I failed a class spring semester.

That is a big shock to me and anybody who knows me because I have gotten nothing but A’s and B’s my whole life.

My studies have always been very important to me, so I always tried to go above and beyond. This past year was so tough on me, however, that I lost all motivation to do anything.

My lack of motivation affected my work in the five classes I took spring semester, with me going weeks without turning in assignments.

I managed to get it together and catch up on most of my classes, turning in late assignment after late assignment in those last few days of school.

It was a struggle to turn in late assignments, work on finals, and get ready to go back home, but after many days of pulling all-nighters, I did it.

I caught up enough that I got to see a report card full of A’s and B’s.

And a big fat F.

There was one particular class I was so behind in, I knew there was no fixing it. I thought it would be better to focus on the other four classes and retake this one a different semester.

It was disappointing to see that F in the gradebook at first, but the more time passes, the more okay I am with it.

This semester taught me that sometimes you don’t do as well as you hoped and that’s completely fine.

If I don’t do that well in a class, it’s not the end of the world. In 10 years, the fact that I failed a class won’t even matter.

It also taught me that I can’t expect myself to give everything 110% because all that does is leave me exhausted, stressed, and burnt out.

If I give even 70%, it at least shows that I tried.

It also taught me that though how tough this semester was reflected on my grades, those grades are not a reflection of me.

My grades do not reflect my intelligence, my potential, or my desire to excel.

Right now, all that F shows is that I went through a particularly rough time spring semester, but what matters is that I got through it.

Maybe things didn’t go exactly as planned spring semester, but I know that when I retake the class, I will do a lot better.

Kyara Morales-Rodriguez is a junior English major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or knmoralesrodriguez@eiu.edu.