Academic Autobiography

   There are many moments in my academic history that have had an impact on me as a student, however there is only one that has truly defined me as one. My ninth grade year I remember taking myself to school scared, and lonely. You see, I never had much confidence in my intellect, I never considered myself smart. Any time I got a good grade on a test or an essay, I just blamed it on good luck or the fact that I had an awesome teacher who liked me a lot. The only thing that really kept my confidence intact was the fact that even though I wasn’t sure how, I managed to graduate from middle school with straight a’s. However I was terrified that once high school started my sanity would once again be shaken as I entered a humongous school and started taking classes that were much harder on so many levels.

            For a while I really did struggle because I had no friends or confidence to talk to teachers so when I didn’t understand something I felt as though there was no possible way to gain this knowledge. But then, something happened. My mother frustrated as ever eyed me like a hawk as I studied and did my work. She noticed that not once did I refer to my textbook for an example on how to solve an equation, or really take the time to read and understand a concept in biology. In one day I learned a valuable lesson that served me well that entire year as well as many years to come. I learned that there is no such thing as being born or blessed with all the answers and that a student is defined by how hard they work and their ability to persevere through hard lessons or classes.

             Once I came to realize this, or rather once it became apparent to me that I wasn’t going to get an A in high school simply by just wishing for it, I started working a lot harder and studying more efficiently. I ended up with straight A’s both semesters and a ninth grade experience that truly defined me as a student because I learned for the first time that I was smart, but that the only way I could prove it to myself is by taking the time and effort to do good work. That year I was happiest, and even though it is true that ninth grade is the easiest year of high school I am happy that I was able to do so well and that my family for the first time was proud of my achievements.

             This year is definitely harder, I’m probably not going to end this first semester with a perfect report card but I honestly feel as though I have gained enough knowledge from my teachers, peers, and my mistakes to do better next semester and graduate high school with a good G.P.A, and enough experience and confidence to get into a good college that I could thrive in.