Picture Perfect Studying by Ashley

Picture Perfect Studying by Ashley - May 2015 Scholarship Essay

In my years of study at the high school level, I have learned many things from my peers in both a social sense and an academic sense. One valuable academic skill that I have learned from a peer is the use of visual aids to studying. For me, I have always been someone who learns by taking notes and re-writing them over and over. While it is usually quite efficient for me, as I began taking more advanced classes like AP Biology and AP Chemistry, I realized that taking notes the way I did was extremely time-consuming and sometimes did not make much sense when it came to mathematical and scientific concepts. I had no idea how to study any other way - therefore, I scored poorly on tests in these subjects for awhile.

My friend Emma was the one who introduced to me the gift of diagram-making and concept maps. For subjects like advanced biology, I found that drawing out the structure of a cell and then relating that to the cell’s functions helped me immensely in the long run. It also made studying much simpler for me. Instead of reading through twelve pages of notes in cramped paragraphs, I could look at the diagram and note the key functions of whatever I was analyzing, whether it be the cell cycle, photosynthesis, or even cellular respiration. Making lists to go along with these diagrams made things even more efficient; I could combine my old style of learning with something new, making the new method seem more familiar and comfortable.

Trying out different methods of studying is really important, especially if the subject at hand is one you struggle with. The best way to study economics is surely not the same for the best way of studying physics. It’s up to the student to be able to figure out which study methods work best for each subject, and it’s more than okay to ask a teacher or peer for help.