My Own Experience by Jeremy

My Own Experience by Jeremy - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, I was responsible for much more than just schoolwork. Most other kids played outside, while I was often doing chores around the house or helping my dad with projects. Whether it was fixing car parts, building fences, or repairing pipes, I was always doing something hands on. On top of that, I would manage my own school work without much guidance. I never thought much of my situation at the time since, I had no other experience to compare it to, but I knew that I was handling more than most kids my age. That early sense of understanding has helped me develop a self-reliance mindset and a natural ability to overcome this challenge.

Becoming older, balancing everything became more difficult. When I started to make more friends and wanted to spend time with them, I found myself at some points, struggling to manage my responsibilities at home, and the schoolwork. It wasn’t just about doing chores or helping around anymore, it was about finding the time and energy to study after I already spent hours on other tasks. I just wanted to relax and hang out like everyone else, but having these responsibilities meant I couldn’t always. It was hard balancing these things while focusing on school work the way I knew I needed to.

So, I developed a routine that worked greatly for me. I would do the assignments I didn’t need help on at home and do the assignments I needed help on at school. I also start to sleep and wake up early so I would have way more time to study before the day began, especially when I had a lot on my plate. By breaking down bigger tasks into smaller parts has kept me from becoming overwhelmed, and asking for help now became crucial in my routine.

Having this experience, I’ve learned that self-reliance isn’t just about doing everything on my own but it's when knowing to seek help. Before, I would struggle on balancing school, home, and friends, but now with the knowledge I have it has helped me succeed.