Gates Essay #1

Quintavious Jeffery
11-1-12
Gates Essay #1
Discuss the subjects in which you excel or have excelled. To what factors do you attribute your success? Use specific examples to illustrate how you succeeded. My eleventh grade year was arduous. Not only was I concerned about passing five Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GGT), but math III was complex. math III was full of foreign concepts and equations. Overtime, I grew excited about learning new concepts in math III. My teacher was a great influence upon me. He regularly encouraged me to work hard. With his support and endless determination I was committed to succeeding. A few weeks went by and class was going great. We were learning how to plot linear functions, factor polynomials, and how to find missing sides on a right triangle. I was very consistent with studying and reviewing past assignments. I knew if I did not study I would not pass the tests. As the end of the semester grew near, I grew concerned about the final exam partly because I had forgotten a few of the earlier lessons in the class.
To address this issue, I went to my math III teacher and asked him for help in not only preparing for his exam, but also on how to master the concepts. In my mind, I had to become a master of the concepts because I believed his class is an integral stepping stone to future math classes I hope to take in college. He told me review old notes from the beginning of the semester and to spend a few hours tutoring my classmates. I reviewed class notes, searched Google for supporting lessons, and even asked a sibling to study with me. But, I wanted to do more. I stayed after school with my math III teacher for guided study time. My teacher was amazed by how I stayed after school every day (even Friday’s) to review notes. He told me that he was very proud of my work ethic and commitment to excel. I was surprised that he realized my hard work and saw how determined I was.
When the day for the final arrived, I knew I was ready. My classmates and I, while waiting for the test to be disseminated, discussed how much we studied for his test. I told them I really put forth an effort this semester and I hope I do well. Shortly after my teacher began passing out the test, I got right to work. It took me approximately twenty minutes to complete everything. When I turned my test in, I was pleased with my performance. I knew everything on the test and was confident that I did well. When we received our final exam grade, I was elated to learn that I received a 95 on my final and a ____ in the class. As I reflect back over that class experience, I know that if I stay focus and determined I can achieve anything.