What Made Me A Better Student by Amber

What Made Me A Better Student by Amber - September 2015 Scholarship Essay

I have had many experiences outside of school that have made me become a better student, but the one that stands out that I have learned the most from, is my experience at the NSU art classes that I took over the summer. I have learned so much from these classes and in turn they have helped me grow to be a better student.
Over the summer I took a two week long course at the NSU AutoNation Academy of Art and Design. Every day, we would work on different art pieces and do explorations on plants and architecture in the mornings. For example, the instructor would take us outside and have us choose a specific plant to focus on. I chose a brilliantly colored purple and red flower that had branches with smaller flowers on it. The assignment was to paint every little detail that you could see. I ended up spending almost 2 hours studying this one flower. This helped me become a better student, because it helped me learn how to focus on one thing for a long period of time. Then in the afternoon, I would work on more abstract pieces and experiment with different medias. This helped me practice my time management skills, which is very important when you are a student. I would give myself enough time to finish a certain work and then have time to work on another piece in a different media later. For example, for the first part of the afternoon, I would work on a collage that had turquoise and black acrylic paint on it. The collage had a women’s head with wires coming from it, connecting to a crystal eye. Then in the second part of the afternoon, I would work on a coffee painting of a twisted old tree, in the middle of a deserted golden brown field. These experiences have help me to become a better student.