A nerd with a dislike for school

I learned to read when I was really young. My uncle used to watch Hooked on Phonics and I would watch it with him. One day, it just started making sense. A makes an aaah sound LoL. Like apple. I still remember the tapes. Anyways, books have always been a huge part of me. In fact, they're like my parents. I didn't have people teaching me right from wrong or about puberty stages or the birds and the bees (I still don't understand that analogy...do birds and bees have...never mind) so I read about it.

When I was 8 and my Aunt was diagnosed with AIDS, I read several books about it to learn what it was and if my Aunt could survive. Those books led me to reading books about sex, different types of drugs, and dealing with death. When I was labeled 'depressed', the first thing I did was run to a library and do research on it. Unfortunately, the research also introduced me to world of Self-Help books which I became slightly addicted to when I was 10. 'Be You Best You', '10 Steps To Success', 'How To Spot Liars', 'How To Win Friends (didn't work). I've read 'em all! Might sound crazy but I talked to these books and reading them was like them talking back. Giving me the advice that I wished an actual person would give.

I didn't just read books to learn. Once I discovered Auto/Biographies and fictions, there was never a time you would see me without my face being covered in some book. It was my escape. For 30 hours or 378 pages, I was no longer Sade. I was Dana from 'Kindred' or Tina in 'I, Tina' or Davey in 'Tiger Eyes' or Pecola in 'The Bluest Eye'. I was soo obsessed with books that if I'd read a bad one or one that had a wack ending (Nappily Ever After), I couldn't see it for months. Like, I'd get mad if I saw the cover on a store front or something. A true nerd.

I say all of this so that you'll know that I'm not dumb. I love to learn...but I've always hated school.

From the days of teachers and students making fun of my 'peculiar smell' to being jumped by over half of my schools population, I've never felt safe or comfortable at school. To this day, I don't know how I passed any of my classes from Elementary to High School. I barely learned anything. A teacher would introduce the term 'Division and Multiplication' and I would go to a library and find a book to tutor me on it. Same with english, history, and science.

It wasn't until my 11th grade year, that I was blessed with a teacher who actually taught. He showed me that no matter how much of a 'self-learner' I was, there was still much more to know that he could help me with. He was right. I knew who Dr. King was but not Malcolm X. I knew about some writers during the Harlem Renaissance but not Zora Hurston and had never read a Langston Hughes poem. Hell, I knew how to Divide but could barely Multiply (which is sad considering they both are dependent on each other). From the Romanticism periods in literature to the American Revolution, my teacher helped fill in small loops and whole blank pages of knowledge.

So, it should be no surprise that as a pupil of Mr. M, I went from a lackluster to honor roll. It's amazing what a little support and encouragement can do.

Now, I'm in college. Boooo. LoL. Naw, I won't lie. It's hard. I usually had Mr. M breathing down my neck, forcing me to do work or giving me some kind of 'you're better than this' talk. Now, I'm giving myself them talks on a daily basis. As stated, I plan to graduate Cum Laude from Philander Smith College. How? I have no clue! Well...ok, I have a slight plan.


The library will become my new living quarters. If I'm in my room, I REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING SCHOLASTIC! Because of this, I will not allow myself to be in my dorm room until after 6 p.m. How successful will this be? Again, I have no clue but it will be a start. Next semester, I will be taking one (maybe even two) of my science requirements. Double booo. One of the first things I'm going to do is set up a tutoring schedule with the Trio offices. I know that sometimes I need help and I plan to get it. The last thing I'm doing, starting immediately, is doing homework assignments the day they are assigned. My biggest problem is homework. I personally feel that homework is disrespectful. Why do teachers fill the need to interrupt our home time? Why can't everything be done during class? Your reign over me ends once the clock strikes 3..well 4 now. However, the world doesn't know good logic when they see it so I have to adapt to this..this..homework belief. This will be my way of doing so. I figure, if I work on which ever assignment as soon as it's given, not only will it be one less assignment to worry about but I'll probably have an easier time completing it since it'll be fresh in my mind.

There are a lot of folks who are shocked I've made it this far. So, why not give them a heart attack and walk across the stage not only wearing my cap and gown but my high academic distinction around my neck (I say all that because I don't know what they call those scarf looking things)?

Are you in school? What helped you excel academically? What do you think of my 'game plan'? All tips and advice are welcomed.