Since my first years in middle school, I was not very school motivated. I hated doing homework, going to school, and sitting in class listening to my teacher talk. I did not feel the need to do well academically, and I thought that it was just a huge waste of time. I remember trying to hide my report cards from my parents so I wouldn't get yelled at. Every time my mother would find my report cards, she would yell at me for hours, sometimes even show some tears. I remember days where I felt like a horrible son for putting my mom through the stress.
During my 8th grade year, my mother decided to get me a tutor so I would do better when I got into high school. I was skeptical at first, but then I realized that having a tutor would increase my chances of success in high school. As time passed, my tutor and I grew a bond that I had never had with anyone else. He not only became my teacher, but also became a brother figure in my life. One of the many ways he impacted my mind set was the fact that he played as a role model for me, I wanted to be just as smart as him. Throughout my years with him being my tutor, I never once found a problem that he could not solve. I honestly believed that he was a genius. Even with his help, I was not very motivated to do well in my studies my freshman and sophomore year. I guess you can say that for a moment, I rejected school. I believe I went by the first two years of high school with a 2.0 - 2.6 GPA, not reaching my potential. Towards the end of my Sophomore year, my tutor informed me that he needed to serve in the South Korean army because he was a citizen of South Korea. I have not seen him since. After he left, I promised myself that the following year I would put more of my effort into my studies.
Being of Asian decent, my parents was often judged by others because of my bad working habits and the people that I often associated myself with. Always comparing me with their "hard-working" sons and daughters that got into a good UC. Aside from the criticism, my parents accepted me for who I was, always worked hard to get me what I wanted in life, and always showed me unconditional love. I could not put my parents through any more mental strain, it was time for a change. I needed to prove to everyone, more importantly myself, that I could do well academically. Examples were set by my older cousins, who had not reached their full potential in high school and were stuck in tough situations.
It was not until the beginning of my Junior year, where I started to exceed in my studies. I worked hard, did my homework everyday, studied for every test, and it all paid off. At the end of my first semester, I received a 3.63 GPA, higher than any of my past grade point averages. This just fueled my motivation to do even better. At the end of my 2nd semester, I received the GPA of 3.83. My Junior year was the turning point in my academic life. Now it is my Senior year, and I plan on doing even better than ever before! I can say that my first two years of high school is filled with regrets. I plan on putting all my effort into my academic studies once I get into college.
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