AP Biology by Kaela

AP Biology by Kaela - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

The most effective study method that I have used is talking to my teachers and utilizing them to help me.

I realized that this was an effective study method when I was a sophomore in high school. I had decided as a freshman that I wanted to take Advanced Placement (AP) Biology the following year. I had received good grades up to this point, with relatively little studying involved, and had therefore not developed very effective study habits. As the school year began, and I embarked on my experience in AP Biology, it soon became apparent that my lack of study skills was going to be an issue. A couple of weeks into the school year, I was failing the class with seemingly no way out of the hole that I had dug myself into. However, I was determined to not have an F looming on my transcript and I began to talk to my teacher and spent a majority of my free time in her classroom, attempting to relearn the material. After a couple months of this, the semester final arrived and I got one of the highest grades in the class. Even though I had seemingly caught up with the rest of the class, I decided that I still did not understand the basic foundation that was taught in the first couple weeks, and I regrettably decided to switch into regular Biology for the second semester. Looking back on this experience, I am genuinely disappointed in the decisions that I made. Although I learned a great lesson about learning better study methods, I wish that I had stayed in the class and put in the additional work to do well in the course.

The next year, my junior year, I decided to take two Advanced Placements classes, United States History and Statistics, and I also decided to take Human Anatomy and Physiology, even though I was told that it was a challenging class. Going into Anatomy, I knew that it would require a lot of studying and time dedication, but after my experience in Biology, I knew that I was prepared for it. My junior year, I talked to my teachers a lot, and this new study habit helped me do well in my classes. At the end of the year, I ended up achieving over a hundred percent in my Anatomy class, and I passed both of my AP exams at the end of the year, with a three in Statistics, and a four on my United States History exam.