My academic performance in college has been very poor and I am truly sorry for this. My performance was affected by a neurological/psychological condition I suffer from. I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 14. I had developed the condition because my parents treated me differently from my siblings. In the freshman and sophomore year of high school, my performance was very poor as well because my depression had worsened. I did not take any medication for the condition because of a personal belief that drugs were not the best option for treating a psychological disorder. I chose to receive psychotherapy and to attend support groups instead. These steps proved very beneficial and effective. In my junior and senior year, my academic performance improved greatly and I was top of my class at graduation. I was an IB graduate in high school and graduated with unweighted GPA of 3.8 and a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.3.
When I arrived at college, I had expected that I would be starting a new life and that I would be able to focus on my studies. Unfortunately, I encountered a series of issues that were difficult for me to handle and many challenges such as lack of parental support, financial difficulties, and difficulties with finding support groups. The attitude of my parents and friends was the most important source of emotional suffering for me. My parents did not like my choice of UC Riverside because they preferred schools like UCLA or UC Berkeley. I come from a conservative background and all my parent’s friends had the same likes as my parents, all their children were admitted into top-notch schools. My support structure started to disintegrate at that point as they did not have a high opinion of my school and its students. They saw me as a failure. My parents had kept my attendance at UC Riverside a secret for a year.

As an upper middle-class parents, they were capable of supporting my education. However, they chose not to do so because they didn’t like my school. I had to take out loans, which was fine. They eventually agreed to paying my rent and food expenses but would appear to forget sometimes. They would also call me every week to tell me how bad my choices of school and major were, and to tell me I should transfer to UCLA or elsewhere. At the same time, I found it hard to find mentors or support groups in the college, especially as the work piled up. I had no transportation and money became an issue for me. I began to find it increasingly hard to stay focused on classes. I knew I could do well if I just had some peace, but I was hurting too much and worried most of the time.

I was also involved in a domestic violence case at UCR in my freshman year. I was assaulted by my ex-boyfriend in the dorms on campus. I took him to court wanting justice but all he received was domestic violence courses. He was a member of a top fraternity and very popular in the student body. He started spreading rumors about me to the extent that I was getting bullied based on his lies. He finished his degree in 6 years and this influence and pressure was around until I graduated. I also had no friends I could trust, and moved in with random roommates. Many of such roommates had no regards for academic achievement and would throw parties all the time, as well as use illegal substances. I did not feel safe. Even when I called the cops, they would still get away with what they were doing. I would report them to the office management and they would simply offer to transfer rooms for me for a large fee, even when my safety was at risk. All of these issues worsened my depression, making it hard for me to focus on my school work. There were some classes in I did well in as well as classes I found very interesting. But it was difficult for me to juggle the courses and keep my depression under control with all the turmoil in my life.

It is important for me to be a strong student and to perform well at the National College of Natural Medicine. I realize that medical programs are rigorous and require commitment, diligence, and top-notch performance from students. My plans to achieving this include managing my depression effectively, effective time management, and also good self-management. In order to manage my depression, I plan to get the support structures I need in place. I plan to find support groups as well as a mentor who has expertise in depression, in other to achieve tranquility. This might require my availing myself of the resources that the school has for student health. I will not hesitate to reach out for help whenever I need it.

Time management is about planning how much time a person spends on a specific activity. It is important for me, given my diagnosis, to make sure that I spend the required amount of time in therapeutic activities as well as well as spend the required time in my academic work. Effective time management for me will involve developing a schedule of activities such that I will be able to study in a focused manner. I will set objectives for every course and focus on achieving them. Self-management also involves learning from my past and applying those lessons to my future. For instance, I will be careful in my choice of roommates and friends. I realize that it would be important to surround myself with people who have a commitment to their academic work.

I am currently attending counseling sessions at my university this summer, focusing on how to control my emotions, how to let go of the scars of the past, and how to focus on me as a person and my future. These counselling classes are already very helpful in helping me prepare for my future. I already have developed the perspective that negative experiences can make us stronger as persons or as professionals. I am empathic to people who are struggling with mental health issues and can use my experience to help other young people. I realize that I cannot change the perspectives and mindsets of people, even if they are the people I love most. But I have come to realize, that I have the responsibility to work hard and be the best I can be in life.

My interest in natural medicine is strengthened by my life experiences. I have a strong interest in how common clinical conditions can be healed naturally without recourse to drugs that may have high toxicity or drugs that can be addictive. With this strong commitment to natural healing, I know that I can be a dedicated student because I will be studying something I believe in. I know that I have a responsibility to do well in my academic studies. I consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity to study towards being a naturopathic doctor and to be able to help others in future.