Dr Grimm Thesis
My heart raced from the ridiculous amount of coffee I had consumed that morning. I tentatively stepped into the dark, empty classroom and took a seat in the second row. As an English major, I resented the fact that I was required to take US History 201. I disliked history, and I heard rumors that my professor, Dr. Grimm, was a tough grader. The only contingent that caused me to feel slightly happy was the fact that I would be in the same class as Hannah Colasurdo, my longtime best friend. I had known Hannah since I was ten years old, and she had been there for me though my best and worst moments. Little did I know that this history class would cause me to fall to one of the lowest points of my entire life. As I sat there in nervous silence,
…show more content…
I relished in my victory because I thought I had finally solved Dr. Grimm’s grading philosophy. The third paper assignment came shortly after. Dr. Grimm assigned us to write a book review on The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes. This book documented the lives and deeds of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. My draft ended up being a few hundred words over the limit, and I confidently sent it to my professor to look over. Dr. Grimm always made sure to provide critical yet respectful feedback, but my still fragile self-esteem translated his response to, “You better add more detail if you don’t want to be a failure because right now, this paper is atrocious.” I received that email the day before Thanksgiving Day. I may have cried; that moment remains hazy in my memory. I do, however, recall feeling furious. How dare my professor tell me to add more detail when my paper already surpassed the word limit by nearly three hundred miles. For about an hour, I sulked and pouted. I complained to my mom and Hannah. I called myself an idiot, and I felt sad that nothing I ever wrote would satisfy the sweet, harsh Dr. Grimm. I do not know what exactly happened within me, but when I sat back down to work on the paper, I became overwhelmed with an unexplainable energy and determination. You want more detail, Dr. Grimm? I thought to myself. Okay! Challenged
I relished in my victory because I thought I had finally solved Dr. Grimm’s grading philosophy. The third paper assignment came shortly after. Dr. Grimm assigned us to write a book review on The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes. This book documented the lives and deeds of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. My draft ended up being a few hundred words over the limit, and I confidently sent it to my professor to look over. Dr. Grimm always made sure to provide critical yet respectful feedback, but my still fragile self-esteem translated his response to, “You better add more detail if you don’t want to be a failure because right now, this paper is atrocious.” I received that email the day before Thanksgiving Day. I may have cried; that moment remains hazy in my memory. I do, however, recall feeling furious. How dare my professor tell me to add more detail when my paper already surpassed the word limit by nearly three hundred miles. For about an hour, I sulked and pouted. I complained to my mom and Hannah. I called myself an idiot, and I felt sad that nothing I ever wrote would satisfy the sweet, harsh Dr. Grimm. I do not know what exactly happened within me, but when I sat back down to work on the paper, I became overwhelmed with an unexplainable energy and determination. You want more detail, Dr. Grimm? I thought to myself. Okay! Challenged