Just failed a Test? Read this

It's moments like these when you think everything is over, your life is ruined, and you will never succeed. The red scarring marks that scribble all over your paper brings great despair into their eyes. 

I am balancing at the edge of a D in calculus, and this is the worst I have ever performed. This grade weighs on my shoulders as well as the approaching college application deadline. Great danger awaits when you are not passing a class because it can significantly hinder your college acceptance (so I have heard from a Cash for College workshop). I knew this class was going to challenge, yet I signed-up because my desire to learn got the best of me. Will this class be the death of my college acceptance due to my desire to learn?

A counselor told me, "Don't take it if you don't think you can do well in it," I have had parents tell me, "Why didn't I take an easier class." All I could hear were the discouragement of learning. If it were easy, what would I have learned?

With uncertainty and adults' suggestions, I did try to find an excuse to pull out of the class. I knew it was difficult, I wasn't confident in my math ability since I barely passed pre-calc with a C, yet I still signed up for the class. Do I regret it? Yes and no. Yes, because it will significantly impact my college acceptance, and added stress on myself because my parents are shoving expectations that I go to a four-year college and study engineering. 

I took this class because one, I wanted to be exposed to calculus in high school before college, and two, the fact that adults told me to take an easy class just to pass, left a bad taste in my mouth. First of all, isn't school a place for students to learn?? Is the whole purpose of high school to take easy classes, get all As, and head to college? Maybe... BUT that's not how I see it. I thought it would be a place to learn and challenge yourself in preparation for college; I wanted to learn even though I foresaw the struggling journey.

I have learned that grades do not define you, it's not the end of the world, and it ABSOLUTELY does NOT guarantee that you will be a failure in life. I believe that as long you have a continuous passion for learning, to be a better person than yesterday, you shall never fail in life because you have accepted challenges. You tried and attempted the quest despite what others say, and you get up after every failure.

I believe grades and tests are only a temporary part of your life; yes, you may feel sad for a while, yes, you may want to scream and give it all up but YOU DON'T. You know why...? Because you are healthy, you understand there is more to life than a number on your test. If there is something in the way, you will always find a way around it; you will continue to move forward because we understand that struggles mean that you're only getting stronger. 

Never give up! You can do this and I believe in you! If you have any questions or would like to share a personal story, feel free to comment below.