"From Challenge to Growth: My First Year of High School" by Kevin

"From Challenge to Growth: My First Year of High School" by Kevin - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

The switch from junior high to high school for me was a major transition that brought a large number of challenges – both academic and personal. Not only was I learning a new campus and making new friends, but I had to adjust to a more demanding academic environment in honors/AP classes. What further complicated my transition to secondary education was my desire to try a new sport (crew) which was physically exhausting and very time-consuming. However, this challenging period provided me invaluable skills in time management, resilience, dedication, and perseverance.

I did well in my junior high classes but these did not prepare me for the shock I received during my first month at St. Ignatius High School. My freshman year, I took Honors Biology, AP World History, Honors Latin, and Honors Geometry, along with my other required courses. My Honors Biology teacher administered weekly vocabulary quizzes, but they were unlike anything I had experienced before. You had to provide the exact definition, in the precise order, including every punctuation mark and every word, even the articles and prepositions. Each week, our knowledge was on full display—he wrote everyone's name on the board at the start of the semester, and if you made even the smallest mistake, your name would be erased. From the very first day, I set a goal to keep my name on the board for the entire semester. (And I succeeded!) Honors Latin was challenging since I had never taken that language before and it also required significant memorization. My Honors Geometry class was filled with upperclassmen which was intimidating. AP World History was by far my most difficult class since I soon realized not only did I know very little about the topic, but even my knowledge of basic geography was poor. Not to mention that this class had massive amounts of homework due every single day. All of these subjects demanded a higher level of commitment than anything I had experienced before. I had to study harder and dedicate more time to my schoolwork than I ever had done before.

To complicate matters, I joined the crew team, a highly demanding sport that required hours of practice each day after school. I soon realized that being a novice to rowing was pretty obvious as indicated by all the newbies’ bleeding fingers and palms. By the time I returned home after practice, I was exhausted but still had hours upon hours of homework yet to do. I remember some nights when my fingers were so torn up from the oars that I could barely grip a pencil or I had to restart my geometry homework because I was bleeding onto the worksheet. I pushed through the pain, because I didn’t want to fall behind in my classes. I was often studying late into the night and I became sleep-deprived. It was a constant cycle of stress that at times seemed unbearable.

In order to deal with these new academic and physical challenges, I had to learn how to manage my time more effectively. I created detailed schedules and prioritized my assignments by due dates or difficulty levels. I needed to be strategic about when and how I studied. Instead of trying to cram everything into a single study session as I had previously done, I began breaking up my homework into smaller tasks. I studied in shorter, more focused periods often many days before a quiz or test. I also reached out to my teachers earlier when I struggled with certain concepts. Soon I was back on a regular sleep cycle, but I did still have to give up some social activities and relaxing time to accomplish my goals. I persevered and showed my resilience by managing to obtain stellar grades while still maintaining my high status on the crew team.

In hindsight, my first year of high school tested me and my limits, both academically and physically. Ultimately, it honed my work ethic and determination. Balancing challenging schoolwork with the physical, time-consuming intensity of rowing was one of the most difficult yet rewarding obstacles I have faced. This opportunity taught me that success comes not just from how smart or athletic you are, but is largely due to your ability to stay organized, manage your time effectively, persevere, and stay resilient under pressure.