Due to the slight misconceptions held by the locals, it can be difficult to be a foreign student in the United States. I have been dying for so long to study at an American center of distinction in order to reach my full academic potential. The chance arrived sooner than I had anticipated; I was admitted to UT Austin as a math major for the Fall 2017 semester. Due to my unmatched passion in mathematics, this was a dream come true. There was really no better news than this, so I immediately began making arrangements to enroll, and before long, everything was ready for me to enroll at my dream university. However, what no one never foresaw, including me, occurred in the wake of my joining. Back in Nepal my hometown was flooded and among the houses destroyed was our house. My mother, a pillar and inspiration in my life, had neither a place to sleep nor food to eat. Everything had been swept away and I had to help her. The only resource I had was my savings for the tuition fee and whole heartedly, I sent it to her to rescue the situation. I knew I just needed a little time to hustle and regain my tuition fee.
I reported to the administration to ensure that the university was aware of this unfortunate calamity and setback in my educational dream. I also sought for a fee deadline extension but was told that the university policies did not allow. I talked to a lot of administrative people and officials hoping for their help but all hit dead ends. I tried to reach everyone I could for help and see whether I could manage to pay the tuition fee all in avail. Therefore, I could not manage to pay my tuition fee and my acceptance got cancelled. My heart was broken into pieces, I saw my happiness drowning in the floods and felt I could not do anything.
The key to success is education. Therefore, I had to get my educational progress on course. I tried exploring alternatives to ensure that I made the best decision but realized that I had a single option, joining Austin Community College. It was a great opportunity for me and it arose hope again. With ample plans and prayers, I successfully joined the college and started my classes in the Fall of 2017. I did as much as I could to stay focused on my studies; completed my assignments, consulted my tutors in cases of difficulties and spent hours in the library reading and researching. Everything seemed to flow well evidenced by the good grades in my results. I was motivated to work extra hard, my mother was delighted and my tutors congratulated me and were proud of me.
In the middle of the second semester, I got a call from home and I was told that my grandfather was in the last stage of his life. I prayed for him to be kept alive so that he can give me a last tap on my back, his blessings, as I moved into the world. However, he died a week later. I was so heartbroken to lose an integral figure in my life. Though no more, I hoped I would travel back to Nepal so as to see him for the last time. This was never to be as I was not given the opportunity by the college. In addition, neither was I allowed time off the class to mourn him. Within a month, my uncle, my mother’s small brother who had on a number of cases helped me pay my tuition fee and meet daily needs, had a car accident and died on the spot. Nothing seemed explainable, I could not understand why I was losing important people in my life in such quick succession.
These tragedies opened a gate for the most difficult period in my life and educational progress. I thought if I were in Nepal, I would have definitely bid my grandfather and uncle bye for the last time. I felt that international students were not accorded the right treatment in the American institutions of learning. My prior missed opportunity to join the university came back haunting and depression set in. I therefore lost my interest in studies and was even forced to drop one of my classes. My performance significantly dropped and my results at the end of the semester could not be any better.
However, I have worked myself back through a number of strategies like guidance and counselling. I believe in the potential I have despite the setbacks and poor results at the community college. My passion for Mathematics is an unsurpassed and forms the basis and drive in my quest for educational success. If my application for Fall 2018 as a Math major in my dream learning institution, University of Texas Austin, is accepted, I will give all I can to get the best results and be a good image of the university in the society.
