Agape Berakah

In my freshman year I made serious time management mistakes that almost cost me my RIT career. I became actively involved in six different student organizations and although I loved each one, it was more than I could handle. At the end of the semester my GPA was so low that I was on the verge of losing my scholarship.

I called my mom in tears to tell her what was going on. Knowing my strengths and capabilities, she reminded me that I had been successful in high school by carefully managing my time. I quickly understood that if I wanted to stay at RIT I would have to find that old focus and drive. I was enrolled in 21 credits and had a 20-hour per week job, so it wasn’t going to be easy.

First I dropped out of all but two clubs. Then I set out to account for and prioritize every hour of my life, including sleep, meals, and prayers. There was no time for carelessness and procrastination, only hard work. This new way of being an RIT student was physically and psychologically exhausting and many times I questioned if I could do it, but I kept it up.

At the end of the next term I was ecstatic to be out of danger academically. I’m grateful that with hard work I could overcome the mistakes of my freshman year, but more importantly I’ve learned the importance of self-discipline and focus. It’s a lesson I will take into the future.