The "Ah Ha!" moment. by Rachel

The "Ah Ha!" moment. by Rachel - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

I could tell you that I've known from birth what the best way to study was, but I would be lying. When you start into school they teach you how to memorize, then write it out, then study in groups. In the end they say, " Everyone has their own way of studying, you just have to figure out what works for you."

As students, we understand this to be an "Ah ha!" moment where we suddenly discover how to study in a way that works for us. But the truth is we have many, " Ah ha!" moments. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says," When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child." NIV. When I was a child, I studied as one, using flashcards and sounding out words. Elementary school was full of games and fun ways to learn as well as entertain. But 1 Corinthians 13:11 also goes on to say, " When I became a (wo)man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." NIV Growing up requires that we change and adapt our ways of thinking and learning. As a middle schooler and then high schooler, my ways of studying changed. Gone were the days of games and colorful flashcards. Instead, I had replaced them with long hours of reading and study guides.

I am again at a change in my life. At 23, married, and a mother of a wonderful son I am taking the steps to apply for college. My study habits from high school no longer work for me. My study habits have evolved to fit my changing life, to fit in around nap time and making dinner. They are short study times with breaks in between allowing me the time I need to process what I've learned. This way I also do not have to deal with the distraction of my sons latest singing toy, or worry about setting off a smoke alarm while fixing dinner and yet still be able to process information.

Finding our study technique is never easy, and sometimes it can take you a while to find. As we grow and mature our techniques may change and we start our discovery all over again. But who doesn't love an, "Ah Ha!" moment now and again.