Defeating the "transcript killer" by Lucas

Defeating the "transcript killer" by Lucas - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

High School seniors who have prospered throughout their entire educational development acquiring straight A’s consecutively are glorified by others and thought of to have never met a suitable challenge in the classroom. However, such an assumption is significantly wrong, as I am humble enough to claim that I have had endured such success while having my academic intelligence greatly challenged and all hope despaired.
To begin, I have always taken pride in my mathematic intellect and capability of quickly adapting to new material being taught as I progressed through teachers and levels of math. However, I have never truly felt despair and hopelessness of acquiring an A let alone a passing grade until I took my first year of AP Calculus with the most notorious math teacher on campus. He has been dubbed the “transcript killer” due to the rigor of his teaching standards that often times result in students who either fail the class or receive exceedingly low grades. Although his course is most difficult and challenging, his alumni are always significantly prepared for the transition toward a college math course, and they often time pass the AP exam with outstanding scores. Thus, I must acknowledge his skills as a mathematician and excellent teacher.
Understanding what I was getting myself into, I attended all my teacher’s summer camp classes that would assist our transition toward the course material, giving us a slight upper hand. I must state that the summer camp itself was rigorous and challenged my mathematic skills greatly, and although I did well and understood the material, I felt uneasy about the actual class. It wasn’t until after the first test that I felt complete despair in passing the class. It was the first D that I had ever received on a test, and it was the first of many. Throughout the entire semester I struggled on his hand made tests that are meant to challenge us severely. At times I understood the course work and at other times I felt completely clueless. The only thought in my mind as the year progressed was that he was going to ruin my perfect transcript.
As the year went by, I retook every test. Reflecting upon that year now, I must say that retaking tests helped me learn the most. We were required to do test corrections before being capable of actually retaking the test, and this method actually assisted my further understanding of the material. I was capable of self-teaching the material and finally understanding what I was learning. We were only capable of receiving a maximum of 80% on each retake, but I am proud to have surpassed that every time, because my routinely studying and practice had begun to pay off and my grade began to show.
I finished the course with an A- in both semesters, and as a result I learned much about self-motivation, perseverance, and time management. All key factors that have aided my second year with him. I am currently in my second year with the same teacher as we have progressed toward the next level of Calculus, and I am proud to have performed outstanding thus far. Although the class is a significant challenge, the challenge has shaped me into a fine student who is reader for the hardships and despair of a college course.