Follow Your Dreams by Elizabeth

Follow Your Dreams by Elizabeth - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

On my first day of high school as a freshman, I remember feeling overwhelmed, intimidated, and quite nervous as I stepped foot onto the campus that would be my new domain for the next four years. Throughout my freshman year I was so determined with finding my place in the social hierarchy of high school that I never really focused on studying or getting good grades, which I would later realize would be my most regretted mistake. I would now advise any freshman to establish keen studying habits, partake in extracurricular activities, and maintain outstanding grades along with an excellent grade point average throughout all four years.

Incoming freshman typically feel so in awe entering their first year of high school, that they lose sight of what is important. One of the most important habits a student can establish in high school is studying frequently; not only on days before a test, but for a couple hours each day. By doing so, students can sharpen their learning skills and understand lessons they have been taught in class more thoroughly. Being studious is a great attribute a student can attain especially in college where the tests and assignments are at a higher difficulty level. Most, if not all, college material learned requires hours of studying in order to fully understand. By establishing keen studying habits early on in high school, freshmen are more prone to success in college when having to study for major tests or going over lessons they may not have understood when first taught.

Another key element a freshman student should take into consideration is their participation in extracurricular activities. Not only does involvement in extracurricular activities benefit you when applying for colleges, but it also allows you to create friendships and work towards something greater that could benefit yourself, your school, or your community. Such activities include joining school clubs that give opportunities for volunteer work or joining sports teams. Committing to a club or sports team for all four years of high school also benefits you when applying to colleges because they like to see a student who is involved in activities that work towards benefitting the community. Overall, involving yourself in extracurricular activities benefits you in the long run when applying for colleges, and offers you memories with friends that will last a lifetime.

Most importantly, maintaining good grades is something that is absolutely crucial when in high school. I know it is easier said than done, but if a student puts forth their absolute full potential the sky is the limit with what they can achieve. Freshman who have great studying habits, participate in class, and actively pay attention during lessons can successfully maintain outstanding grades throughout all four years of high school and well into college. With excellent grades comes an excellent grade point average that most colleges take into high consideration when accepting potential students. There might be some times where a student’s grade slips due to a bad test score or a few missing assignments, but it is important that the student is not too discouraged to recover and makes sure they do all that is necessary in order to raise and maintain that grade.

Even though high school tends to sidetrack students with various types of distractions, it is most important for freshmen to establish habits that will benefit them throughout their school career. Such habits include studying often to make sure your knowledge of the material you learned in class is thorough, participating in extracurricular activities that help your community, and maintaining outstanding grades to help you get accepted into the college of your dreams. Not only do these habits help you in the present moment, they also greatly benefit you for the future that will vastly approach. Remember freshmen, when you maximize your full potential, the possibilities are endless.