Back to Basics by Lily

Back to Basics by Lily - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

2015 was a pretty sucky year for me in regards to school. I was more than thankful for the winter break when it finally came. When January rolled around and my winter break was nearing its end, I decided to make a list of New Year’s resolutions for 2016. All of my resolutions can be tied to just bettering myself all around. In the case of school, I know exactly what my resolution is going to be for 2016. This year, my resolution for school is to regain my self-respect as a student and stick to my principles.
I wasn’t always such a mess in the classroom. I worked hard in high school and the grades I brought home was proof of that hard work. That changed when I entered college. I lost the focus that I once had. That was one of the reasons why I transferred to an online school—social events didn’t pose so much of a distraction. But in online school, I faced even bigger challenges, mainly working in teams. It was mandatory policy for all of the classes to have teams, and more often than not I ran into someone who didn’t care about the team dynamic unless they looked good in the outcome. If it got out of hand, the teacher would get involved. This was what happened in one particular class in November, when I finally snapped and accused the teacher of picking favorites. I told her to just fail me outright after that—I was already failing, and at this point I felt that she was ready to give me a failing mark on that final week. Why bother to pretend? I didn’t attend class for the rest of the week.
I told my academic advisor about the incident soon after. While I did know I was in the wrong for losing my temper, the fact that I was automatically given the blame for everything makes the experience all the more frustrating. It made me want to drop out of school. I told the advisor this, and she said that I shouldn’t let that get to me. I only have five more classes to go through, so I shouldn’t give up on other people’s terms.
That is the main driving force behind my resolution for school. My mother taught me the importance of hard work and to never sacrifice your own values to satisfy others who don’t have everyone’s interest in mind save their own. The main reason I went to school was for myself. I shouldn’t focus on what other people are doing to get a grade. If they want to take the easy route, let them—their faults will catch up with them eventually. The only way I will survive my final year in college is to do what I know is right. I won’t stand to get penalized again for someone else’s incompetence and laziness, and I will get my degree in spite of these challenges. I’ll finish on my own terms.