Freshman English Class by Aaliyah

Freshman English Class by Aaliyah - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

The definition of critical thinking,”The objective analysis and evolution of an issue in order to form judgement.” This was a skill I unknowingly lacked going into freshman year, until one class highlighted my inexperience. It was a change that happened over the course of a year, through a class that challenged me to form my own thoughts on characters, setting, and finding a deeper meaning in almost anything. This not only honed in skills needed in the classroom, but also bled into real life, forcing me to watch shows in a new light, pick up on undertones in social media feeds, and be more aware of the world around me.
While going through school, I never thought English class would be a point of struggle, I was always a reader that assumed they understood what they were reading, until I was required to talk about any book past their plot points. Before entering high school, I never had a class that fostered student led discussion. It was an adjustment that I wasn’t eager to wrap my mind around. Being a student that favored fading into the background and being told what to think, my new English class felt like being thrown into a pool without knowing how to swim, the only choices were to swim or sink. There was also a fear of being wrong, like many other classes had prepared me for, only wanting students to answer questions with the teacher's interpretation, when any book, story, or poem reaches out to people in different ways. These struggles did not affect my grades, yet each day when I would walk into class, I felt inferior to the other students. The constant feeling internalized itself into second guessing myself in most school areas.
I always noticed these areas, but in the beginning, I had no idea how to tackle them. After a couple of discussions, which happened three times a week, I decided to take a leap of faith. I raised my hand, and this time, I didn’t put it back down before the teacher could call on me. I felt immense pressure and fear, which showed through my barely audible voice, but at the end of my observation in the text, others were raising their hands to add on to my ideas. For once, I felt connected to my peers during a discussion, and my confidence slowly began to build. After that moment, I made it a habit to speak at least once in each discussion. Sometimes my points followed little to no train of thought, but even then, no one pointed and laughed. My next goal was to start the discussion. The act of beginning the intellectual conversation felt wrong, like only a certain person was allowed to do it. But I reminded myself of the other firsts I had experienced this year, and how far I had come, which pushed me to face my fears once again. Once I made my point, I felt proud of the person I was becoming, someone who faced fear of others' judgement instead of running.
While my comfortability in discussions grew, so did my analysis skills. This has changed every class experience I've had since then in a positive light. I have an easier time problem solving and looking for the most practical way to solve an issue, even if that means looking from various angles. This has especially been prevalent in my English classes since then, with my ability to contribute more to every English class I have been in. At my school, most of the English classes are set up in a manner that the students lead the discussions of literature. Without the first year of trial and error, I’m not sure where my skills would lie today. I also used these skills in my real life, digging deeper, finding the bigger picture, and analyzing even the smallest things. I found myself watching tv shows I had already seen with a greater awareness, and being able to predict the plot twist, because the director discreetly planted seeds for what would happen later. This especially changed my perception of social media, even though it’s not scripted, most videos have undertones depicted by their background, leading into a big message that takes a look underneath the surface. I also started to recognize patterns within myself, times when I would have an unknowing bias for women or people of color just because I identify with them. I began to see things for what they really are, with the ability to reason out why something may be with practical evidence.
My skills in critical thinking have immensely grown since walking into the class for the first time in freshman year. While time may have been a factor, I attribute the beginning of my skill to my first high school English class. I was forced to think in ways I never had, stretch my brain to see things from multiple perspectives, and overall think on a higher level. This has not only improved my time in school overall, but has impacted me in a way I will never be able to forget. I am able to carry myself with a clearer mind ready to adapt and seek the real truth that can be hidden.