“When countless others have done it, why can’t I? What do they have that I don’t? Perhaps laziness and slacking off are my greatest faults? Maybe more organizational skills are necessary for me to survive? It’s true that pursuing the medical field is one of the hardest roads to follow, but it’s not impossible, is it? Countless people are becoming doctors every day; do they have more “microprocessors” in their frontal cortex that make them geniuses or have some other neurological advantages that I don’t have? Why can’t I do the same?” These are questions I often ask myself, raised by the doubt failures in my life have incurred, making me skeptical of my capabilities. Although I am only 17 years old, (and many can argue that I haven’t seen enough of life to be saying how failures have changed me), I have been through some rough times that have made me develop as an individual. I have lived in Queens up until 8th grade, and then moved to Tenafly in New Jersey. Schools in Queens had very low educational qualities, and I found myself learning nothing of substantial use. I’ve always been a studious child, holding great ambitions and expectations for myself, but when I went to class every day, I felt I wasn’t challenged enough. I remember in middle school, I wanted to get into Oxford University in England, one of the top schools in the world, and finish to become a doctor. I never imagined in my little world of college dreams that I wasn’t prepared in the slightest for what was coming to me.

Moving to Tenafly was like moving from a shack to a mansion. The level of education and societal values were completely different from my life in Queens. I found myself lost, confused, and incapable of surviving the rigorous programs offered. The people I met were so much more advanced than I that I began to doubt myself profusely. All of the classes I took, regular to most students, were like climbing Mt. Everest to me, and I had to put twice as much effort into a homework assignment than my friends. Although I never got F’s in any of my classes, I failed miserably on the inside and felt that I would never succeed in anything. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, and for a highly ambitious person, that was not acceptable. After moping for a couple of months and struggling to get myself on track, I began to improve. Lessons were becoming comprehensible to me, and I adapted systematic study habits that allowed me to complete my homework and study for any tests I had. I went after school for extra help with my teachers and had my friends help me with studying by forming study groups. Pretty soon, I was catching up to my peers and didn’t feel left out anymore. My confidence was boosted tremendously and I became inspired once more to pursue the medical path. Now that I’m a senior in high school, I see my future as a doctor looming closer and closer. I feel that I am prepared for the rigors of college and especially medical school because I have succeeded in rising from the bottom. The fact that I went through failure was devastating at the moment, but I have grown as a person and a student in my climb to the top. I have learned that perseverance is key, and giving up is never the way to go. I never thought I would be thankful for failure in my life, but I now realize that, in order to succeed, you must first pass failure and once you do, the walls are broken and your dreams can be attained. “Brick walls are there for a reason: to prove how badly you want something” (The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch).