Unstructured Learning and Research Plans by Jasper

Unstructured Learning and Research Plans by Jasper - June 2024 Scholarship Essay

The most effective way to learn is by experience, especially when trying to accomplish a clear objective. This forces one to consider and cement memories as they apply to oneself, associating details and nuances with specific situations and then allowing smooth reapplication in the future. This is opposed to following a subjectively-arbitrary preset structure to satisfy the requirements of a 3rd party. I greatly enjoy and benefit from unstructured and nontraditional learning techniques such as this.
Just recently, I began employment for a software company as a quality assurance intern. My job consists of testing changes and additions to the software before they are released. The company I work for develops a software program for manufacturing plants to track their data at every step of their process, including pricing, order entry, and material treatments. Naturally, this program is very complex and has many ins and outs and multiple ways to access similar data. Having started with zero knowledge of this software, my first task was obviously to familiarize myself with it, a crucial requirement for its testing, and to do this as fast as possible to provide value. I quickly found out that the best approach was to have a specific goal in mind, so I jumped right in on some of the easier testing assignments. I was able to pick up a significant portion of the software within a week and begin testing new and current features thanks to an efficient, self-propelled learning technique. Although this was not a self-initiated search for knowledge, it was something I had chosen to partake in and had formed my own strategy to accomplish, thus displaying my curiosity.
Although much different than a commercial project, educational research can also be enhanced by objective-based learning. Research, by necessity, must have a well-defined and specific goal within a certain field, being based on a particular question. The formation of a hypothesis further narrows this target so that the research may provide a concise conclusion proving or disproving. I am confident that, with clear objectives in a subject of interest to myself, I will be able to produce tangible results for the advancement of a field, not to mention its incredible instructional value to myself individually.