Resilience: A Key Skill by Elizabeth

Resilience: A Key Skill by Elizabeth - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

To be successful in college today the most important skill one must possess is that of resilience. While it is honorable, and most certainly beneficial, to be positive, hardworking, and honest, having a strong sense of resilience can help you to get through the toughest of situations, even if you begin to doubt yourself and your other abilities. There is simply no more important skill to help you through life, or through college.

When I entered my first year of college, at The University of Alabama, I was coming there as a big fish from a small pond. At my high school, in the small town of Sebastian, Florida, I had won awards, and had been guided by a handful of wonderful teachers, and I believed that I could do anything with absolutely no problem. However, I quickly realized that I had been living a very sheltered life. When I was taken out of my comfort zone, the world seemed completely different. It was darker, scarier, and I didn’t know how to cope. Within a matter of months, I had broken up with my high school sweetheart, fell out of contact with my best friend, and lost the greatest man who had ever lived, my Pop-pop. I became depressed and gave up on myself. This is something that I deeply regret. Not only have I disappointed myself, but I know that if my grandfather were still here, he would be deeply disappointed in me as well.
When I gave up on myself, I gave up on my future. My schoolwork suffered, and I felt this great bubble of despair, like I just couldn’t do all of those things that I had always wanted to do, and working harder wouldn’t make any difference at all. In my sheltered life, I had learned a lot, but I had never been taught to be resilient and to rely on myself and never give up. Nobody ever told me that with a little effort and unwavering faith in yourself things will eventually get better. That was a lesson that I had to learn the hard way.

Dealing with those personal issues, and being so naive, I fell victim, not only to myself, but to what I felt was the kindness and generosity of a vile and opportunistic third party. I wasn’t able to continue, and so I gave up. I pushed my hopes to the side, and left my dream school in the dust as I headed back home with my tail between my legs. It wasn’t until I had some time to live in the real world that I discovered what I was lacking, resilience. Having spent so much time trying to work in this economy, I have learned what it means to not give up. I am not the same person that I was when I entered college the first time, but at 25, I have bounced back to a state where I feel that my dreams are once again possible, and I have never felt more able to achieve them.

Resilience is the key to making it in college. You need to be able to bounce back when you receive a bad grade, especially if it is the first time you have ever done so. And it can be devastating to be away from home for the first time, especially when you are by yourself. Resilience will allow you to keep going, and not let whatever changes in your personal life may occur to effect the person you are in your professional and educational lives. I know that I have what it takes now, because I don’t let anything get me down, and I am capable of handling change. I am finally resilient, and I have never been better.