Application to Acceleration by Haile

Application to Acceleration by Haile - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

This year, I decided to take AP Physics despite warnings by former students. I figured it wouldn’t be that bad considering I’m pretty good at math. However, as the year has progressed, I’ve applied myself less and less. I still have an A, so hard work hasn’t really been required. However, I know that in May I will have to take an AP Exam, which I have already had to pay for. So, for 2016, I am resolving to reapply myself and work extra hard so that I can score well on the final exam. When I go to college, I want to study math, so Physics would be a good thing to have a grasp on before encountering it in college.

I plan to study harder for Physics by working more problems. I find that in math, working problems makes the concepts easier, so maybe the same will be true for Physics. I don’t think the math concepts required for Physics are that difficult; I just haven’t practiced putting numbers into the formulas, so I never know when to use which formula. I also plan to watch more online tutorials. On the first day of class, our teacher told us explicitly that he had never taught Physics before, so he really had no idea where to begin. As a result, the class has become an independent-study environment. So, for lectures, I watch videos on Youtube.

With the apathetic attitude of my Physics class, it has been difficult to work hard as the year has progressed. However, with the prospect of exams looming in May, I am resolving to study more and with greater motivation. Despite a rough start, maybe I can pull off a good score on the AP Exam with just a little more drive to succeed.