Fall, 2014

Life, 22 Comments

In January 2015, I almost got kicked out of school! After the academic probation letter, I had just ONE semester to prove to the school that I should not be kicked out. How did things get to this point?

The truth is, from the onset, I was not getting stellar grades in the university. I was sort of average. My advisor had described my grades as “being all over the place” prior to the ultimate warning. Sometimes you need a wakeup call to remind you that you can, and should do better. The wake-up call for me was the Fall 2014 result that showed 3Ds and 1C, and the probation letter that followed shortly after. In retrospect, it is easy to see how I got to that point: following the crowd, skipping classes, studying just hours before an exam, skipping midterms (tests), not finding out what worked for me, partying excessively; in a nutshell, misplaced priorities!

I was so scared of how my parents would react that I contemplated lying about my grades. But what if I got caught? The chances of them finding out were low (well, that’s what I thought then), but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to them, and I actually felt a lot better after telling them the truth. My father’s words were simple: “Young lady, am I sending you tuition or a ticket home?”

Making a 360

Over the 2014 Christmas holidays, I took some alone time to reflect on all that had gone wrong. It was easy to blame my failure on the weather (school just didn’t work for me in the fall), but I realized I had to tell myself the truth. The cause of failure is not always some external factor. Sometimes, you are the cause of your failure. I needed to sit up in my studies. A lot of things had to change. Going forward, school became a priority, and I spent a greater fraction of my time shuttling between classes and the library. The partying drastically reduced. I learned not to follow the crowd. I stopped skipping classes and took all my midterms. When I realized that I fared better in evening classes than in morning classes, I opted for evening classes. In addition to these, I joined an investment club, tutored first year students, spent time volunteering at different organizations whenever I could, and did a paid internship to gain experience.

Experiences can either shape you or break you.

The Aftermath

Although I try to live a regret-free life, I may jump at an opportunity to re-live fall, 2014. I guess what hurts the most is that I knew better and did not have to learn through experience. I already knew the importance of hard work, discipline, setting priorities. But, somehow I still made poor grades in school.

I often cringe when I see a job opening that requires transcripts as a part of the application package. My transcript is not lined with straight A’s, and expectedly, not all recruiters are interested in an explanation. ‘Reject- Next!’: that is a possibility that I have to deal with (for now). However, my experience inspires me to improve on myself and be the best version of me.

So, what lessons did I learn?

  • Never give up
  • Constantly seek to improve yourself
  • Learn from your experiences
  • Be yourself
  • Be focused- There is a time for everything!

As much as I hated the outcome of fall 2014, I am very grateful for who I have become as a result of that experience. By the way, I am happy to say that in my last semester of school, I made 5 As. It just goes to prove that if we focus and work hard, we can rise above our failure. I hope you enjoyed this post and learnt a thing or two from my experience.

Talk some other time,

Shasha

 

 

22 thoughts on “Fall, 2014”

  2. Thank you for sharing what undoubtedly must have been a sad and painful time for you.

    I love the lessons you share that you’ve learnt. It’s important not to forget the third and fourth lessons in particular. I know from being a few years down the line from where you are now, that sometimes moments like this do happen despite our knowing better. And it’s easy to be focused on the wrong things, thinking it’s time for them then. But whatever the outcome of our experiences we should learn from them and not let them break us!!!

    Awesome post Shasha.

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  5. Just read this and I have to say we thank God greatly for the bounce back you had. Most times, people go through such situations and don’t find their way back but you did and I’m so happy for you. I wish you the very best with the remaining school year and I’m sure you would blow minds with your result. God bless you b and keep up the good work.

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  7. Now this, I really like! I’m glad that you were able to bounce back, but more importantly, I’m glad that the experience helped you to become the person that you are. As always, your dad & I are proud of you, Beautiful! XOXO

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  9. Wooooow Shasha darling!!! Well done sweetie!!! I am blessed and humbled by your honesty and openness. God bless you! This morning, I had a special time with my 3 musketeers on 1 Tim 4: 12. I can’t wait to read your experience to them tomorrow morning. I am soooo proud of you. Keep on cooperating with the Holy Spirit, your Helper!

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  10. This is so inspiring Sha. It is important for us to RISE UP after we fall! I am a strong believer that every single thing we go through in life is for a reason! And what happened to you, happened so that you could buckle up and do better, which off course you did. Never feel bad about it, because it is part of your story to becoming who you are destined to be.
    Keep your head up, S.

    Your fav,
    Dragon.

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  11. Shasha that’s really inspiring. You don’t value success unless you have failed before, you don’t value wealth unless you have struggled for it. Those life events make us better each day and I’m glad to see that you’re sharing yours. You’ve definitely inspired someone! 🙂

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