What I Learned Determination In College

Words: 485
Pages: 2

Determination is one word I learned the true meaning of throughout my years of high school. Through my failures I learned a number of things, including: determination, how failure turns into success, and confidence. One failure that stuck with me was completing an experiment. I had to complete a capstone project to graduate from STEM academy. My project was on the impact of plastic plankton on oysters filtering water in the Chesapeake Bay. I really enjoy using the bay recreationally. When I started my project, I was so confident that the oysters I was raising would live on happily! That was until I walked into my lab area a week after placing my oysters in the tank to find all 100 open and dead as could be. Don’t let me forget the smell, …show more content…
I thought that things would always go my way, but I am glad they didn’t. Getting something that you worked toward for years, even months feels so much more rewarding than something being handed to you. I am beyond grateful that I was given the chance to complete this project. I learned that without failure would it really even be considered an experiment?
Another lesson I learned from failure was that failures turn into successes. After my oysters had died, I got a new set and raised them a little differently. That's what failure does, it teaches you to not put 50 oysters in 10 gallons of water, but 12 in 25 gallons. To not put too much pressure on yourself or anyone or anything else or it will crumble. At the conclusion of my project we had to present in front of various administrators, board members, teachers, and scientists. This worried me because I was terrified of public speaking. During the practice runs, I stumbled across my words and felt very nervous. After I went home and practiced I was still unsure. When I had to present, I started rough but going through the presentation I began to feel very comfortable and even started to have a little fun. My confidence was