Math Class and Guitars by Levi

Math Class and Guitars by Levi - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

2021 brought a lot of growing experiences for me. I finished my second and third semesters of college and, in the process, discovered ways I operate best in my day-to-day life. In the process, I found and began to grow a new skill that contributed not only to my academic success but to my success in general. Earlier this year, I started exploring my newest hobby, songwriting. Now, I know that songwriting and doing well in school don’t seem related, but hear me out.
Around the end of the spring semester, I was feeling down and discouraged about school, career ambitions, even life in general. It wasn’t necessarily reflecting on my grades, but it did reflect on the people around me. In that same time frame, I randomly sat down with my guitar and started writing down my thoughts. Tried to organize them into lyrics. Put them to a tune. Honestly, it was a pretty terrible song, but it did wonders for my attitude. My mood improved a lot, and I found a new hobby that I love to do!
Now, in the first days 2022, I’ve looked back and seen how this pursuit has helped my school success. The emotional health that came with this way to process and cope has trickled down into nearly all areas of my life. Whether I was discouraged with an assignment, fed up with an annoying professor, or was just weighed down by something outside of school, songwriting has been a way for me to think through and then overcome the situations I go through.
So, if someone tells you that picking up a guitar won’t help with your math class, think twice. It might just change everything.