Challenges

When I first came to Boston College, I was just as nervous as everyone else. The thought of leaving my life in New York behind and starting fresh in Boston was unbearable at times. It was a big challenge and I wasn’t sure if I would like it. As it turns out, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I made some great friends, did well in my classes, and went to over a dozen football, hockey, and basketball games. 

Although I was enjoying the semester, I became very worried and anxious when it came time to pick classes for the spring. I couldn’t find many classes to take because I had already completed the majority of the MCAS requirements (through high school AP credits) and freshman CSOM classes. So, I decided to schedule a visit with my advisor to figure out what I should take. When I arrived, I sat on his black leather couch while he was in his gray desk chair. One class that he suggested was Fundamentals of Finance. However, he warned me that it was a very difficult class that usually only Sophomores and Juniors take. When he first mentioned the class, I thought to myself that it was a possibility, but after he added the second part I knew that I definitely wanted to take it. I told him that I would take that class, went back to my dorm, and added it to my plan in EagleApps. It has been there ever since.

As I sat in my chair, satisfied with my plan, I began to wonder why I felt so determined to take Fundamentals of Finance. I realized that this was because my advisor had presented me with a challenge. He implied that this class may be too difficult for me, and that I should wait another year to take this class like everyone else. However, I wanted to prove to my advisor that I did not have to be like everyone else, and I could handle tough challenges. As I thought about this further, I realized that I actually like facing challenges. Looking back, I realized that this was true throughout my entire life. It was a challenge to win a high school baseball county championship, and to play on a travel team that was ranked eleventh in the country, but that did not stop me from doing those things. Even if I knew I was likely to fail at a challenge, such as trying out for the high school basketball team, I did not back down. So, although I am a little worried that I may not do well in Fundamentals of Finance, I will not back down here either. I am looking forward to trying to prove that I can handle a difficult class at an early stage of my academic career. I am looking forward to facing this challenge head on.