Jelitza, I am struggling to catch up with all the new essays posted, and it took me a long time to get to yours. I saw some of the great help you have been giving people, though, so I jumped ahead to see if I can return the favor.
personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay.
Okay, let's see how you did...
(Difficulty) 2 รท (negative perceptions) + crash course = ?
I don't think negative perceptions divide difficulty. They multiply it!!
So... what insight do you get from the quote. I like it, because he is offering us an alternative way of thinking about a certain situation.
In your first para, I think you should say something about the notion that difficulty need not foreshadow despair and defeat, and that success can be more satisfying when obstacles have been surmounted. I think you should add a sentence to the end of the paragraph to give a thesis statement that uses words from the prompt. Right after you give your equation, you can add the thesis statement. If you use the word variables in the thesis statement, you will still get a great transition into paragraph 2. :-)
My teacher was
indeed difficult and quirky.
I found that my new equation equaled success!------ need examples to show ways you applied this and explain the old way of thinking, and how it would turn out, and the new way of thinking, and how it turns out. Know what I mean? The equation is just a concept until you show how you used it.
Although I failed many unit tests, I passed my exam. The satisfaction was incomparable. --- you might think this is an example, but it's not. You need an example of a thought process that demonstrates the equation. :-)
Although I failed many unit tests, I passed my exam. The satisfaction was incomparable. --and about this sentence... It seems like you accept mediocrity from yourself. You can fix it by mentioning if only you and a few other students were able to pass.
Most importantly, INTERPRET THE QUESTION in your conclusion or intro. I think conclusion is better here. In fact, if you do not want to add a thesis statement like I suggested, you can instead use the conclusion to really analyze the quote. You obviously know what it is about because your story involves assuming a new attitude toward obstacles. So, in the conclusion, discuss exactly what the quote means.
:-)