Personal Narrative: My College Tenure

It was not-so-silent in the lab, as the usual hum of side conversations from my classmates not-so-diligently working filled the air. Professor Hankamp, my biology instructor, was returning graded midterms inconspicuously so as not to distract an already absent minded student body. The ambient noise began to crescendo as more and more students gazed upon their judgement scrawled in red ink. Joyous cries echoed throughout the classroom as students came to realize, to their surprise, that they had unexpectedly passed, albeit with the bare minimum. Others let out contented sighs as if their failure had somehow affirmed their self expectation or goal. And I was furious. Not because I had received an unfavorable grade, I can assure you that I did not. Rather, it was because others had, and their mediocrity sat well with them. All around me I heard something along the lines of “I don’t care, at least I passed.” Such audacious statements were like fuel to the fire that was my rage.