Liana Star, Grade 12
UWC Mostar

I have never been especially good at hard sciences. Growing up it was always my least favourite subject, as I was pretty mediocre within that class. When arriving at UWC, I was well aware of the fact that I should probably take one of the “easier” science classes to avoid making my academic experience extremely difficult and miserable. This fact was completely ignored though as I registered to take Higher Level Chemistry, what is rumoured to be one of the most difficult courses within the IB programme. I do not know what possessed me to make that decision, but it is both the most regrettable and wise decision I have made in regards to my academic life at UWC. I am not good at chemistry, that is something I have become very confident in saying since completing Year 1 at UWC, but I am madly in love with the subject itself. Every class is filled with both nervousness and excitement as I cross my fingers hoping not to get called on, while still absorbing as much information as I possibly can. One class that particularly sticks out was our first exam of the year. The topic was stoichiometry, an area in which I did not feel comfortable prior to completing the unit. I remember walking into the exam room on the verge of tears as I began to think of my dreams of scoring high on my IB exams going down the drain. This fear I experienced was, at the time, my biggest motivator. My fear of failure was what kept my grades so consistent, but the stress I put on myself worsened most other aspects of my life. That exam was the point at which I realized my academic career should be motivated by a love for learning, not a fear of failure. This exam was extremely monumental as it was the point at which I changed my perspective in regards to how my academic career should be shaped, and what sacrifices must be made in order to achieve that. UWC humbled me in many ways, mainly by demonstrating that academic success achieved in stressful ways is counterproductive. The anxiety produced by this test was able to allow me to finally see that.
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