My math timeline by Sophia

My math timeline by Sophia - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

Math has never been my strong suit; I struggled with it all through elementary and middle school. It began with struggling to multiply numbers in 3rd grade, and not qualifying for advanced math, to ending Algebra 1 with a 92.6 when I needed over a 92.5 to get an A. I never allowed my low math capabilities to get in the way, so I decided to register for summer Honors Geometry for the summer of 8th grade, going into the freshman year of high school. When I told my counselor about my decision, they questioned whether or not I'd pass the course. I was young and naive, so I ignored their input. That was a mistake that I regret to this day.

When class started on Jun 24th, 2024, I understood everything. The class was fast-paced, and all my peers were younger than me, but I didn't mind. I even had a peer who was in 6th grade taking the class, which I've never seen before. By the second week of the class, I had a 92%, but I was still happy since it's close to an A. However, as time moved on, my marks slowly began to drop. On the weekend of July 4th, I got an email from my teacher mentioning that there's a midterm on the 10th for the class. I was nervous as that was only a few days away, but I believed that I could push through and get over 80% on it. So when it came to the day of the midterm, I felt hyped as I reviewed my previous tests and quizzes. Then I took the midterm and went home happy that day. At roughly 7pm on July 5th, my midterm score was released. I got a 67%, and I was mortified about my score as I thought I understood the material. Internally, I didn't think this was true, but it was.

For the following weeks, I made sure to study extra hard for Geometry and pay attention to every little detail in the modules provided. I even asked my father to go over Geometry concepts with me prior to class starting. Each day, I made sure to prioritize at least 3 hours to study for Geometry, excluding tests and quizzes. Fast forward to August 1st, 2024, when I had to take my final exam for the class. I was nervous that I was going to do badly on the final and fail the class. To my surprise, I received a 76% on the final, so I made an improvement. I was ecstatic as I thought this would be the first high school credit class that I failed, but luckily, that wouldn’t be the case, as I ended the class with a B, 83% specifically.

If I could go back in time, I would've told myself not to take the class over the summer, but unfortunately, the past can't undo itself. At least I was able to learn a lesson out of the experience, which was that no matter how difficult things get, always put in your 100% effort. You never know when a miracle might happen or if things would end differently than you expected. Now, as a rising junior, I'm able to make an analysis on whether or not I would succeed in a class through my summer Geometry experience, which shaped the way I evaluate decisions and their opportunity costs.