Breaking the Trend by Samantha

Breaking the Trend by Samantha - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

It seems as though every time that the New Year is approaching, people generate lists of resolutions that they want to accomplish in the following year. These goals can range from exercising more to finding true love or even to small trivial things such as learning how to make your own candles. However, the fact of the matter is that many of these resolutions go unaccomplished and disperse themselves into the realm of nothingness. Hoping to break this societal trend, I have limited my resolutions down to a mere few with the intention of following through. Now don’t get me wrong, the list does contain some trivial things, like not draining my depleting monetary funds on Starbucks but, on the flip side there is one resolution that may be a bit more realistic in regards to my schooling. This year I have made it my mission to become more involved in my courses.
When in the college realm, it can be intimidating to put oneself out there when you know that two hundred people are listening to you. The anxiety kicks in and you say a quick prayer that you do not sound like a complete idiot. This fear that most students, including myself, have is one that hinders the progression of knowledge. Many studies show that it is difficult for people to learn unless there is some form of interaction. Therefore this is a problem that I must overcome in order to be the student that I know I can be.
Public speaking is one of the top fears in the world, and since this is something of the sort I have decided that with my resolution I would make a list of tips that would help me overcome this problem. First of all, I should not be afraid of being wrong in class because professors encourage any type of answer. Sometimes being wrong is a good thing for students. If you are wrong in the classroom then the professor will be able to clear up the confusion that you have on the subject. Second, I realized that everyone is feeling a similar reaction. Students know this feeling which is why they are supportive of those students who do put themselves out there, or they are still too scared to talk and will not have the courage to correct you. Either way, there is no real ridicule coming from students. Overall, I have rationalized with myself and come to the conclusion that being more interactive in my courses will not only help me with my studies but, it will also be helpful for when I have to enter into the workforce. New Year’s resolutions may be a concept that holds no true value; however, I plan to make 2016 the year that I start to hold true on my end.