The Impact of Adaptability by Kalina

The Impact of Adaptability by Kalina - February 2023 Scholarship Essay

The Impact of Adaptability
Last year in Biology class, my teacher decided to move our unit five test up one day. She informed the class on Monday that the test would be Wednesday instead of Friday. As I thought I would have the whole week to study, I had not started yet. I had planned to space out my studying over the four days and then take a practice test Friday before Biology class. However, instead of attempting to cram all four days worth of studying into two, I decided to watch an hour-long review video of the entire unit, while then taking a practice exam the following day. I ended up scoring well on the actual test, even though the class average was significantly lower than it usually was. After everyone was finished, the teacher told us that she moved the test forward a class to teach us a skill that cannot be taught in any lecture. She said that, “people who can adapt to changing situations will always be the most successful in anything they do.” Because of this, I believe adaptability has the biggest impact on a successful education because it helps people stray from a fixed mindset, which ultimately prepares them for changing situations.
I believe the reason most people did not score as well as they normally do on that test was because they either did not change their studying plan or figured they would never be prepared in that short of time. Both of those mindsets could be deemed as “fixed” ones. A fixed mindset is particularly harmful to have in education because as soon as one believes that their intelligence is finite, they will never be able to grow their mind. This results in a lot of wasted potential for people because one's brain can actually grow throughout adulthood. Additionally, if a student is not able to adapt, it is often not apparent to them. It is easier for them to think the blame should fall on not being ‘smart enough.’ This was the case for most of my classmates who tried to fit four days of studying into two. They believed they simply didn’t grasp the concept, which is true, but it was not because they particularly struggled in that unit, it was because they didn’t adapt to the changing test date. This is exactly the lesson my teacher delineated to the class. If you have the skill of adaptability, you will be able to avoid fixed mindsets that hinder your growth. Furthermore, the more one attempts something, the better they improve at it. This applies to adapting as well. One will encounter changing circumstances all throughout their life, especially in their education years. The more one recognizes they need to start adapting their techniques, mindsets, and preparation to match that of the task, the more prepared they will become. In short, adaptability leads to preparedness, which leads to success.
To conclude, in order to have a successful education experience, one needs to be susceptible to change. If students are not able to adapt to inevitable changing circumstances, they will never grow as students nor people. Obtaining the most information possible bolsters one's success in education. And, this cannot be done without the ability to adapt. While at the time I was frustrated with my Biology teacher for moving the test forward one day, I thank her for enlightening me with a valuable lesson.