It is very important that we young people accustom ourselves to living more independent lives from the very start. Although no man is an island, it is very weak and discouraging to seek assistance all the time, we should try to figure out problems on our own most of the time. This reminds me of how I used to be weak in mathematics. I had never calculated any equation on my own the reason being I falsely believed mathematics was too difficult. The point I am trying to make is that I was neither weak nor poor but I had no confidence in myself and thus believed I had to depend on others whenever an exercise was given and during an exam, no doubt I expected less marks.However, time came when I felt I had to move on and stop relying on others, I called it a journey to self reliance and sure the journey was tough but I sailed through with hard work, dedication and commitment. I discovered that the only secret behind passing mathematics highly was to strongly believe in myself and keep in mind that the only person I can on is I.It did not come as surprise that I shared this unpleasant experience with a lot of my fellow students. Many of my colleagues even in other schools face such challenges too. You find some students completely failing some subjects simply because they don’t believe in themselves. My basic principle now is that always give it a try before you let it go or consult others. I don’t let things move away from my table without giving my best try and sure things are always much easier for those who believe in themselves.Fellow students, learn to try to believe in yourself, make efforts to learn and seek knowledge as soon as possible because these are the basic values that are going to take you into the world where no one is going to spoon feed you. It’s called self reliance and it expected of any grown up person. Remember the world out there is harsh and competitive. Be prepared. The writer is a student at Kagarama S.S