There are no secrets to success! ; FAILURE

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. A quote by Colin Powell which I truly believe in.

Transition from 9th grade to 10th grade was a bit different from any other. On the first day of school in 10th grade all our teachers introduced us to the difficulties and challenges of grade 10. They expounded that it was necessary for every student to perform well academically as it would decide to which stream they may enter.

I loved science and mathematics and was an average student and believed that I would remain so for long. Despite my parents' everyday and teachers' occasional serious lectures I continued to take academics lightly and kept myself busy in other activities like playing games.

As weeks passed by, it was time for first test of the year. But I kept myself engaged in other activities until tests were over and paid no attention to studies especially towards science. I felt over-confident about myself. I thought my love for science would make me get an average score in science no matter what. The results were declared later that week which were shocking. I had managed to pass the test but not with the scores I expected. I scored 7/7 in biology but 0.5/6 in chemistry and 4.5/6 in physics, which made a total of 12/25 (grade: ). I felt like I was struck an enormous wave of failure. I felt awful and regretted.

Later that evening, I didn't know how to tell my parents about the scores, but I somehow did manage to. They were more disappointed than I had ever seen them. They said nothing but just made me promise that I would work hard.

From that moment, I was determined to score better. I worked with my heart and soul. I spent hours studying and tried to reduce my involvement in other activities. Soon it was time for the half semester exam, the one which was the toughest. But this time I was prepared, prepared to stand up to my parents' expectations. My hard work and sustained efforts paid off. I scored an A+ in science. I was happy and content but not more than my parents were. They appreciated me for my hard work. I felt like the happiest person on the Earth.

I am certain that I would not have been this happy if it was not for me to fail. Not only did my failure teach me a lesson that over-confidence is always dangers and hard work and sustained efforts pay off but it also made me aware of my hidden potential. We all face failures in life, but these failures are responsible for making us who we are.

As long as i know that it should be : I somehow managed to

"There are no secrets to success.It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure"; a quote by Colin Powell which I truly believe in.


On the first day of school in the 10th grade, our teachers discussed us about the difficulties and challenges we would face in that year. They stressed the importance of good academic performance by every student due to the reason that it is the point that decides which stream a student would enter to further his studies.

Is this for a college admission question? If so, you better include the question too so that we can give you more meaningful feedbacks.

Thanks for your reply.

I'll make the changes.

The question : Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?