Favourite Application Questions and my responses

Tell me about a time when you got results above expectations?

When I enrolled in the notoriously hardest class at St Andrews, I had low expectations for my performance. I am unsure what possessed me to take corporate finance as I have never been known as a math wizz or a finance lover and tended to shy away from anything I thought I couldn't do well in. Despite my caution and low expectations, with my self-motivating personality and desire to always put my best foot forward, there was no way I wasn't going to at least try.

I was left more puzzled and discouraged as I attended the three-hour lectures each week. I would do everything possible, including all the readings, extra practice problems, memorize every formula, and attend office hours, but I never felt like I fully grasped the concepts. When it came time for the exam, I was feeling hopeless. I spent two weeks teaching myself repeatedly, but I couldn't shake a fear of failure. As I sat the exam, my peers didn't show any nerves, and I was the last one in the exam hall working until the very last second. Christmas break comes, and despite low expectations, I couldn't help but stress how I did. You can imagine my surprise when the results came out and I received the best grade in the class and one of the best grades in my university career.

Now, this isn't a story about setting my expectations low so that I could be rewarded with better results. Rather, the takeaway lies in the fact that I didn't let my struggle and discouragement stop me from applying myself altogether. It was a testament that my lack of understanding fuelled me; it made me try harder and do more. However, it's also a cautionary tale; while I didn't let my fear of failure discourage me from working hard, it did affect my overall spirit. I shouldn't have been surprised that I succeeded because I know how much time and effort I put into ensuring I did.

When I face a challenge, I try my best to hold myself to high standards rather than expectations. If it's something new to me, I can take pride in knowing I will do everything I can to learn. In my mind, a failure is only when there was more I could've done, not when my best isn't good enough.