The Loss for a Love of Learning by Brailey

The Loss for a Love of Learning by Brailey - November 2023 Scholarship Essay

Our nation is currently subject to its worst epidemic yet. This epidemic is not a medical disease impacting the lungs or heart or a vital area of the human body. Instead, this is a metaphorical disease impacting the brains of youth. This disease is nothing new though, as it has been around for centuries. The disease I speak of impacts young minds, contagious beyond belief, swarming entire friend groups and schools, preventing students from learning. This disease is the pressure of perfection. The pressure and stress placed on teens today is nearly insurmountable. Pressures of all sizes exist, slowly piling until they crack under the pressure. The inevitable includes a sizable breakdown, causing them to spiral due to anything from a chemistry quiz or getting accepted into college all the way to every stressor in their conceivable life. This generally has two possible endings. Option one is they spiral deeper and deeper, unable to focus on their studies, receiving ‘bad’ grades while continuing their current schedule and course load, bringing their eventual downfall. Meanwhile, option two is much more positive. They do spiral downwards a bit, but reach out to a counselor, parent, or other that can help them and are able to steady out and move forwards in a more sustainable way. Sadly, many teens, especially those without strong support systems, end up in a cycle of option one. This is the epidemic blocking our youth from progressing. Results of option one usually include a very burnt out student, attempting to balance many rigorous courses at once. While they may be able to do this, most if not all cannot do it while having a positive mindset. Quickly, this leads to memorization for the test, not for application. Books are read to write essays, not to understand a story or alternative point of view. Assignments are completed only for the grade, no part of them containing passionate opinions or ideas, just simple ideas to score 100% every time.
This idea of learning, of school, of classes may be what I fear most. The loss of my passion and love for learning and progressing. While I may not be very passionate about repetitive practice problems in my statistics class, I understand that in the long term, a strong understanding of statistical values will help me. Rather that math, a world of black and white, my passion lies in the gray. It lies in the debatability of a line written by an author hundreds of years ago, in the theories my mind creates between disparate courses, such as philosophy and physics. The gray is my home, along with many others. I believe it nurtures unique thinking and connection-making skills, allowing a person to be adaptable and distinct, not just another brain perfectly sculpted to regurgitate information on command. The enjoyment, curiosity, and passion I have surrounding learning is why I wish to go to college.
I don’t desire the ‘college experience’ or joining Greek life. The impacts college makes on a resume or job application barely means anything to me. Sure, I would like a good job that will allow me to live comfortably, but I wouldn’t spend four or more years of my life on a sheet of paper just for a job application. When I dedicate years of my life to college, the piece of paper at the end won’t mean much. It guarantees I completed the required courses with satisfactory scores, but that in no way satisfies me. What will satisfy me is the knowledge that I will have written many essays I am proud of, not because of the score they receive, but the ideas and passion I poured into each one. As a well-known line of the musical, Hamilton, says “You’re like me, I’m never satisfied Is that right?” Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) shares his desire to keep progressing, learning, and writing with Angelica Schuyler (Renée Elise Goldsberry). This line continues to appear throughout the remainder of the musical, becoming a motif for Hamilton’s steady progression and perseverance, showcasing just how well those who choose option two can turn out.