Importance of Academic Focus

By Christina Mrkonja, E Dan

January 2003

It is hard to believe that I started training nearly ten years ago. So many huge events have happened since I was eleven years old, such as receiving my black belt, going to Prom, and taking my first airplane ride. The biggest accomplishment of my life, however, is graduating from high school in 2001.

Surprising as it sounds, academics were not one of my top priorities. I was not even so sure that I would graduate from high school on time, with the rest of my peers. Once I settled in with a social group in my sophomore year of high school, my only concern was “fitting in”. I always believed that if I could keep my grades decent, I would be able to bring them up in my senior year. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT’s) were not even a threat to me, and I knew that was what colleges looked at most.

Wrong.

I will keep those SAT scores to myself, and the grades never improved during my senior year. In fact, I was so preoccupied with trying not to fail school, that I had no time to go above and beyond the normal requirements in my academics. The biggest disappointment came with the many rejection letters I received from all of the colleges I applied to.

Tang Soo Do turned my life around academically. By the time of graduation, I was a second degree black belt instructor who taught a martial arts in another language, yet I could not even get accepted to a college. I always stressed the importance of the Tang Soo Do Manual to the people I taught, and I was a hypocrite. I took some time off after graduation to “get myself together” and enrolled in a community college a semester later. With my mind on track again, I set my mind to academics and I continue to do so. I reapplied to every college that rejected me. Not only did they all accept me this time, but some even offered me academic scholarships because of the honorable grades I earned in college.

Basically, this article is for everyone who is in school now. Grades do matter. Studying the Tang Soo Do Manual and learning that material does matter. Knowing the book work is just as important as knowing the physical aspect of the art. Realize that friends, parties, and good times will all still be around after the homework is done. We all have the potential to be exceptional students in school. All we have to do is apply ourselves.

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