Deception of Grades and Success

I have always considered myself as a student who expected challenges as this has always been my source of encouragement and hard work since I use challenges as the stepping stone to steer me further in my studies. My expectation of assignments has always been excess and some students in my class have always found this not cool. I participate in group discussions in order to better the grades that have proven to be tough and I usually expect tough exams because I find the easy ones not challenging. I had to dedicate more time to class materials especially with regards to assignments. I have never loved working and doing my assignments as a group because people are of different characters and sometimes expects a lot from people. Where if you do not meet their expectations, they will judge, dislike or in some cases bully you. Some members never take the group assignments seriously and hence late deliveries. Therefore, when I met Jane who became a very good friend of mine, I was motivated and felt I was in the right place as she worked as hard in her academics as hard as I did. We became very close and we could discuss our assignments together which made it easy and I had to do away with my group insecurities. She kept me on toes for a while until things started changing with her. Jane introduced me to partying and drinking alcohol and in her defense, she said that she has always gone out and taken alcohol but still managed to be a performer in school. She convinced me and I decided to try the partying. At first it was hectic as I had never done it before. Occasionally I would lie to my mum that I was visiting Jane so that we could discuss our assignments just to go partying all weekend. I grew used to the alcohol and the outings and I stopped taking my academics seriously. The first test came and I started dropping it did not worry as such because I was feeling the freedom and told myself I was living the life I had been missing out on. Jane’s performance however never dropped as mine and on the contrary, she improved. When I asked her how she had managed to pass the exam, she explained to me that the exam had been easier as she grasped the content directly from the teacher. I was relaxed because algebra had not always been as easy as compared to other subjects. I could go to classes with hangovers and it did not bother me as such. My teachers were worried about me but it did not bother me much. When the final exams came, I failed terribly and I did not even have the courage to face my parents. Jane on the other hand, was the best in our class. I was concerned and asked myself how Jane managed to pass that much yet we had been partying all through with. A close friend of Jane’s, Monica, explained to me that Jane always gave me the alcohol and she could drink very little and sometimes not at all while me I could be blacked out. Thereafter, Jane would go and study like never before as I nursed my hangovers. This broke my heart since I had always taken her as a friend and I could not understand why a person I had considered as a best friend did that to me. In the beginning, the greatest fear was with regards to what we were going to learn. Before starting the discussions with her, I always wished that we do not participate in any kind of activities apart from school work. Another fear was the late submission of assignments. I have a very busy schedule and without much attention, there was the possibility of forgetting to submit class assignments on time and this Jane really offered me so much help. The group however, helped me understand the importance of time and also taught me about peer pressure (Wegerif p. 36). My failure on the other hand, assisted in my understanding of people’s reactions. The discussions were also helpful in better understanding of myself. I was able to analyze topics that I was not good at before she introduced the partying all weekend and drinking. I had to work hard in my academic life in order to better my grades for the next study stage. This made me realize that, the world requires an all-round student; one who has the best grades at the same time has the best interpersonal skills. I have built and still growing my communication skills. The quality world needs people who can compromise their own good for others sake. The world expects us to be good problem solvers (Aaron, p.19). I learnt to pay more attention to my class work and avoid all sorts of destructions to make sure that I have the best grades. I read a lot to improve my communication skills. I have also made a lot of friends to help build my confidence especially with regards to public speaking. As a learner, I am always ready to learn new concepts both from my peers and Instructors.