To B or Not To B? by Skye

To B or Not To B? by Skye - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Transitioning from middle school to high school is difficult for everyone, especially for a dedicated, straight A student. Moving from small classes to larger ones and having tougher coursework can be a lot for a high school freshman to handle. It was an extra struggle for me because I have always pushed myself to do my very best, unless I got 100s on my assignments, I wasn’t happy. I strived for As and that’s what I was used to receiving. So of course, when I got my very first B in the second quarter of my freshman English class I was totally shaken.
I couldn’t believe it; to me it was a failure. I met with my teacher, who knew how frustrated I was and he seemed to have very little sympathy. To him I was just another whiny student who didn’t get what they wanted, something he has seen many times before. He and I both knew that I wasn’t the best at English, I am a science person through and through, but that B lit a fire under me like nothing I had experienced before.
I was in his room everyday at lunch working on improving and by the time the third quarter came around and grades were sent home, I knew that all my hard work was paying off. I got an A, not just an A, a 97.
A happy ending, right? I got the A and that’s all, right? Wrong! That quarter I got so much more than just a better grade. I learned the most valuable lesson of my high school career. I discovered that a B, or any bad grade isn’t the end of the world. One bad test grade does not define you. It’s not the grades that matter most; it’s what you learn and how hard you work.
Not only did I learn an important academic lesson, but I also gained a life lesson. You would think after giving me a B and not feeling bad about it that I would have some animosity against my teacher and well that was true for some time, but by the end of the year it was the complete opposite. Despite our differences, we had actually become friends, good friends. Our bond had become so strong that I would continue to visit even after freshman year ended.
Once senior year rolled around, I was in his room reflecting on my high school experience and envisioning the future and it was then that I realized sometimes life doesn’t always give you the people you want to have, but gives you the people you need. You can find friends even in the most unlikely places. I will always hold these lessons close and continue to pass them on to others. Still surprisingly, I am thankful for my B.