Corner Desk by Wendy

Corner Desk by Wendy - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

I was walking through a long front courtyard on my way to a brick building. As I enter what is known as Coleman Library, I felt eerie. I looked around for…people. There were only a few students that I saw. To the left of me, there were several computers and shelves stacked with magazines and newspapers. To the right of me, there were shelves of archives and tables as well as a set of double doors. I walked towards the double doors and opened them. Stairs were behind these double doors. I had no idea where these stairs would lead me, but I thought that I would be adventurous and find out. As I walked up the steep stairs, I eventually reached the top level of the library. It was quite intriguing. The lighting was dim.

Books toppled the shelf and large windows were scattered about. I did not even know what I was looking for when I began touring the top floor. I just wanted to look around to see what it looked like. Then, I saw a desk, it was perfect. I remember exactly what it looked like. It was located in the corner, with 3 walls surrounding it. There was a small lamp attached to the front wall that I could turn on and off when I wanted to. Also, it had a foot stool, which is comforting for me as I need to have my feet elevated when I am studying because I often study at the same spot for several hours at a time.

Finding this desk during the beginning of the semester was incredibly beneficial to my collegiate success. I specifically picked this spot to serve exclusively for studying. I had disciplined myself to memorize facts, write papers, complete research, and read my textbooks only in this desk. It was a safe haven. It was so safe that I would leave my personal belongings on it; such as school supplies, notecards, and textbooks. I knew that the materials that I had left on my desk would still be there the next time I would come back to it.

The most beautiful part of the desk was that there was a tall and narrow window (12 inches wide) that lay on the wall next to the desk. I remember that when I arrived at the desk, I would look out the window and the sun was shining bright and the clouds lay in the light blue sky. I was able to have a high amount of concentration and energy when I was at this desk so much that I would spend several hours there and often forget to eat. I would forget to eat because I would be working so hard at my studies. I chuckle as I write this because I recall that when I would look out the window after studying for several hours, the sky was no longer light blue. The sky was black and the stars shined bright.

Though I would hear several students outside laughing and having fun, I did not miss out on socialization. I knew that once I had gotten my work done, I would have time to socialize with friends and other classmates without any stress or worriedness of needing to get my work done, because I would already have it done. Often times I found myself being ahead of my classmates in the reading material and assignments. Though, I did not concentrate on that. I concentrated on being a student that put my studies first because, after all, I was the one that was paying for tuition with student loans and I did not want to pay for bad grades. The end result is that I graduated with an above 3.0 GPA and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I also completed more research experiments than what my curriculum required, which has served me well in the workforce.

Currently, I work for the State of Illinois. And, I am planning to attend graduate school to obtain a Master of Social Work degree. Upon starting the program, I will be in search of a new study area at my new school so that I can have a successful graduate experience as I did during my undergraduate experience.