Baby Steps to Giant Strides

“I had to remember not to discount the positive experiences and that negative experiences are just about learning.” - Denzel, Class of 2019

Although we do not always think this, there is something beautiful about winter quarter. Now if you would have told me that three years ago, I would have been annoyed; I had just withdrawn from Math 224 after receiving a D in Math 220 the previous quarter, was struggling with chemistry, and was still deciding whether or not to be pre-med. That was also the time, however, that I was able to go to the zoo with friends on a sunny day, walk past people playing Frisbee in shorts and listening to music in the fraternity quad, and see both Zootopia and Moana. Although my first winter quarter was not ideal, it did provide me time to reflect. I had to remember not to discount the positive experiences and that negative experiences are just about learning.

In the past, winter quarter represented a nightmare for me simply because I felt that achievements had to happen immediately and that I needed to shoulder everything alone. Throughout the years, I learned to rely on prayer, motivational quotes, and asking for help to get me through the quarters. One famous quote I love to use is from the movie Mulan: “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.” We will face challenges and not always win them all, but, in due season, we’ll have the chance to grow. Just like a flower, however, we need others to help us grow.

Now, as a senior, winter quarter means to me a season of redemption. Although there have been some things I have struggled with this quarter, such as not receiving the MCAT score I wanted on my first try and not getting approved for funding after applying three times, I realized that I can’t let the negatives outweigh the positives. I’m actually having my best quarter yet: I’m maintaining my exercise and sleep schedule, studying in groups weekly for classes and asking professors for help, and just feeling happy about the progress I’ve made in just a few short years.

In short, if I were to give advice, I would say that it may not be this fall, winter, or spring quarter, but one day you will realize that even when you’re struggling, there’s a beauty in that because there is an opportunity to grow. Do not let struggles make you forget the progress you’ve already made. You’ve got this - one day you’ll be going from baby steps to giant strides!