It Never Hurts to Ask by Emily

It Never Hurts to Ask by Emily - September 2014 Scholarship Essay

Going to college is one of the biggest transitions a person makes in life. For many, it’s the first time they will truly be seen as adults by their teachers, their families, and society as a whole. Students usually want to live up to these expectations and come across as completely independent and self-sufficient, rather than ask for help and risk being ridiculed. However, asking for help is one of the most important skills a college student (or anyone, for that matter) can have.

America as a whole has an “independent” attitude, where we do not usually like to rely on each other or ask for help, particularly in hard situations. We focus more on the idea of “pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps,” and doing things on our own with little or no outside help. College students are encountering so many things for the first time (jobs, loans, setting their own schedules, moral dilemmas, culture clashes, etc.) that not asking for help could often be counterproductive rather than beneficial.

Who do I talk to if my roommate is driving me crazy? Which degree should I pick if I want to get a good job that’s interesting but also pays well? What classes do I need to take? Where do I apply for a job? How do I file my taxes? Now that I’m old enough to vote, how do I know which candidate is the best match for my beliefs? What’s a reasonable price for an apartment if I want to live off campus? Where do I go to find people with similar interests whom I can make friends with? Most colleges have counselors, offices, clubs, and advisors that can help students answer all of these questions and more, but only if the students come to them for help.

I can honestly admit that when I started college, I had no idea what was going on. My professors saw me as an adult, my mother still saw me as a child, but I knew I didn’t fall into either of those categories. Did I say that? No. Did I admit that I didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing? No. I took my place in the college setting like I was supposed to do and – scared as I was – tried to piece together how exactly to be an adult. Nobody else seemed to be asking for help; if everyone else was holding it together and able to figure things out, shouldn’t I be able to do the same? Rather than risk hurting my pride or embarrassing myself, I wasted valuable time and money trying to figure everything out on my own, only to realize later just how much harder I’d made things for myself by not simply asking questions and getting answers from the people who knew more about the subjects than I did.

Any student will potentially do better on an exam if they ask for help so they can fully grasp the subject matter. Asking for help with finances can open doors to scholarships or grants to minimize out-of-pocket costs for tuition, books, and room and board. Having an advisor help decide what career to pursue and what degrees it will take to get there can help students earn the correct credits so they can graduate quickly and easily. All too often, people do just what I did - they feel shy or embarrassed to admit that they are unsure of something, and they end up making mistakes because they held back their questions.

A student should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help, especially when they are in a situation where everything is new and confusing. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather the seizing of an opportunity to grow, strengthen, and move in the right direction by getting the information you need. When you’re moving away from home, getting a job, learning how to budget your own money - all while trying to further your education, get a degree, and graduate - you’ll need all the help you can get. Learning to admit you don’t know everything, that you’re only human and sometimes you need help in life, is one of the most important skills someone can have – not just for college, but for any and all aspects of life.