Grade 12 - Reflection - Academics - McGill

This year has been a whirlwind. Grade 12 has flown by, but it has been filled with ups, downs, and exciting times. At the start of the year I knew I had to achieve high grades to get into the schools I wanted to go to. This included University of San Diego at the time, and Western. I knew to get the scholarship I needed for San Diego I would need all A's, and for the program I wanted at Western, about a 90% average. I decided I would work harder than I ever had before so I would be able to achieve the marks I needed and attend my dream schools.

To achieve this, I had to give up other things like sports that I loved, and some social events once in a while. This was hard for me because I had never had to really put in that much effort in school before.  Calculus was my hardest subject by far and I knew to achieve this grade I would really need to step up my work habits. I got a tutor and raised my mark from pre-calc 12 by 6 percent, something I am very proud of. APES was a push for me and I had to really study for every test, focussing on details and finding old exams to help me prepare. I was upset that my mark had dropped by the end of the year, but it was still a good mark and I was proud that I could achieve and A in the course anyways. All my hard work finally paid off when I was admitted to Mcgill Arts & Science. At first, McGill wasn't in the picture for me, simply because I didn't think my grades were high enough or I had even the slightest chance of getting in. This was so exciting for me and I accepted as soon as I heard back from them. Knowing all the long nights of studying had paid off was a great feeling, and I knew that my efforts had been recognized. In the end, I got into most of the schools I had applied to, which really solidified for me the work I had put in not only this year but throughout my years at Collingwood.

McGill is going to provide me with so many amazing opportunities and an amazing experience next year. I am so happy that I have made this decision and that all my hard work did really pay off. Although I didn't end up where I had originally intended, I believe everything happens for a reason and I am so excited for this next chapter of my life.