When high school ended and I began to envision the future that I wanted for myself, the changes that I would need to make, and the actions that I would need to take, the task seemed daunting. Over the next four years to come I wanted to expand my social network, ace all of my classes, get internships, have a lucrative job offer prior to graduating, buy a car, rent my own apartment/never return home, enter into a mature and loving relationship, get over my fear of speaking and singing publicly, travel, build a solid savings account, lead a student group, become comfortable in my own skin, and make it a college experience to remember. All I had to do was be spectacular and my professors would desire nothing but to give me an A in every class. Prospective employers would throw lucrative job offers my way, based solely on my awesomeness. The student body? Well, of course, they would think I was awesome too. Sounds simple and realistic, right? Not!
When I received my class schedule, I was shocked to find that I was placed into a remedial Algebra class. This made no sense to me because I completed both Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus in high school. Apparently, my scores on the placement test indicated that I didn't learn much past long division during my last 14 or so years of attending school. Discouraged and feeling not so awesome, I called my older sister to rant and rave about all of my college plans being eradicated in one instant. Here’s why. I wanted to apply to Rutgers Business School (RBS). It is a two-year program. The way the program works is that you spend your first two years of college taking general undergraduate courses and six prerequisite Business School courses. During the spring semester of your sophomore year you submit your application to the Business School, cross your fingers and hope for the best. A passing grade in Calculus 1 was one of the prerequisites needed to enter into RBS. I couldn’t think of taking Calculus 1 until I passed Pre-Calculus 1 and Pre-Calculus 2. Furthermore, I couldn’t attempt to take Pre-Calculus 1 or 2 unless I passed the remedial Algebra class that I was placed into. (I keep calling it “the remedial Algebra class” because I don’t remember the name of the course. That’s how useless I thought it was.) In addition, Statistics was also one of the prerequisites needed to enter RBS. I couldn’t take that course unless I passed Pre-Calculus 1 and 2.
So I started to do the math (no pun intended). I had only four semesters to complete five semesters of work in. How could I ever hope to enter RBS now? My older sister mentioned that there was an option I hadn’t thought about. Rutgers offered a course that consolidated Pre-Calculus 1 and 2 into a single course. Essentially, it crammed two semesters of work into one semester. Per other Rutgers students, it was a class that all were doomed to fail. My sister suggested that I take the remedial Algebra course first semester, take the accelerated Pre-Calculus course my second semester, take the Statistics course over the summer at a county college, take Calculus 1 my third semester, and submit my application to RBS application right on time during my fourth semester. It was an ambitious plan and one that I wasn’t sure that I could carry out. The fact that I was placed into remedial Algebra killed my confidence. All types of fears and questions began to plague my mind. What I you don’t pass the course? If I was smart enough to do this, wouldn’t I have placed into Calculus already? What if I fail this Algebra course repeatedly and I’m still attempting to pass it four semesters from now? What if I get into the Business School and I can’t pass any of the courses? What if college isn’t for me? My sister advised me to calm down and look at the plan as individual steps instead of the seemingly overwhelming big picture. She also advised that I take each course with the attitude that I would pass it without a doubt. I took her advice.
Each course that I passed served to build my confidence and momentum. The day that I received my acceptance letter from RBS is a day that I will always remember. I had achieved what I once thought was unachievable. I adopted my sister’s idea of breaking a goal down into small steps and focusing on those steps one at a time into all areas of my life. (I will discuss this in future posts.) I also learned that as long as the end goal is achieved, the road to get there doesn’t really matter. Now that I am a Certified Public Accountant, I am no better or worse than any other CPA. No one can tell just by looking at me that my journey began in the back of a remedial Algebra classroom. We all received the same certification. I simply took a few detours along the way. I’d say it was a solid plan.
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