Professorly Advice

I've always been a focused and driven student. If I had a goal, I was determined to reach it. I learned a valuable lesson after taking Pathology 240. It was an upper year restricted course and the rumour was it was by far a tough and intense course. However, with my high marks I was allowed by the Admin to enrol in my second year. After the first class, the professor called me into her office. She was very polite about it, but her message came out loud and clear. “You’re only in second year. You don’t have the knowledge and I strongly advise you to drop the class.” I was shocked at first, but as we had our conversation I realized that she was not trying to kick me out of her class, but warning me of how difficult it would be without already having the second year foundation courses.

I went home and considered my options. I thought long and hard, but I rose to the challenge. During the course of the year, I had to work doubly hard to keep up with the older students and at times found the material extremely challenging. The professor had been speaking from experience and now that I've been through it, I completely agree with her. I was not as prepared and experienced as the older students. However, once I'd made the decision, she worked hard to support me. Even when I needed help, she did not once say "I told you so, but you didn't listen…" Instead, she offered me help and encouraged me.

It came close a couple of times to being very different. One night, I went to sleep having decided to quit the course. Something must have happened during the night, because I woke up having decided not to. I was at the limit of what I could do, but not beyond.

So I discovered inner strength as well as my limits. I was always an overachiever, and I was determined that I could beat this course as well. It's important to always believe in yourself, but it's just as crucial to discover your limits and take advice from those around you. I learned that you need to be smart about which challenges you accept. Long story short, I loved everything I was learning in that course, and my final mark was an A-.