Journal Entry 1 (Group 4)
My name is Victoria Wright. I was born in the Bronx, NY. At age 5, my family moved to Freeport, NY on Long Island where I spent the majority of my life growing up. I’m the youngest of three sisters. I enjoy reading, watching shows on Netflix, and eating different foods.
Many things in my life have shaped who I’ve become, but nothing more than failing calculus and missing out on my goal of becoming valedictorian. Growing up, I was an avid perfectionist. I vividly remember my teacher calling home after I severely cried in class when I got an 88 in 7th grade Algebra I. He told my mom I needed to learn how to relax and go easy on myself. That wasn’t who I was and I couldn’t help it. Up until 11th grade, I really hadn’t experienced legitimate bad grades. Calculus was simply not something I understood. It threw me for a spin because, for the first time, I wasn’t good at something school related. At the beginning, cried many times when receiving exam scores. Eventually, I began to understand it was okay that I wasn’t great in one class. It just wasn’t my forte. I still put in effort throughout the year and ended with a 3 on my AP exam. Not the best and not the worst, but I endured.
My low grades in calculus basically ensured that I wouldn’t be valedictorian, a dream I’ve had since my 4th-grade graduation when I learned the word’s meaning. I was right and I was disappointed, but I didn’t overreact as much as I initially thought. I was okay. I still graduated third in my class and as class president. While I may not have been one, I was still able to get into my dream school, Georgetown University. I had plentiful extracurricular activities ranging from music to debate to student government and many more. I was active in my community and that’s all that mattered. These experiences have made a huge impact on the way I feel and think about myself. When I can’t figure something out or I have trouble in a class, it no longer makes me feel stupid or angry at myself. I simply push myself to work harder and remind myself that I excel in other aspects of life and that’s an insanely important lesson to learn.
As a college student, I hope to continue to do well in my studies. Not only do I want to help in school, but also the community I’m involved in. I took part in so many community services initiative is high school and would like to continue. I was actually interviewed for a book by Kerry Kennedy due to the service work I did with my advisor for the Class of 2017. I’d like to continue to make changes in my environment. Outside of school and volunteer work, I definitely expect to make the best of living in New York City. This is my dream city and I would absolutely love to spend the rest my life here. I want to explore, experience new things, and enjoy the insane amenities a city like this has to offer because there’s no place like it.
For my first semester, my absolute goal is to develop a very good schedule that includes proper sleep and studying time. I hope to experiment with different studying techniques and note keeping techniques to find one that works for me. Setting a schedule and sticking to it is very important to me and I think it will be beneficial throughout the next few years, so that’s my biggest hope for this semester. Of course, I’m afraid of not doing as well as I’m accustomed to because assignments are different now. I’m a bit afraid of the adjustment, but I am optimistic and I think I’ll push through.
I’m excited for this new year and this new step in my life! Thanks for reading!
Hey Victoria!
It was pretty interesting to read about how you’ve grown as a person through your calculus hardships. At least those struggles have better prepared you for calculus now. I hope you fully develop your potential while living in the city.
Victoria, it’s really impressive that you were interviewed for a book and that you’re extremely active in your community. I am sure that you will develop study habits that suit you and that you’ll achieve your goals!