“Wow, this is hard”, I said quietly to myself during my first Calculus exam at the University of Florida in September of 2021. Coming off of another weekend of late nights, I relied on my knowledge of high-school Calculus to carry me through my first exam in college Calculus. “I already know this”, I assured myself; little did I know, that exam was the start of a semester that diminished my confidence as a student. To sum it up, my first semester went almost as badly as it could- the combination of unsatisfactory grades and poor choices led me to give up. On my Christmas break, one question was in my family and I’s minds- “Is Isabel enrolling again?”. Back home in Tennessee, I decided to start my journey of self-growth. Deciding to take a break from school was painful for me. I attended a college preparatory school, and since I was a sophomore, I was driven by my desire for a degree from UF. My mom, who started her own CBD store as a disabled woman in the heart of the bible belt, taught me that devotion and hard work helps you achieve your dreams. Last January, I felt defeated. I didn’t know if I would be able to go back to school and perform well enough to maintain my enrollment. However, on my semester off and my first semester back in the classroom, I was able to grow my confidence as well as my discipline. During my break, I focused on my work as a barista, which grounded me in Gainesville. Working alongside students made me miss the classroom, instead of resenting it as I had the previous fall. As I mentioned, my main growth came through confidence and discipline. In my first semester, I would do anything but school- from picking up extra shifts to cleaning my already tidy house- anything to get away from the reality of my lackluster performance. Since then, I haven’t shied away from my commitments. My first class back was in the summer of 2022, as a means of strengthening my academic base and not overwhelming myself with a big workload. Warily, I chose Statistics, a requirement for Business students. My desire to learn pushed me to persevere through the fear. In Statistics, my confidence as a student came back. My final grade was 95. I was able to do this by setting aside time every single day over 6 weeks to watch lectures, take practice quizzes, and study for exams. My fall self could have never imagined studying 3-4 hours a day for any class, let alone one I had no previous experience in. My summer in Statistics made me relearn the study skills, hard work, and discipline it takes to be a good student. My journey from a failing student in fall 2021 to a student earning over a 3.0 semester GPA at a Public Ivy this past fall was tedious and difficult. I have changed my mindset to be one focused on dedication and a passion for learning. On my journey of self-discovery, I learned to believe in my capabilities as a student, which restored my confidence in the classroom. I also learned more about my learning style, which gave me the drive to work towards my degree every day. This January, I am happy to share that I am now pursuing a degree in Statistics at the University of Florida, and am very much looking forward to my next few years as a Gator.