Challenging Math Class by Xhymena

Challenging Math Class by Xhymena - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

Without a doubt, math has always been my worst subject. So many methods and variables, so manys ways to solve a problem; it’s like a huge tree with branches leading everywhere with more branches attached to those forever extending. The disappointment and frustration every math class I’ve taken has given me has made it the subject I’m most grateful for. Because with all of that disappointment and anger, I found the most important aspect of education. Education isn’t impersonal and obsolete, education is different for everyone and is not just a forced part of our lives, but a living piece of us. I loved how personal math became to me. Because it always reminded me education is living and infinite.

Education is often forgotten as necessary and actually really fun because it’s a huge stressor and requirement in students’ lives. Even I have forgotten what education is all about when I see a grade slip or fail a test. Education isn’t about the grades or ranking, education is about what you learn, how you learn, and what you do with it. Education is different for all of us. What I want to learn and how I learn is very different from someone else. Personally, I love organized and scheduled learning. Agendas, consistency and a lot of lectures and class discussions is the best way I learn. I didn't start truly understanding math class until Precalculus when my teacher taught it like a college class where we had open discussions about the concepts and every week we had a set schedule of notes, worksheet, then test. But that’s not how everyone likes to learn and it’s really important to remember it that's actually amazing and beautiful. That’s my favorite aspect of education, the unique and personal connection.