October, 2023 Scholarship Essay
"Determination is key"
![Sabah Al Rawahi.jpg](https://cms.wiingy.com/uploads/Sabah_Al_Rawahi_df2f34f7a1.jpg)
by Sabah Al Rawahi | Sweden
I moved from a government school to a private school during my last two years of high school. This, to me, was the biggest struggle I had encountered. The main reason this was the biggest struggle is that I had to learn the main science and math subjects in English, while I had only been taught basic English when I was in the government school. The science and math subjects were taught in Arabic. My English during that time was not fluent. It is safe to say that I struggled a lot trying to become accustomed to my new school. I had to adapt to a new language that I barely spoke and learn new concepts and ideas that felt impossible to grasp at that time. The teaching method was more advanced in the private school, which I was not used to. Having said that, I took it upon myself to learn how to accustom myself to my new school. My biggest motivation was to score high grades in these subjects so that I could apply for scholarships abroad and, hopefully, get accepted. I talked to both my Chemistry and English high school teachers, who both recommended and advised me on different aspects. My Chemistry teacher advised me to use the textbook and look through old exams to score well. My English teacher told me to read newspapers instead of books, as they have short articles that I would not get easily bored reading through. Consequently, my English improved. She mentioned that old TOEFL exams online could be of further assistance if I wanted to practice my English and simultaneously know what to expect when taking the TOEFL exam for college admissions. It was a tough journey, but I made sure to start early, a year early to be exact. I did my research and saw that it can take up to a year or two for a person to become fluent in a new language. I did, however, know English but not fluently like my peers in the private school I attended. My chemistry and biology classes started to take a toll on me during the second half of the semester. The use of scientific terms that I had never heard before was extensive in class, and I was experiencing stress like never before. The stress I faced came from the pressure to succeed so that I could acquire scholarships to attend university after graduation. The universities in my home country are expensive and would require financial support if you come from a lower to middle-class family. I remember that the biggest help I found was learning scientific concepts, mostly from online videos like those from Khan Academy. Certainly, I pushed through high school with consistent studying and preparing for exams, which led me to where I am today – in Germany, pursuing my Master’s in Materials Engineering.