More Than Thought Could Be Handled by Emily

More Than Thought Could Be Handled by Emily - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

21.5 credit hours in one semester? Required? At my previous school they did not even allow students to take more than 18 credit hours without special permission. I was barely surviving taking the minimum 12 in order to be considered a full-time student. There was no way I was going to be able to make it in such an arduous professional program. I thought. My biggest academic obstacle by far, has been transitioning between undergraduate and graduate school and facing the substantial academic load that comes with higher education. How did I overcome the challenge I had willingly put myself in? I allowed myself to accept change in lifestyle, learning style and study style.
Immediately when I started my first semester in optometry school I knew that I would have to assess my previous method of studying and implement some serious changes if I wanted to continue in the program. First, I accepted the true meaning of what a “full-time” student is. From the first day of class I understood that for the next four years I had only one objective: to train to become a doctor of optometry. I could not lose sight of that goal. Secondly, I had to think of new ways to utilize my learning time. In class it is often tempting to tune out what the professor is saying. In order to keep up with the material, I convinced myself to do my best to learn what was being taught in class in “real time,” instead of relying on my future self to study and learn it later. This really saved a ton of time that I needed in order to give all 21.5 credits of education the attention that they needed. Lastly I implemented a study strategy of never reviewing material that I already felt comfortable with. This forced me to focus on concepts that needed the most attention. All in all, evolving my person philosophy on education helped me overcome the academic hurdle of facing an overwhelming amount of classes.