Resolution of Growth by Kimberly

Resolution of Growth by Kimberly - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Often times, students overlook striving for excellence in high school as a New Year’s Resolution. Many teenagers set their goals based on their weight, their social standing at school, and other surface qualities that they wish to change about themselves. They believe this will better their lives. I believe that creating goals-such as getting all A’s in high school, completing all homework, or studying more- are all valuable ambitions. However, I believe there is one resolution that matters more than even that: striving to love and be at peace with oneself. Being understanding and accepting one’s flaws allows for them to grow as an individual and as a student.
As teenagers, we are bombarded by media telling us to how to look, peers telling us how to act, and the stress of fitting in with others. High school students devote their time to changing themselves to be accepted by others. If students were to devote the time that they devote to self-loathing to their education, they would become a drastically better student! I understand the stress on students, when one is so self-conscious that instead of studying or focusing on school work, they focus on hating themselves and trying not to stand out. However, this resolution calls for us to stand out and love ourselves as we are! When a student can get past their comfort zone, they can move on to perfecting themselves as students.
As students, though, we constantly feel pressure in school to achieve high scores, maintain a perfect 4.0, get accepted to an Ivy League university, and volunteer for 30+ organizations; we are expected to be the perfect all-around student and we soon begin to expect that of ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, though; this is a great goal to shoot for. But if one’s resolution is to go from getting high B’s and low A’s to getting perfect scores on every exams, quiz, and homework assignment, then there are likely times in which they will not succeed, causing them to see themselves as failures. However, when students begin to accept themselves and acknowledge their hard work, they will see that although they are not perfect, they have improved themselves. This resolution focuses on accepting the downfalls and growing from them.
Recent studies have shown that as much as eighty percent of New Year’s resolutions have failed by the second week of February. Striving for perfection will only lead to disappointment; the resolution of loving oneself allows for improvement. It inspires optimism and encourages growth. To be a good student, one should be confident in themselves as a person, understanding that flaws happen to everyone and that they can only experience growth after failure.