“I can’t help you if you don’t even want to help yourself”.
These were the words of most of my high school guidance counselor in my sophomore year. It was around halfway through the school year and I was falling behind in most of classes since I would daydream and not even focus while in my classes. I knew that once a month we would have to meet with our guidance counselor to talk about class and plans for the future and decided to use that to my advantage. We talked and She asked me why I was lacking so behind in my classes and i just gave her simple answers like “I’m trying but i just can’t focus” or that the subject was just to hard, trying to have her pity me to put in a good word with the teachers to boost my grade with minimal work. As I kept replying to her questions I could she this look in her eye as if she knew what I was trying to do and was just listening to me to see where I was going in this conversation. At the end of the session she simply said ” I can’t help you if you don’t even want to help yourself”. I looked at her with confusion and asked why she said that as if I didn’t just explain to her that I have a hard time focusing and I have tried “everything” to try to improve my grade. Repeating the exact same words she then told me that she knows that I hadn’t been trying my hardest and I just wanted the easy way out, and in my head I knew that was the truth.
For the following week after the session I went on just doing the same thing hoping she would come up to me and tell me she spoke with a teacher to boost my grade but it never happened. Feeling anxious since the final grades for the quarter where due in about 2 weeks I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went to every teacher asking for extra credit, missing assignments, and make up tests doing anything to improve my grades even by the slightest points which meant missing out on a week or 2 of being able to be with friends after school or at home in my bed playing video games. Even though I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to bring all my grades up I felt some type of pride knowing I tried my best without help or taking the easy way out and even giving up my free time to devote to school work. I have since then learned to be more independent and do things for myself not just school work. Even though I kinda held a little grudge for that guidance counselor she showed me how the real world works and not everything is gonna be handed to me.
Good paragraphs Mateo, I really like your resolve and how you stated that in life not everything is handed to you. Furthermore, I do agree with you she sounded like a nasty person not even wanting to help a student and I’m glad you proved her wrong.
Mateo: THIS could be the beginning of a good story!
“I can’t help you if you don’t even want to help yourself”. [SUGGESTION: WHAT WAS THE SENTENCE MS. SAID TO PROVE SHE KNEW YOU WANTED HER TO influence THE TEACHERS IN YOUR FAVOR]
These were the words of most of my high school guidance counselor in my sophomore year. It was around halfway through the school year and I was falling behind in most of classes since I would daydream and not even focus while in my classes. I knew that once a month we would have to meet with our guidance counselor to talk about class and plans for the future and decided to use that to my advantage. [HERE A GOOD PLACE TO CREATE A SCENE, WHERE? WHAT ROOM? HOW DID YOU FEEL OR WALK INTO THAT MEETING/ WHY – give the details so the reader can see and be there with you.] We talked and She [HER NAME] asked me why I was lacking so behind in my classes and i just gave her simple answers like “I’m trying but i just can’t focus” or that the subject was just to hard, trying to have her pity me [I remember thinking, “__what can I say to ___” to put in a good word with the teachers to boost my grade with minimal work. [LIVEN THIS UP WITH THE EXACT WORDS AND THOUGHTS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND] As I kept replying to her questions I could she this look in her eye as if she knew what I was trying to do and was just listening to me to see where I was going in this conversation. [GOOD NOW DESCRIBE MORE] At the end of the session she simply said ” I can’t help you if you don’t even want to help yourself”. I looked at her with confusion and asked why she said that as if I didn’t just explain to her that I have a hard time focusing and I have tried “everything” to try to improve my grade. Repeating the exact same words she then told me that she knows that I hadn’t been trying my hardest and I just wanted the easy way out, and in my head I knew that was the truth [WHAT EXACT THOUGHT WAS IN YOUR MIND – SHOW ME HOW YOU KNEW SHE KNEW WHAT WAS THE TRUTH, SHOW ME HOW YOU WALKED OUT AND THE START OF YORU CHANGE]
For the following week after the session I went on just doing the same thing hoping she would come up to me and tell me she spoke with a teacher to boost my grade but it never happened. Feeling anxious since the final grades for the quarter where due in about 2 weeks I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went to every teacher asking for extra credit, missing assignments, and make up tests doing anything to improve my grades [SUGGESTION TO CREATE A SCENE OF YOU GOING AROUND BEGGING TEACHERS – Make it lively – don’t’ just tell me SHOW ME a scene with concrete details] even by the slightest points which meant missing out on a week or 2 of being able to be with friends after school or at home in my bed playing video games. Even though I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to bring all my grades up I felt some type of pride [CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS “PRIDE”?] knowing I tried my best without help or taking the easy way out and even giving up my free time to devote to school work.
{NEW PARAGRAPH} I have since then learned to be more independent and do things for myself not just school work. [DETAILS, DESCRIPTION] Even though I kinda held a little grudge for that guidance counselor she showed me how the real world works and not everything is gonna be handed to me.
YOU NEED PARAGRAPH BREAKS!!!! – new topic new paragraph – need paragraphs to organize and give structure to your writing – NO ONE WANTS TO READ HUGE BLOCKS OF TEXTS – AND LEAST OF ALL YOUR PROFESSOR! — what is the change in yourself now? Describe the new you, the new outlook or understanding you have of your own responsibility EXPLAIN GIVE DETAILS]
It’s great that you proved her wrong. I had a guidance counselor just like her in High school. I used to meet her whenever my friend went to her. She was rude but at the same time tried to motivate my friend to try his best.