Keep It Simple by Angela

Keep It Simple by Angela - December 2017 Scholarship Essay

When toiling on a school project, I always keep in mind the sage advice that my father gave me and continues to give me. Many years ago, he told me about something called the K.I.S.S. method, and when he elaborated, he told me that the acronym stood for the phrase “keep it simple, stupid.”

In my experience, his comedic advice has been proven correct time and time again. When a project becomes unnecessarily complex, it transforms into an untamed beast of an undertaking, refusing to be completed efficiently and calmly. This can be a disastrous thing for a student also burdened with the work of other classes which also demand to be taken seriously. A complicated project spiraling out of control is the last thing a frazzled AP student like myself ever needed.

So, when given creative freedom on projects, I am always realistic, both about my own abilities and about what needs to be done to meet or exceed the teacher’s expectations. At any opportunity, I simplify my tasks so long as doing so will not be detrimental to my project’s overall quality.

For example, on a very engaging AP biology summer assignment, I was tasked to perform some sort of experiment in the field, conducted in an environment of my choosing. I had unprecedented freedom to design my own investigation. However, to prevent complications and possible mistakes, I took to heart my father’s advice. I consequently chose to study frogs and their rate of appearance on rainy days as opposed to dry ones. The project was simple; my father and I merely walked along a set length of a creekside and counted the number of frogs that leaped back into the water, away from our boots (sometimes they would squeak rather loudly in alarm, which was always a surprise). Despite the simplicity of the experiment and its ease of performance, I made a discovery: southern leopard frogs definitely preferred dry days, disproving my hypothesis. Because I had chosen a simple investigation, the project was both fun to perform and educational.

So, for students everywhere, my ultimate strategy for a successful school project is to keep it as simple as possible without compromising quality. In the long run, simple projects are much more satisfying and pain-free, which are attributes that are just as significant as a good grade.