The Organic Chemistry Struggle by Shaylyn

The Organic Chemistry Struggle by Shaylyn - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

Prior to the fall semester of 2011, my academic life was extraordinary. I graduated from Waiakea High School as one of the valedictorians with a 4.0 grade point average. Afterwards, I decided to pursue a degree in cell and molecular biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH-Hilo). My introductory science classes were manageable and my grades landed me a spot on the dean’s list. However, my shining transcript became gloomy as I started to take a yearlong course of organic chemistry.
All science majors have heard about and feared the torments of organic chemistry. Anyone majoring in a science degree will have to take and pass this mandatory class. At UH-Hilo, this is the course that basically weeds out the competent students from the ones that are lacking academically. But what exactly is this dreaded field of organic chemistry all about? Organic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that covers the structures and properties of compounds that contain the carbon atom. Numerous chemical reactions and mechanisms must be thoroughly memorized and understood in order to do well in this course. Unfortunately, I was one of the many that barely passed. Sadly, I scored a C for both semesters of organic chemistry.
Having a C grade was the worst grade I ever received in my life. For starters, it was the biggest academic obstacle that stood in my way from graduating with honors. Personally, I take full responsibility for not dedicating enough time towards studying and memorizing reactions as I could have. At the time, I was facing a major family emergency, as my father got involved in a car accident on the job site. As an electrician, my father is the sole provider of our family, since my mother works meager hours as a self-employed hair stylist. As a result, the income for our family also suffered dramatically as my father stayed out of work for half a year. He suffered numerous bodily damages that forced him to recover at home. Therefore, with my mother caring for him, as the eldest child I had to step up and take a greater load of responsibilities. With my three younger siblings still in high and elementary school, I had to drive them to and from school every day. My father was not capable to stay at home alone, which caused my mother to constantly care for him. Meanwhile, I also started to take on more hours as a student helper at the County of Hawaii Highways Maintenance division. In addition, I was blessed with a job as a peer mentor at the Minority Access and Achievement program at UH-Hilo. I tried my best to help with chores around the house and buying groceries. Consequently, as I devoted most of my time to my family, my organic chemistry grades suffered. During the day, I struggled to study for exams and quizzes. Most of the time, I would walk blindly into an exam and guessed majority of the questions. My grades definitely reflected this awful behavior. However, in time, I learned from this weakness and I actually grew from it.
After my dad recovered, he was able to return to work and life slowly resumed back to normal. In time, I was able to gain the strength to sign up for another loan to attend summer school in order to retake the year of organic chemistry that I previously did so poorly in. During the summer of 2015, I finally mustered the courage and mental strength to take the class once again. This time I was able to dedicate more time for studying and I eventually passed the course with A’s. From this academic obstacle, I learned that life holds many unforeseen challenges. No one could have ever predicted the accident that my father was in. However, with time and strength, everyone has the capability to do better. Initially, I was truly disappointed in myself for letting my grades drop so low. This is the main reason why it took me so long to retake the course. But after realizing the potential I held within myself, I was able to stand tall once again to achieve a better grade. My family is doing wonderful now. I will always put them before myself and during the fall semester in 2011 it showed.