hit, because at the end of the day it was my mistake.
That single mistake overclouded the rest of my days on campus until I received a notification from Canvas saying, “Assignment Graded: Final Presentation.” My heart pounded just at the sight of it, and I couldn’t help but to immediately click. To my surprise, the group had earned a 100%. “Great job on the final everyone!” “Good job guys, thanks for your hard work!” Texts from the group were full of joy and eagerness. Relief flowed through my body like fresh spring water through a river. This experience taught me to trust that life has a way of working itself out. I am eternally grateful for the member that suggested I stand with the rest of the group as opposed to sitting in the audience because it allowed me to truly be a part of the presentation and earn the exemplary grade we did. In addition, our professor evidently saw our hard work and dedication to the assignment, therefore it did not go to waste.
I pride myself on my ability to put my best foot forward no matter the situation, however when I made the mistake of sleeping in that day, I went through a deep emotional, internal battle. I could not believe that I had made such a foolish mistake, but when I saw the result I had to apologize to myself. I learned that mistakes are inevitable being that nobody is perfect. The most crucial element of making mistakes however, is to learn from them and showcase the newfound knowledge of how to deal with various circumstances. Moving forward I will not beat myself up about such minor actions and trust that my effort and hard work will not go unnoticed.