I took AP Calculus AB during my senior year of high school.

I hated it. I had always been good at math, all the way through pre-calculus junior year, but when I got to calculus, it was just...hard. Really, really hard. I discovered that my brain just does not comprehend calculus.

So, AP testing time came, and I knew I was not going to do well. I took the test anyway, hoping maybe I could scrape by with a 3 and fulfill my college math credit.

Surprise! I got a 2. I was stuck needing the take a "formal reasoning" course in college.

When it came time to schedule classes, I could choose between calculus, statistics, or linguistics. I decided to take Calc 1. Everyone thought I was crazy, and I was asked over and over again why I didn't choose to take linguistics.

The answer? I'm stubborn. I wanted to prove to myself that I could pass calculus. Plus, I had already taken the class before, so I would be familiar with the material.

Well, it turns out that calculus at Miami is known for being really hard. Most people take it at a local community college so that it doesn't kill their GPA. Half the kids that showed up to class on the first day had dropped it by fall break. But I chose to stick with it.

So what if it's hard? The class has taught me that not everything in life is going to be easy, but that you can get through it if you stick with it.

So what if my GPA suffers a little but? I was obsessed with my GPA in high school. Now, I just want to focus on learning.

So what if it has nothing to do with my major? It doesn't hurt to try something out of your comfort zone.

I don't regret taking college calculus. Will I ever understand it? No. Did I learn to be dedicated, study hard, and focus on more in life than just my GPA?

Absolutely.