My First Essay

Refusing to Fail

"65 PERCENT," I yell to myself, as I open the instructor review of my first essay. My pre-writing score was a 91%, so I was optimistic about continuing on in my English Composition class. But now, as I read the results of my first full essay, my heart plummets and it takes everything I have in me not to cry. I work a full-time job, on night shift; I am a mother to a one year old, a wife and a student. I was excited when I began my studies through Penn Foster; however, my recent grade has hurt the confidence I had when I enrolled. I wonder if, maybe, I have taken on too much by enrolling in school.

Have you ever felt this way? I'm sure most people have had moments like this at some point in their academic careers, so I know that it is possible to learn from them and continue on with success. This experience has helped me realize that I need to re-evaluate my hectic schedule, of family, work and school, and make some adjustments so that my study time can be more successful. I have come up with six tips that can help me be less discouraged, as I continue towards my degree. I would like to share the six tips with you; and hopefully, they can help us all have success with our schoolwork and daily lives.

1. Get enough sleep. In my opinion, studying-while-tired is equal to driving-while-intoxicated. In both situations you are groggy, and though you may get to a certain destination, you probably don't remember how you got there. I have noticed that if I study too late at night, or too early in the morning, I am tired and I don't remember very much of what I have studied. It is important, in order to focus on my assignments and fully understand them, that I am well rested. So, I need to make sure I get a proper amount of sleep, and that I study when I am awake enough to understand what it is that I am studying.

2. Set a specific time frame for studying. Taking classes online has made my life easier, because I can study at my convenience and on my own timeline. However, due to my recent grade, I now know that I need to set a specific time each day to study. I have asked my husband to care for our daughter for 2 hours a day to give me uninterrupted study time. I also make sure that I study while my daughter is taking her daily naps; this usually gives me at least 2 more hours each day. During this set study time I work on important, detailed assignments without any interruptions. This is the only time I have uninterrupted, so I do not schedule anything else during this time.

3. Use your time wisely. We all have extra time in our schedule; we might just have to look a little harder for that extra hour or two. I can take time to study during breaks at work. Also, because I work nights I have a good amount of downtime, and I can use that time for studying too. This is an option for me, but there are precautions to take if you use work time to