Habits by Madeline

Habits by Madeline - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

I am a creature of habit. Every first day of school since I can remember, I laid out what I was going to wear the night before, coordinated my folders by color, and memorized the most optimal route between classrooms. I liked my world, and I knew my place in it. However, in January 2017, my world as I knew it shifted. I left behind academic familiarity and traded it for the unknown: online school.
Even ten years in the public school system couldn't prepare me for the culture shock of online learning. My first day, as I completed a proportions worksheet at my desk in mismatched pajamas, I couldn't help but question my decision. I knew I was replacing structure with flexibility, security with independence, and I craved such an autonomy over my education. However, the curriculum was difficult, challenging, and my normally straight-A self struggled to keep up. And it was strange to go from an institutionalized learning environment to working wherever there was a wi-fi signal. It was almost too much freedom for a fifteen year old.
I relayed these concerns to my academic advisor. She casually informed me that I was a reflective learner. Essentially, I related the lesson at hand to my own life, attaching a deeper meaning to the content. Reflective learning is a generally positive concept, and contributed to my success in public school. However, it proved to be a liability in online school when I'd spend hours pondering assignments and overcompensating my answers. So I adjusted, fell into a rhythm, and made new habits.
Online school has afforded me the opportunity to not only work at my own self-generated pace, but it's also prepared me for the rigors of college. What was inconceivable in public school became a reality through independent study. I began a twenty hour per week part-time job at a local grocery store, all while balancing a full-time workload and extracurriculars. I developed strong, interpersonal relationships with my teachers that allowed for easier communication.
While it was difficult to acclimate to the intense quarter-based schedule and high standard of work, it ultimately proved to be the solid foundation I needed to excel. Online school definitely isn’t for everyone, it can prove to be an incredible experience if one is willing to put in the hard work.