Knowing What I Know Now by Destanee

Knowing What I Know Now by Destanee - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Looking back on my first year of highschool, I felt what most freshman felt on their first day -- lost and alone. Anyone can tell you stay in school, focus on getting good grades, be yourself, and do community service. I wouldn’t give the exact same advice everyone else would give you, though.
My junior year started off with excitement, confusion, and first day jitters. After all, my first day of junior year was my first day in a public high school. I was taken out of the public school system after third grade. While this was both a good and bad experience, personally, I excelled more in a public school setting, while my sister had a harder time adjusting to the change.
When I began attending my high school, I was two credits short of being a junior. Being listed as a sophomore really bothered me and made me feel like I wasn’t as smart as the rest of the juniors. I decided second semester to take an extra class online making my four period schedule five. Despite the workload I had with my other four classes. playing soccer after school, and having a job, I wouldn’t have done it differently. Over the summer I took two core classes online: American History II Honors and Earth Science. I barely had a summer, but knowing I would start out one credit ahead of the senior class meant more to me than watching TV all summer.
I pushed myself to be better than everyone else. I had to have the highest grades, and when I would pass a class with an 86 I felt like a failure. I’d list off all the things I should have done better and become so angry that I didn’t get an A.
The biggest piece of advice that I can give to a younger student would be, “Don’t overthink it.” Don’t get so overwhelmed with making sure you get a 100 on that math quiz, and don’t panic about the homework you didn’t complete for history class next period. Having a couple of bad grades will not ruin your life. In 30 years, no one will judge you for that 75 you made on the test.
Not to say you shouldn’t worry about your grades at all, because you should. Personally, I have forced myself to stay up for hours at night to study for my exams, because getting anything less than an A makes me want to cry. Always strive to be the best you can be, but sometimes you don’t have to be the smartest kid in class to excel in life. Focus on keeping yourself happy, and don’t overwhelm yourself with the idea of being nothing less than perfect.