Growth That Defies Physics by Sania

Growth That Defies Physics by Sania - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

Science was never my strong suit when it came to school. However, I never stopped taking these classes because I would always eventually get the hang of them. However, in my sophomore year of high school, my AP physics class completely changed the trajectory of my high school career. Instead of being able to overcome the challenges of a difficult class with minimal effort, I was suddenly struggling to just tread water. This was the most challenging academic topic that I have ever encountered; yet I managed to prosper in the class and learned how to maintain confidence in myself against all odds.
Going into this class, I had the air of confidence that came with a student who had never received anything lower than an A in their life. Despite the initial turbulence, I was sure that there was nothing that I could not academically overcome. Once the semester ended, I had no other choice but to face the music and admit that maybe I had been overzealous with taking this class. After all, I didn’t even like science, and obtaining my first B grade did not help the subject’s case. Things only got worse as the year progressed because I began to try harder, but I only seemed to do worse. No matter how many tests I retook and how many hours of sleep I missed out on in favor of studying, my grade only diminished. Along with the slight decrease in my performance went the steady decrease in my confidence in myself.
For as long as I can remember, I have prided myself on my academic performance and relished in the validation that came with it. As I struggled to stay above water in this course, I began to question my worth. If I was no longer good at the one thing I deemed myself to excel in, how good could I really be? I started to lose faith in myself and could no longer trust in the fact that I could get the job done. Before even fully trying the work, I would run to my peers in pursuit of help. I second-guessed every single thing that I did in that classroom because if I could put everything I had into something and still fail, how could I trust my judgement? I ended the school year with a worse grade than the first semester, and I went into the end-of-year AP test with minimal confidence in my abilities. However, my critical thinking skills inevitably increased because I gained insight that was more valuable than a good grade.
Even though I still hold my academic performance close to my heart, if I had a chance to do it all over again with the same outcome, I would. This is because, despite the mental turmoil that this class caused me, it also helped me to learn that I am more than just my academic performance. My confidence had initially depleted when it came to school; I got it all back and more when I learned to appreciate myself for who I am, not who I could be. Additionally, my academic worth was refilled when I realized that success is subjective. The C grade I received overall in the class was objectively not the best; however, on the AP test I got a 4 and received college credit. Everyone has a different definition of what it means to succeed, and the way that I excel only has to be enough for me. So while this class that I took in my sophomore year of high school caused me to question who I was, the answer is something that I would not trade for the world. The quality of your character is not determined by how successful you are compared to others; it is determined by how hard you work to have your success.