When people face a turning point that might greatly affect them
afterwards, some might not even notice, especially when it masks itself as a
form of crisis or difficulty. This was not so different from my own experience,
as my application to the university of my choice was twice rejected. These were
indeed two very difficult years to endure. However, looking back, those two
years allowed me to realize that the path I had originally set for myself, was
not the only one that could lead to the realization of my dreams. It was
perseverance and the ability to adjust that paved the way to my success.
During these two years, my identity was boiled down to grades and test
scores. Numbers written on report cards evaluated me like a labeled livestock.
As the results of the tests were the sole standard of evaluation, I was
discouraged, as these scores did not reflect the time and effort I had put in.
Moreover, as most of my peers were already enjoying college life, I felt I was
falling behind for these two years, leading to a feeling of hopelessness. I kept
comparing my situation to theirs and this forced me to cut contact with them.
During the intermittent two years of study, I learned to roll with the
punches. First, I was ashamed. However, this turned out to be
a driving force for me to not to get frustrated. I realized that time became an
unlikely resource. For time itself does not hold as much power as what you
truly want to accomplish within the time you have. And each person has their
own style and pace of accomplishing the tasks that lay before them. Which means
every person lives in their own time zone. The sun in London, UK rises nine
hours later than it does in Seoul, Korea and this does not mean that
London is falling behind. In a similar vein, some people might seem to finish
their work far ahead of schedule, while others struggle to complete their work
by the deadline. However, it is misleading to apply a one size fits all
standard to everyone.
Furthermore, I realized that college
is not the sole factor that measures my identity. Rather it is one of
many that affects who I am. It is true that many people who go to prestigious schools
are born on third base and are likely to have certain advantages than those who
do not. However, it does not ensure successful results, let alone personal
satisfaction. It is nothing
more than a starting line that happens to be ahead of others. How one views and
makes use of obstacles and opportunities is what matters. Although situations
that arise may be
discouraging, they can function as cornerstones upon which I can reprioritize and
regroup rather than weights that drag me down. English theologian and historian
Thomas Fuller said, ‘night is always darkest before the dawn.’ What may seem
like an irredeemable failure may
secretly be the steppingstone to one’s success. What is more, I have learned
that having setbacks and having my plans get derailed does not destroy my life
or suck purpose from all that has led me this far.
This experience influenced me to be patient
within long-term processes and brought me the courage to not to give up when
faced with setbacks. Whatever future challenges I might face, viewing them as a
part of a holistic process is important. Henry Ford once said, “Failure is only
the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” I think of this quote when I am at a dead end
and my plans might seem to be out of pace. I am
reminded that I might be on the verge of succeeding. Water starts to boil at 100 degrees Celsius.
If you think you are past the point at which you should reap the rewards of
your hard work, do not give up. Your water might be at 99 degrees.