The "perfect" academic experience by Rachel

The "perfect" academic experience by Rachel - March 2022 Scholarship Essay

During my time at school, social media grew in popularity and therefore has had a big impact on the way I learn, both positive and negative. Learning a new strategy to solve a problem that I may not have learned in school would be an example of an advantage. You can also compare your responses with that of others and learn about different learning styles that I can adapt based on what has worked for students in other places around the world.

Although social media keeps us connected and positively affects the way I learn, it also has its downsides & negative effects. I find it harder to study, do assignments, & learn new concepts with social media right at my fingertips, easily distracting me. What I set aside as a 5 minute break turns into hours of mindless scrolling while the assignment is long forgotten. Besides, the distracting nature of it also impacts my mental health. The way everyone flaunts their academic achievements sometimes makes me feel like I am far behind my peers, or that I do not have any achievements, which I know is not the case. Everyone will post how “perfect” their grades are or how they study for hours in an aesthetic cafe or coffee shop, without showing the “imperfect” like how they could have struggled on their algebra homework or how they did not understand chapter 7 of their novel from english class.

This gives unrealistic expectations that all students are seemingly “perfect” and can make others who struggle in school, or who might not have that fancy laptop, or that special stationery & highlighters for note taking, or the time and access to sit and work in a coffee shop, feel like they are not enough or as a result of this, not getting the perfect “academic experience”. Social Media warps this concept because in reality the “perfect academic experience” is just getting an education by learning new things.