The Pandemic and Lessons Learned by Mason

The Pandemic and Lessons Learned by Mason - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

A mistake in the dictionary is defined as a misguided or wrong action or judgment. One of the biggest mistakes in my education was my effort during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, I thought I could coast along in my classes and do just fine. I did well at the end of my eighth-grade year and started my freshman year of high school.

In my first year of high school (2020–2021), I faced many new challenges. There was more work; due dates were strict; I had more classes, etc. The new challenges were a monster to conquer. I struggled to focus on the new hybrid learning format Oconomowoc introduced that year. The first-semester report cards came back. I was 78th out of 431 in GPA. This was way below my potential. I had to work even harder.

To conquer the same challenges I had in the first semester, I had to adapt. The second semester of my freshman year went better. I was more focused during my Zoom meetings; I turned in more assignments on time, I was on time for all of my in-school classes, and I was asking for more help from my teachers and peers. As you can tell, I was resilient. In the second semester, I had harder classes. Once again, there was a larger amount of work and more deadlines to meet. I pushed myself and made it through my freshman year.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am a way better student and person. One of the lessons I learned during the pandemic was to keep yourself accountable. I kept myself accountable by showing up to Zoom meetings on time, turning assignments in on time, and making sure I understood the lessons provided.

Another thing the pandemic taught me was how to keep myself mentally healthy. During the pandemic, there were limited opportunities to interact with others. I tried to combat this by using more social media, like Snapchat and Instagram, to stay in touch with my friends and family. Another way I stayed in touch with friends was through video games. On a lot of nights, I would play video games with 2–6 other friends so that I could talk and communicate with them. There weren’t many opportunities to communicate with my peers because the risk of getting COVID-19 was so high. I made the most of these small chances to talk with others. These are some of the ways I strived to stay mentally healthy during COVID-19.

Overall, the pandemic changed me as a person. It made me realize that I needed to be accountable for myself. Others won’t keep me accountable anymore; I have to want it myself. Another way the pandemic changed me as a person was by making me resilient. To this day, I am always facing a new challenge. My experience in 2020 taught me that I must be resilient and face the challenge sooner rather than later, or it could turn into a much larger problem. Resilience is the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my educational life.