My whole schooling career I have always been one of “those” people. I never really needed to study because listening in class always managed to be enough for me to be able to somewhat understand any given subject… until honors freshman biology hit. I went into this college course thinking my overly confident thoughts about what a breeze it would be. Needless to say, I did not experience this “breeze.” I could not manage to wrap my head around the specific details that make up photosynthesis. The process as a whole made sense. Trees + sun = food for plants = food for everything else, but that was not quite the broad scope that my professor had in mind when explaining this intense process. I found myself spiraling, and shortly thereafter I received my first D on a midterm exam. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of my overconfidence. I did not even buy a book for the course because that was just the way I thought about school at that time. After receiving my grade, I did a few calculations to figure out if it would even be possible for me to earn the grade I wanted (an A). Turned out that it was doable, but would require intense studying and unwavering focus. So I hammered down, and I got to work. I must have watched over 50 youtube videos trying to explain various processes, and I relied heavily on public quizlet accounts for studying. I forewent group study sessions because I knew I would be easily distracted. The next midterm came around and I only answered one question incorrectly. It was the best grade I had ever earned on a midterm exam. The sheer pride and sense of accomplishment that I felt after that experience really showed me that I am capable of almost anything I set my mind to. Even without the proper tools, like a textbook, I was able to accomplish something through pure hard work. I eventually earned my A, and now freshman biology serves as a reminder of what I am capable of doing, and I am incredibly grateful for my minor failure which yielded tremendous success.
