Resilience

As a first-generation immigrant, going to a four-year university straight after high school was always the plan. Life had a different idea, however. One General Education Diploma, two years and three mental illnesses later, the goal of getting a bachelor's degree is within reach. Much has happened since I started college, and resilience has blossomed into something that has kept me afloat through some of my toughest semesters. Resilience is my strongest trait as a student and learner, without it I would not be here at this point in my life, within months of transferring to a four-year university or a 3.5 GPA student. Being a verbal-linguistic learner, some classes are tougher than others, due to differing teaching styles. Verbal-linguistic learners are those that learn and understand material best when it is in written or spoken format, such as lectures and discussions. There is an exception, though. Classes in which instructors read from PowerPoints and add no other notes are extremely difficult, and have been given up on in the past. Now, I realize that one must adapt to all teaching styles, and resilience has …show more content…
This all started in the spring of last year. Having struggled on and off with depression since the age of twelve, this felt all too familiar, but it was not the case. Everything quickly spun out of control. I had bouts of severe depression and suicidal ideation coupled with episodes of unexplainable euphoria and high energy. Classes were avoided due to intense anxiety, and ended up F’s. This went on for for the entirety of the semester until I sought out the help that was desperately needed. After being diagnosed and getting on track with medication and counseling, there were two choices before me, to either drop out of college or return stronger than ever. I chose the latter and returned for maymester and summer session I and have slowly repaired my