As a middle school student, I envisaged being a part of a program full of rigor and prestige, and learning how to communicate with speakers of another language. As I entered my freshman year in the International Baccalaureate or IB program in high school, I received my wish. The program requires all students to intricately study a foreign language. At Bolton High, Spanish is the only available option.
In middle school, I opted not to take Spanish, which is why I was inadequately prepared to reach my teacher’s level of expectation as freshman in IB Spanish.
When my teacher instructed in Spanish, I would quickly glance around the room to see what the knowledgeable Spanish speakers were doing. Beyond the embarrassment of not understanding, I was not accustomed to being behind my fellow students. This persisted throughout my freshman and sophomore years as it showed through my Spanish grades, which I was not accustomed to receiving because in every other course, I grasped the lesson effortlessly.
I became discouraged. On countless nights, I would stay up late to study grammar, pronunciations, and vocabulary. I used what I thought were …show more content…
I learned from experience that instant gratification does not always come. Most often, one has to work long and hard to see the fruition. However, if you allow despair to seize you, the success will never come. While quitting was an easy option, I would have never learned Spanish, I would have never changed my study habits, and I would not have learned how to press through to reach the results I wanted. This two-year life lesson has made me a better person, and I am more appreciative of the grades I receive in Spanish because I know I have truly worked for them. More importantly, I understand that nothing is impossible if we are willing to confront failure with
In middle school, I opted not to take Spanish, which is why I was inadequately prepared to reach my teacher’s level of expectation as freshman in IB Spanish.
When my teacher instructed in Spanish, I would quickly glance around the room to see what the knowledgeable Spanish speakers were doing. Beyond the embarrassment of not understanding, I was not accustomed to being behind my fellow students. This persisted throughout my freshman and sophomore years as it showed through my Spanish grades, which I was not accustomed to receiving because in every other course, I grasped the lesson effortlessly.
I became discouraged. On countless nights, I would stay up late to study grammar, pronunciations, and vocabulary. I used what I thought were …show more content…
I learned from experience that instant gratification does not always come. Most often, one has to work long and hard to see the fruition. However, if you allow despair to seize you, the success will never come. While quitting was an easy option, I would have never learned Spanish, I would have never changed my study habits, and I would not have learned how to press through to reach the results I wanted. This two-year life lesson has made me a better person, and I am more appreciative of the grades I receive in Spanish because I know I have truly worked for them. More importantly, I understand that nothing is impossible if we are willing to confront failure with