School isn't everything by Rujul

School isn't everything by Rujul - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

Not going to lie, I was a pretty stereotypical Asian kid growing up. Grades were the most important thing in my life, I studied incessantly, and I constantly obsessed over topping my classmates. My entire life was devoted around school, and things were going pretty well (at least from this perspective). My teachers gave me glowing recommendations, I was the pride of my family, and I felt like I was on the top of the world. As time went on, we moved from my small school in Kentucky to an enormous school in Ohio. And that’s when the pressure started to mount.

It started in the beginning of 7th grade. I had tested into the double-honors accelerated mathematics program for gifted students, and yet I wasn’t the best. There were several students that were one, two, and even three levels ahead of me. And this gave me a huge shock. I was so used to being treated as the number one student, that the very notion of being outperformed devastated me. As a result, I spent countless hours holed up in my room, reviewing class materials and attempting to learn above what I had been taught. Oftentimes, my routine would be: Go home, eat, study, eat, study some more, and then go to bed. Believe me, this was probably one of the worst periods of my life. I was spiraling into a dangerous trap, yet nevertheless I continued with this schedule.

The year progressed, and no matter my efforts I simply wasn’t able to advance out of my current level. It really wasn’t meant to be. It was at this point, that I contracted whooping cough. It all started out as an innocent runny nose. I thought that I had just gotten a cold, and it was nothing to worry about. After a week of nonstop coughing, my parents took me to the doctor. I was tested for pertussis, and the results came out positive. The doctors ordered me to stay home from school, as the disease was too dangerous and contagious. After informing the school, they assigned me a personal tutor to help me through my schoolwork. And it was hard. I had difficulty concentrating for over an hour due to my condition, and I couldn’t keep up my previous workload. I wasn’t doing poorly by any means, but I definitely was not holding up to my usual standards.

Before I knew it, the time had come for me to take the final exam in Algebra 1. I went to school for just that day, took the exam, and returned home. Since I hadn’t been to school for over half the year, this exam would pretty much determine my grade. So you can imagine my shock when I got my report back. A C-. This dropped me down to a B in the class, and I was absolutely horrified. All that work for nothing. It seemed like my very identity as a top student was going down the drain. But looking back, that C- was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. After that grade, I no longer was so obsessed with being perfect. I learned that the grade isn’t what defines me. I learned that it’s important to live with a little less care and a little more enjoyment. I learned that sometimes it’s okay to go out with friends, it’s okay to have a little fun, and it’s okay to not be completely consumed by school. I was able to discover my passions (fishing and candle making, don’t judge), and overall be a happier person. Mark Twain once said, “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education”. Thankfully, I learned to not let it interfere with mine.