A Belief on Studying Habits by Nathaniel

A Belief on Studying Habits by Nathaniel - September 2021 Scholarship Essay

Have you ever had something you believed in very strongly? Have you ever had those beliefs challenged? We all have strong beliefs but they are not always correct. Sometimes we have to learn that we are wrong the hard way. The classroom is a very common place to learn that what we think is true is not always a reality. I have had that exact experience happen to me.
I used to believe that I never needed to study or take notes in class. I was a smart kid in middle school. School just always came easy to me. It always confused me when teachers emphasized note taking and studying before tests. Studying was not a necessity and I believed that high school would be a breeze as well. I carried that belief to high school and it was not long before it was challenged and I would be forced to learn a lesson.
When I was a freshman the first few weeks went by very smoothly. I continued to go through my classes without taking many notes or spending nights studying. It was not long before I could see the results of my poor studying habits. I realized my grades were taking a toll on my belief that I would not need to study. High school was not as easy as I had thought. I learned the hard way that even I, a “smart kid” would need to take notes and study to retain all the information.
I realized my belief that I could get through high school without studying was incorrect. I learned that I needed to change my belief. I decided to try taking detailed notes and studying at home after school. The results of my changed beliefs were very clear to me. My grades began to climb back up to their normal levels with high A’s. It was very clear that my previous beliefs were not correct and I learned my lesson. I now know that studying and note taking really has an incredible effect on grades and they are important to going through high school and eventually college.