Growth Doesn’t Always Happen Overnight by Janiya

Growth Doesn’t Always Happen Overnight by Janiya - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

If there is one thing about me, it’s that math and I have never been friends. The second I see numbers, percentages, or graphs, my brain starts looking for the nearest exit. So, when I signed up for Macroeconomics, I convinced myself it couldn’t be that bad. I was wrong. Very wrong.

I still remember leaving one of the first classes thinking, “What in the world is GDP?” Everyone else seemed to understand what was going on, and I was just trying to figure out how one lesson could have so many graphs and formulas. Then came my first quiz. Let’s just say my grade humbled me. I stared at it thinking, “Yeah…we’re going to have to figure something out.”

For a moment, I questioned whether I was smart enough for the class. I’ve never been naturally good at subjects that involve math, so my first instinct was to think, “Maybe this just isn’t for me.” But instead of accepting that, I decided to change the way I approached learning.

I started asking more questions in class instead of pretending I understood everything. After lectures, I would go back over my notes, watch videos that explained concepts in simpler terms, and work through practice problems until I could explain the answers in my own words. There were definitely nights when I wanted to close my laptop and call it quits, but every time I understood a concept that had confused me before, it reminded me that learning takes patience.

By the end of the semester, I realized macroeconomics had taught me much more than economic theories. It taught me how to think critically. Instead of rushing to find the fastest answer, I learned to slow down, analyze information, and understand why something was happening before forming a conclusion.

As a social work major, those critical thinking skills are something I’ll use every day. Families don’t experience challenges because of one single issue. Financial hardship, unemployment, housing, healthcare, and access to resources are all connected. Macroeconomics helped me understand that every policy and economic decision can affect real people, and that perspective has made me a stronger future social worker.

More importantly, this class changed the way I see myself. For years, I labeled myself as someone who “just isn’t good at math.” Now, I realize I wasn’t bad at learning. I simply hadn’t found the right way to learn. There’s a huge difference.

Looking back, I’m grateful macroeconomics challenged me because it forced me to step outside of my comfort zone. It strengthened my critical thinking skills, taught me resilience, and reminded me that growth doesn’t happen when everything comes easily. Sometimes it happens when you’re staring at a quiz wondering if you accidentally enrolled in the wrong class, and then choosing to keep going anyway.

That experience taught me something I’ll carry long after graduation: struggling with something doesn’t define your ability. What defines you is your willingness to keep showing up until it finally makes sense.