Academic Success alone does not equate Success in Life by Yadira

Academic Success alone does not equate Success in Life by Yadira - September 2022 Scholarship Essay

Slipping on a crumpled sheet of paper in my room, I fell hard to the floor and hurt my head, but not enough to give myself anything more than a headache that grew increasingly more painful as I sat up. Study guides were littered and spread all over my floor, and it was around one in the morning. I forced myself to look at my computer and continue to type away, sipping down my caffeinated, sugary drink, disregarding the fact that this assignment was due in a week, and the test was half a month away.

This was my almost utopian reality in most of my late nights during middle school. I would stay up to get ahead in my class as much as I could, and try to be the best that I could be while ruining my physical health. In the past, I didn't really consider my health all that much and decided, as long as I do the work and go through the pain now, it will be worth it in the end. Turns out, I did end up being the best in the class, but I prepared myself for a false reality, where I can't have all the time in the world and must make decisions on what is the best for my education at the moment.

The sole piece of advice I wish I would have given myself in the past is that I won’t get all the time in the world, and should actually do the opposite of what I have been doing all these years. I should try to, overall, lessen and condense down the time I spend on school. By not spending all this time on schoolwork, I could have been creating my own hobbies and searching for new programs in the community, where I could begin to be involved as early as possible. I learned this now in high school, where I have sacrificed being ahead and instead have used that time to start finding out my passions and goals in life, along with some hobbies that can be used to inspire a change in this world, or even in my local community. By not using my time on schoolwork, I could also keep up with the world around me and learn about the ongoing issues and new issues that arise, and overall, finding a place in which I can fit my skills to give back to the Earth and society in general.