Be True to Yourself by Summer

Be True to Yourself by Summer - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

My one piece of advice to an incoming high school freshman is so simple, yet difficult to execute: be true to yourself. This monumental achievement, however, is a lifelong effort that requires honesty, trial and error, and tenacity. My advice can be divided into three areas, including academics, relationships, and aspirations.

During high school, I often observed students who had incredible academic potential but lacked discipline. Some were just plain lazy, and it bothered me. This waste of talent represents not being true to yourself. They failed to see how they were damaging their own future happiness and success by not giving their best effort. Being true to yourself academically means honestly evaluating which subjects you enjoy most, which is most often the areas where your grades are highest. This can point you toward future career decisions as well. However, it also means giving 100 percent to every course, even the ones you consider boring, irrelevant, or impossible. The discipline and confidence that will grow as a result will make you a much more productive and well-adjusted adult.

The turbulent teen years also showed me how students were not true to themselves in regards to relationships. Struggling to discover their own identity, I watched students transform into whomever they were trying to impress. The prevelance of cliques, social media addictions, bullying, etc. all underscore the desperate need to hide our true selves and earn superficial acceptance. Being true to yourself relationally means spending time alone, determining what is important to you, what you stand for, and whose approval you truly value. I have learned that a few, deep relationships with like-minded friends is much more valuable than surface popularity. As you mature alongside true friends, you will see wonderful, mutually beneficial relationships building you up instead of tearing you down.

Finally, in high school I noticed students who were not following their own aspirations. The pressure to live up to parents’ expectations, successful siblings or friends, and even society’s definition of success can be very powerful. I have seen students urged to declare a college major in high school, which is completely unrealistic. These competing voices have made many of my peers lose sight of who they were designed to be. Being true to yourself with regards to your aspirations means exploring many options and not being afraid to fail. Some roads are dead ends, but that does not mean they were a waste of time. Each wrong turn teaches us something new about ourselves, and gets us closer to the right path. However, this area of being true to yourself has to be balanced with being financially independent and responsible. Sometimes your greatest joy in life becomes a hobby, but a significant part of your life nonetheless.

Being true to yourself is not going to be as easy as speaking or advocating about it, but someone who is truly determined, sees the process as lifelong and worth the effort attains this invaluable status.