Do unexpected things happen in your life? Like, getting a reward you never expected because you anticipated much less?
There are events in our lives that we never expect to happen because we never thought we'd achieve them. That's what happened to me. I'm a math major at CTU Main, and I want to be a teacher someday...but this? This was unexpected. During our Education Week, our mayor posted an announcement in our group chat about the events, including a quiz bowl on General Education. Nobody wanted to volunteer, including me. I'm shy and lacked confidence; I was afraid of not winning. That's my mindset for school events; I usually avoid participating. But unexpectedly, the mayor personally messaged me. I expected her to approach someone else, given her many friends, but she chose me.
She asked if I'd join the quiz bowl organized by the Cess organization. I was shocked—me, participating? I questioned myself. She seemed confident in including me, even though I'm not competitive. She convinced me, mentioning extra credit. I saw it as an opportunity; why not? Maybe something good would happen if I joined.
The next day, she gave me the study materials. I was shocked again by the sheer volume! OMG, so much to read! My eyes glazed over. I couldn't even finish it; my brain was about to melt.
The following day, I approached the class president with my concerns. "Hey, you got this! Don't worry so much," the class president said, giving a reassuring smile.."it's our first time too. Let's just enjoy the experience."
Even though I hesitated, I left it to God. Maybe a miracle would happen, and we'd at least get third place.
Competition day arrived, and we met our opponents. I felt intimidated by the other teams' apparent skills.
There were four of us on the team, representing BSED ("Bachelor of Secondary Education"). Our opponents were BEED, BTVTED, BSNED, BTLED, and BECED.
My teammates were incredible throughout the quiz bowl. I prayed, crammed a little (okay, a lot little!), relied on my team, and tried to convince myself I could do it. The sheer volume of material was insane, but I studied anyway—pure terror of blanking out during the exam fueled me.
Then we just chilled out and enjoyed the competition instead of stressing about the other teams. We worked together, and my teammates were seriously smart and talented. I couldn't believe I actually pulled it off!
What's more shocking is that we placed—and not just any place, but second place! We never expected to get second place, especially as first-timers. Nothing is impossible!
I told myself, "I'm capable." I just didn't realize it because I was afraid.
That win was insane! Seriously, the high was unreal. School's been so much better since – the whole vibe shifted. So glad we pulled it off.
Hey everyone, just go for it! Seriously, don't let fear hold you back. The "what ifs" will haunt you way more than any initial nervousness. I used to be terrified of competitions – totally not my thing – but once I finally did one, I was hooked! I didn't want to miss out on anything cool anymore.
Thanks for reading, everyone.