Perseverance

Perseverance is one personal trait I attribute to my time in the Air Force.
As long as I didn't "give up," as long as I kept going, I was always doing it right- even if obstacles got in the way.
The only guys that truly failed were the ones that threw up their hands and said, "I can't do it anymore.  I quit."

After I failed my first test of the semester in Pre-Calculus, I spoke to my professor:
"Do you think I have any chance at passing this class?"
"Do your best all the way through the final and we'll see."
So, I went to every class except for one due to a 102 degree fever; I went to her office hours to ask her questions about the homework; I studied under the guidance of brothers from my fraternity; I sat at the front of the class and wrote down every word that came out of her mouth.

In the end, to get a C- would require a 110 on the final exam; if graded according to the syllabus.  A C- is required to move on to the next level of math.
It was a roller coaster ride all year.  I failed, then passed, failed, then passed, excelled for a couple weeks, got over-confident, failed... then it was time for finals.

I asked her again at the end of the semester, "Do you think I even have a chance at passing this class?"
She looked at me from behind her glasses with intense conviction, "Just do your best on the final."

I met this Chinese guy at orientation at the beginning of the year.  He was another transfer student.  I was nice to him.
I don't know if I would have even talked to him if I had never been stationed in Asia.
Since trading numbers, we've met for coffee on campus several times, eaten Vietnemese food, and he even took me out about thirty minutes North to this little Chinese place with ducks hanging in the window... we ended up eating one of them.  In our conversations about school, he had always offered to help me with my math.  At 10 PM he calls me; night before the final.  I'm sitting in the library totally engrossed in my Philosophy flash cards.  I almost fall out of my seat when my phone goes off BUZZBUZZUBZZ.  I make a b-line away from the other students as a courtesy and answer near a window.  He says he remembers me telling him that my math final is in the morning.  "Do you want me to help you study?"  I tell him that would be great!  He comes down to the library at midnight and we start knocking out math problems.
It's not until we are about two hours in that I remember.  I need a 110 on this final to even get a C-!
Technically, I'm wasting the hell out of this poor guy's time.

I stop him... 
"Man, I have to tell you.  Mathematically, it is impossible for me to pass this test."
"What!?"
"I figured it out and the only way I can get a C- is to make a one hundred and ten on my final exam."
"Why didn't you tell me this?"
"Well, I was going to study for it by myself.  You offered to help.  I appreciate you being here to help."
He sighed; he looked deflated.
"I'm sorry," I said.  "You can go home if you want to."
He looked at me like I was crazy, "Why are you wasting time with this?"
"Because, I wasn't just going to give up.  I'll have to retake this class next semester anyway...  Hey, you really are making a difference.  Thank you so much for being here."
"So, do you want to keep studying?"
"I do, but you don't have to stay."
"No, I will help you study.  I will stay with you until 7 AM.  I will show you how to pass your test."

I chuckled inside... I was delirious... 

We were like Don Quixote and his squire Sancho; chasing windmills.

I almost passed out a few times... I was running on energy supplements, nicotine, optimism, and fear.
Four days straight of 2 hours of sleep had finally caught up to me.
But, he was there.  From 12 AM to 7 AM we tore through the final review.  He taught me Chinese methods, encouraged me, corrected me, and even got me coffee.

The sun came up and I walked him out.
I went back to reviewing for Philosophy a little while longer, packed up my bag, took one of the deepest breaths of my life, and left the library for the test.

I sat down, got started, plugged away, and was one of the last students to leave.  I put it on the front table as I was walking out- "See you next semester!" I said jokingly.  She laughed too.


A week later, I checked my grades online:
PRECAL: C-


Thanks to my friend and my professor, I made it through.