The Philosophy of Help by Holly

The Philosophy of Help by Holly - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

In my Fall 2012 semester I was required to take an introduction Philosophy class. As most students I had no background in Philosophy and was not looking forward to being in a class I did not understand. I had always been an A student and had little trouble in most of my classes. Needless to say when I got a D on my first paper for the class I was crushed. I was an English major and had barely gotten a passing grade on a paper. That did not shine a good light on my abilities. My first reaction was to be angry and sulk through class until the next paper. But after the professor adamently asked the class to come see him about any questions about the paper or the class and showed sincere interest in our understanding, I realized that I had been acting childishly. I needed help and I needed to stop being prideful and accept all help that the professor was offering. When I met with my professor he told me that it was alright that I struggled with the text; a concept I had never considered before. He showed me what was expected for my paper and gave me links to other books and websites that could help me better understand the ideas I was reading about. I felt much more positive about the class. When the next paper came around I went to my professor with my outline to make sure I was on the right track and was overjoyed when the papers were given out and I had made a B. I ended up making an A for the class. This class made me learn that it is not weak or embarrassing to ask to help; it is actually the smartest thing to do. It made me take a hard look at my pride and need to do everything myself. Learning to ask for help ended up helping me in all of my subsequent classes. I have developed good relationships with many teachers and found confindence in my work because of asking questions and taking criticism. I think when we learn to accept the assistance of others there is a burden lifted off our shoulders.