The Ten Minutes That Changed My Academic Career. by Khloe

The Ten Minutes That Changed My Academic Career. by Khloe - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

Before I entered college, I was overly sure of myself; my skills, my ability to succeed and most importantly I was sure within the futile mindset that I didn't need to go the extra mile to understand anything thrown my way. I was a student with a 4.5 GPA in high school, I did little to no studying and in the midst of keeping up with my grades, I was a student athlete as well. As naive as I was, I assumed that college would be the same exact way, that nothing could stand in my way to achieving the grades I needed to succeed...I quickly had a reality check when I started college classes the following fall after graduation. I chose to major in psychology, as I have dreams of becoming a clinical psychologist who eventually owns her own practice for adolescent children who lack access to this type of healthcare. My freshman year of college was filled with new experiences and new people to bond with, but most importantly I was now being challenged at a completely new level of academia. I can still remember the burning sensation I felt in my chest after I had finished taking an exam that I had scored a 62% on; after studying for exactly two days before. I was hurt, appalled and confused; but mostly my ego was bruised...I didn't understand how I went from being an exceptional student to ow scoring a D- on an exam? I knew that this wasn't a streak that I could keep up with, so I decided to go to my academic advisor who had been granted to me for my college years, and that 10 minute session has now shaped my way of navigating my academics and personal life in college. The first thing that my advisor told me was that it's not the end of the world; one grade wouldn't determine my income for the rest of my life nor the amount of success I achieve in the near future. We sat down together and made a simple but steady plan for exams moving forward, the plan consisted of one thing: be the change that I wanna see in my life. I had admitted to her that I didn't do all that I could to prepare for this exam, as I was carrying a heavy load of cockiness from high school that wouldn't allow me room to grow as a learner on a collegiate level. She had a simple suggestion, to put in the amount of effort that I felt was deserved, to keep my end goal in mind without allowing my ego to give me unrealistic expectations. I've since then applied this logic to majority of my lifestyle, as I know that I have a desired lifestyle that will only come from the amount of effort I'm willing to put into my career. With this newly found mindset and application, I've secured 3 on campus employment offers, been inducted into organizations and have excelled in my coursework since that failed exam; the day that quite actually threw my life into orbit. That ten minute session changed the trajectory of my life; as I know that things will only come to me due to the amount of effort I put into it. You attract more bees with honey; I hold the blueprint to the change that I want to see in my life.