If I had to pick one word to describe the bane of my existence? It would be algebra. Or rather, the subject of math in general. Math is a hard concept for me to grasp because there's almost always one right answer to a problem.

However, in the "real world," there's rarely ever one answer. That's why school is hard for me.

I would so much rather sit down with a fresh piece of paper in front of me, a pen in hand, and just write. I can explain my thoughts and feelings, persuade others, draw conclusions, and talk about topics and how they connect to one another. What I can't always do is solve linear inequalities, quadratic equations, or exponential equations. If you make just one small mistake in math, you'll end up with the wrong answer.

Unfortunately for myself and many of my friends, college is full of multiple choice tests, and these tests are not limited to math classrooms. While many people favor multiple choice tests and clear cut answers, others, like me, have a lot of difficulty with these exams.

Multiple choice exams often test memorization, involve poorly worded questions, and use certain words as distractors. As you can guess, these tests bring on an immense amount of pressure and heighten anxiety.

So much about school is black and white, but I've always seen life in grey. Sometimes, it's not as simple as choosing option A, B, C, or D. I may choose B, but I could spend the next three or four questions overthinking my answer, even if I studied extremely hard.

I'm probably one of the worst multiple choice test takers I know and it's slowly killing me. If one were to look at my participation, attendance, homework, quiz, and essay grades, he or she would see that I'm a dedicated student. However, exam scores tell a whole different story. God forbid I'm ever in a class that only utilizes multiple choice tests.

I know that life is about so much more than exam scores. And I know we're not defined by a grade point average or the amount of credits we take each semester. Some people are simply stronger in certain areas such as time management skills, study skills, or linguistic skills.

This article is simply a kind reminder for all those who also know this, but forget from time to time. Just keep doing the best you can. There are pretty much no algebra problems in the real world.