The Time of My Life by Mariya

The Time of My Life by Mariya - August 2014 Scholarship Essay

It was my first semester of college in New York City. Nothing was more exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. We all enter the college scene with so many expectations; isn’t this supposed to be the best year of my life? My initial fears dissipated when I settled into my dorm and registered for all my classes. As I developed a routine, I truly was enjoying my college experience.

As the semester progressed, I began falling behind in my English Comp class. I did not even realize I was struggling because the decline was subtle. My first assignment in the class received a ‘B+’ which I was very content with. I was never an over-achiever, just did the minimum to stay afloat. After all, isn't this college? I was there to have fun. The second assignment received a ‘B-’. This was not considered staying afloat. I was determined to do better on future assignments in order to improve my grade.

With time, I realized that I was not able to follow through on my determination. I was unable to relate to the curriculum in the class; it was research based and focused on classical American pieces. Being an immigrant, I had no background in American literature and on top of that, I had no prior experience in conducting a research paper. I began panicking and, ultimately, developed an aversion to the class. The professor was doubly offended because she thought I was not interested and lazy. This was a recipe for disaster!

It was truly unfortunate that at the time, I could have used resources available on campus, such as, a tutoring or a writing center. I was not even aware that I was able to speak to the professor directly regarding my concerns or difficulties in the class. All it required was an appointment and much trauma could have been avoided. This story does not end well because I did not use whatever resources that were available. I was a naive little college freshman afraid to ask for guidance. I ended up with a ‘C+’ in the English Comp class. It is definitely a bruise on my transcript, but nothing could have prepared me for the remainder of my college experience better than that ‘C+’. From that point forward, I became a more proactive student. I developed a relationship with my professors and requested assistance whenever I deemed it necessary. I even caught up on American literature and mastered how to conduct research. I made the Dean’s Academic Honor Roll for the remainder of my semesters while maintaining a spectacular social life in the heart of New York. As a college student, I no longer remained afloat anymore, I discovered my way out onto the surface.