Reality by Nikoles

Reality by Nikoles - December 2022 Scholarship Essay

The truth is, sometimes letting go is the best opportunity for success. That's a lesson that is very difficult to comprehend, not because of the inability to teach it but the simple fact that it requires self realization. What makes self realizing the hardest aspect is due to the human inability to accept it. It usually leads to pain, hurt and feelings of sadness. The brain isn't wired to want to feel those feelings, it wants serotonin and happiness.The lesson I learned, and the thing I’m letting go for success is football.
As I head into my 4th semester of college, life hit me in the face with a book called reality. This book taught me about bills, responsibility, priorities, importance of education and most importantly change in life. I recently decided that after 13 years I will be stepping away from the game of football. This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made, where I went to college was decided by where I wanted to play football. As a young man, this felt like heartbreak which left me uncontrollably sobbing when I made my decision.
The reason I decided to accept this lesson and impact my goals for 2023 is my education. During early November, academic advisors sent out emails to students to schedule advising appointments to make a class schedule for next semester. During my academic advising meeting, my advisor took note of my major and concentration of Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training. She offered me the opportunity to take part in the 3+2 program. Basically, I would finish my undergraduate degree in 3 years and start my masters a year early, completing my education in 5 years. Immediately I accepted this and began working on my 5 year plan. I realized quickly that due to this my class schedule would be packed and I would be struggling to handle two jobs, football, resident assistant in the dorms and an athlete. I knew I had to make a decision…
I laid all my options in front of me, from quitting a job, to going back on the 3+2 but ultimately football was the unlucky winner. I notified my family, friends and coaches of my decisions and had to gamble on the one thing that truly made me happy for this program. I promised myself that I would get A’s for the rest of my academic career, that it's my goal to get all A’s, today the semester ended and I received all A’s. Right now I am studying Reality and taking notes, I am making it an emphasis to get A’s this upcoming semester and for the rest of my academic career.
The biggest thing I’ve observed of why it's hard to let go is being afraid of what you’ll do after the decision is made. I believe that ill get an A in that lesson from the book reality and succeed in my academic goals.