Advice to Myself by Roland

Advice to Myself by Roland - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Looking back upon my past life experiences, I can say with full certainty that I’ve grown as a student, a dreamer, and an all-around human being in general. My goals in life have shifted from one interest to another at multiple points, as does every young person’s goals. However, personally I’ve consciously taken steps to get to where I am today. Yet, if only I had taken them sooner, I’d have to ask myself if I would have turn out the same way I am now or better.
Don’t procrastinate. That would be the very first thing I would tell my younger self if I got the chance. My early beginnings will filled with unfinished projects and a general lack of focus. It crippled me as a creative thinker, which was crucial when it came too certain assignment that had to be completed. Once I had taken the initiative to complete a task and eliminated any distractions it was simply a walk in the park finishing a quality product.
Another crucial piece of advice to my younger self would be to never be afraid to ask a question. The fear of being wrong was a terrifying concept when I was younger. I always felt the judgmental stares of my peers run deep into my soul. I couldn’t stand it. I would just sit there silent while knowing the question that no one else knew. This plight of mine began to eat me up inside. So as I got older, I decide to assert myself into intelligent conversations and became much more comfortable with myself. As a student, I was there to learn, so hindering myself by being silent became a more absurd idea as time went on and I overcame my fear.
The final instructions I would give to my younger self would be that being different or weird isn’t a bad thing no matter what anybody says. As I’ve gotten older and became more in tune with myself I’ve begun to embrace my creative side. And to top it off, me embracing that creative side has taught me to think outside the box and solve problems that others couldn’t even conceive. It’s really helped me out in the years that I’ve been a student and my only regret is not accepting this side of myself sooner.
My experiences have made me the person I am today. It’s definitely been a decent amount of trial and error on my part and there is only more to come in the next few years. I can’t change my past self as a student, but I can certainly use the skills I’ve learned to improve my academic future.