Putting Practice in Motion by Hannah

Putting Practice in Motion by Hannah - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

There aren’t many horror movie scenes more iconic than the “Here’s Johnny” scene from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining—and Wendy Torrance’s horrified reaction to Jack’s outburst only makes the moment more memorable.
While I’ve never had to worry about having the same expression in response to a murderous husband, creepy twins riding tricycles, or elevators full of blood, my junior year physics class was daunting enough to put a similar expression on my face more than once. The horrors I faced on a daily basis included harmonics, kinematics, torque, and the unspeakable—rotary motion. My school is a technology-oriented magnet school which attracts math and science geniuses from near and far, and while many of my peers breezed through AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C, AP Physics 1 was enough to intimidate me.
It was a mistake that I even ended up in AP Physics in the first place—I only enrolled in the course after being pressured by my chemistry teacher, and after the first unit, I quickly realized my miscalculation. However, by the time I took the unit test, the deadline to drop the class had already passed. Contributing to my predicament was my teacher, who was a nutcase at best. He often played the guitar in class, sometimes providing impromptu karaoke sessions as he strummed, and he would abruptly stop lectures to lead us in doing stretches which were more ridiculous-looking than helpful. While it was entertaining to see what stunt he’d pull in class each day, his quirks came at the expense of actual instruction. I knew I would have to do the majority of my learning on my own outside of class.
My first step was to buy an AP prep book even though it was only September. For each unit, I worked through the instructional material in the book to supplement class lectures. In addition to assigned homework problems, I would complete the practice problems outlined in the prep book. I also took advantage of internet resources to get extra practice, finding interactive, explanatory videos for difficult material such as the infamous rotary motion unit. For some tests, I formed study groups with friends, and we used video-editing apps to record ourselves sketching diagrams and working through complex calculations. This method was especially helpful when it came to preparing for AP free response questions.
I initially felt embarrassed that I seemed to be the only person in my entire school for whom math and science did not come naturally, but I later realized that some of my best resources were the people around me. In order to prepare for tests, I would ask my engineering-loving friends for help on certain problems, and there never seemed to be an absence of classmates I could ask for assistance. I also took advantage of the Peer Tutoring Club at my school to get additional help working through intricate assignments. I continued my involvement in the club this year and I tutor other students who are struggling in their classes as much as I did in physics. Furthermore, my water polo coach at the time was a physics teacher, and I reached out to him for help outside of practice as well. As silly as it may sound, I would even try to apply physics concepts I was learning while I rested during games to see whether or not I actually understood them.
One of my biggest accomplishments from junior year was earning a passing score on the AP Physics test. While I didn’t score well enough to get a 4 or 5, I am perfectly content with my results because I know that my score wasn’t for lack of effort. Simply pulling through the class itself was ultimately an empowering experience. My stress management skills improved as I overcame the stresses of having such unforgiving exams on a regular basis. I learned how to manage my time effectively by creating a study schedule for the days leading up to the test. I assigned myself one concept per day and allowed for time to review all concepts right before the tests. Additionally, I gained self-study skills which have translated to my senior year classes and which will continue to be useful when I take more challenging courses in college.
Even more importantly, I discovered a new definition of “tough,” a word most people use to describe big, burly men and D1 athletes. As a quiet and stress-prone person, I would never have considered myself tough before physics. However, surviving my nightmarish experience led me to change my opinion of myself. I might not be tough in the same way as Wendy Torrance, but when it comes to making it through thousands of physics equations, diagrams, labs, and tests, I am as resilient as they come.