Essay About Past Year And Worst Nightmare

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Two things didnt mix well in my life. One was being a full time student and the other an athlete.
It was great not having parents around telling you to do your homework or to go to class, of which I never
did. I had a choice, which was more important, playing lacrosse or studying. Like any first year college
student I picked lacrosse. At that point I didnt realize what I was getting myself into. Who at that age
would know either?
My worst nightmare came true in the summer of 1989. I was academically dismissed from the
university. I thought to myself “no way, this could never happen to me, I played lacrosse, had a girlfriend,
and I was popular, how could this have happened”. The worst part of the whole experience was the car ride
home from the post office. The feeling of emptiness overwhelmed me, I felt as if I had nothing inside my
body. I thought, “what am I going to do?” Then I had to face my parents, boy was I scared. What was I
going to tell them? Sorry mom and dad but I wasted your money; I had no excuses so I told them the truth.
What happened after that changed my life forever.
It was either the military or go to a community college and try to redeem myself. I wanted to do
neither, but I had to choose. The military was off my list and going to a community college sounded o.k.
So I registered and the rest of that summer I had to deal with the fact that I had not accomplished anything
in the past year and this was wake up call and the only chance I had left to prove to myself that I could do
something. The fall semester rolled around and I realized that I wanted to do the work for myself not for
anyone else. This proved to be beneficial, for I received a 3.67 grade point average for that semester. That
spring was just as good, that year my grade point average was a 3.46. I was happy, and so were my
parents. I proceeded to reapply back to my former university and was accepted. I gradated with over a 3.0
in my major and was offered a job in Washington D.C.
Being dismissed from college was one experience that I have never regretted and never will. I can
see why this happened; I was a student athlete, which doesnt mix. Being an athlete in college I had to
practice Monday through Saturday, I was always tired, too tired to study and go to class. I did learn a
couple things though, sportsmanship, self-discipline, teamwork, cooperation, and concentration. Too bad
none of these attributes rubbed off on my schooling. The university said that they would help me out with