This might be an interesting story all by itself. A 15 year old boy taking his first AP course during sophomore year in high school. He’s always tried to take higher level courses, but this was just a whole new level he’s never experienced before. He does his work and takes his notes. He would talk to the teacher when he had questions and he’d try and work with those around him. But even through all that, he really struggled, and not struggle like “oh this is really hard I have to do this” but struggle in a way he’s never struggled before. He was simply at a loss, he was simply losing hope, and everything seemed to slip out his hands and everything seemed to shut down.

Someone who hasn’t really ever truly been challenged before will at some point in their life, whether early or later will get hit with a struggle or challenge like a truck at 90MPH. I hit that point and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lost. It felt as if everything I did didn't work, it felt as if I was completely losing it. I was one of the few that seemed to really struggle, I couldn’t compare to the others. They were able to keep up with the assignments. They would always outscore me on the quizzes and tests. I just couldn’t compete. They always made me feel like I knew nothing. By the halfway point of semester two, I was almost at the point of giving up completely.

I refused to fail. I was smart. I was resilient. I was better… I was never going to give up. When time came to it, when it was time to get ready for the big bang, the AP exam. I did extra studying in any way I could. I went to all the review sessions hosted by my teacher. I even listened to podcasts when I was doing anything else. I brushed up on areas I had no clue about, I went the extra mile. I’ve never in my life wanted to succeed at something more, I had a serious academic struggle but I didn’t let it take me down for the most important part of the year. I took the test, I felt confident, I felt smart, I felt like nothing could stop me. What did I do? I not only passed that exam, I got a 5/5 on the AP scale when before there was doubt over my potential result not just from others but from myself as well. It felt like a shock, but at the end of the day that was all me. I was proving to myself that I can be the best at whatever I strive for.