Not Your Regular History Class by Emily

Not Your Regular History Class by Emily - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

I’ve learned countless lessons from my teachers; how to read, how to multiply, how to write chemical formulas in significant figures, and numerous other useful (or maybe not) skills. However, I had one teacher this past school year who taught me a lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My AP United States History teacher was considered one of the toughest at my high school. He was notorious for intense tests, insanely long reading assignments and expectations higher than any student could dream of meeting. When I was assigned to his class, I was skeptical of whether or not I could handle the pressure. However, I went in enthusiastic, as I had also heard he was a really cool guy. Besides, how hard could a history class get?

On the first day of class, we sat down and were almost immediately handed a monstrous stack of papers.

“Syllabus, first outside reading, test schedule, reading schedule. Welcome to AP US History, I’m Mr. Gale.”

My enthusiasm quickly drained as he passed out gigantic textbooks, and began talking us through the reading and test schedules.

“You will be reading roughly fifteen pages on weeknights, with about thirty to forty pages on the weekend. If you don’t keep up with the assignments, I am not responsible for any test scores lowering dramatically. Don’t expect to get an A in this class; most students are lucky to get a C. Kids don’t get handed their grades in my class, they earn them. I expect nothing less from you all.”

I was intimidated, but I am never one to back down from any sort of challenge. That first night, I read the tedious introduction to our thick book, and marked up my planer with every assignment, test, and quiz up until the first major exam, which wasn’t for nearly two months. I was ready to take on this class in its entirety.

The first few days, everyone was devoted to the schedules and finishing their assignments. But after that first week, my classmate’s enthusiasm began to wane. Everyone skimmed a little on the assignments, reading a few pages less than the required amount, and a couple slackers skipped the homework altogether. Yet I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. I wasn’t going to let a few late nights reading about Andrew Jackson stop me from succeeding in this class. So I continued to read, I continued to study, and I continued to soak up as much information as I possibly could in class. Mr. Gale said no one could get an A in his class, but I was willing to break that norm.
The first test was brutal. Most kids missed nearly half of the fifty questions, some more. I missed a rough twenty-three, which was a lot compared to what I’m used to. But considering the rigor of the class, I was proud. I had made above a 50% on my first AP US exam, an honor many kids could not achieve. I was exhausted, my brain was fried, and I nearly ran out of time while taking the exam for the first time in my entire life. Yet I was filled with this sense of pride in myself for working so hard, and beating the odds. Mr. Gale even gave me a small nod as he handed back my test, acknowledgement that I had done well enough, for his standards anyways.

As the year went on, tests became harder, reading assignments longer, and essays more strenuous. Yet as many kids dropped the class and accepted defeat, I never let such an intense and stressful course overtake my goals. I set a goal to get an A in the class, and I reached it. But at the end of the year, I realized it wasn’t myself to congratulate for the success. It was Mr. Gale. He challenged me in a way that I had never been challenged before. By setting that standard on that first day, I learned to push myself to the limits and persevere through even the longest nights of studying. By slowly increasing the difficulty of his class, Mr. Gale was training me to never stop challenging myself. Other teachers have kept the class at a consistent, stagnant pace, but he never stopped pushing me to my absolute best. I have become a better essay writer, a more proficient studier, and overall, a better person. My grades improved, my approach to school has done a complete reversal, and I know what hard work really is now. Mr. Gale wasn’t just my AP US History teacher, he was my life teacher. He taught me more about determination, hard work, and integrity than any teacher I’ve ever had. His lessons will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I know that with all I’ve learned, I have more opportunities for a successful future than ever before.