PAST THE BRAIN by Bervely

PAST THE BRAIN by Bervely - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

I’ve always liked subjects that didn’t require too much notes, homework or learning for that matter. so imagine my hatred when I got put in psychology . my first introduction to psychology was incredibly frustrating. Honestly, it made absolutely no sense to me, and I hated it. I didn’t really care about the brain, I onky joined cause I saw we did baby projects, I didn’t sign up for the wodload of notes or pop quiz every day, It felt like a bunch of messy, theories trying to standardize human behavior, and I couldn't see the poimt in studying it.

But my entire perspective shifted after a challenging period in my life. After surviving a traumatic experience and coming back from being missing, my world was completely turned upside down. I found myself constantly asking questions that basic logic couldn't answer. I needed to understand why people kidnapped me or why they thought it was a good idea to traffic me. When I returned to school, psychology wasn't just an annoying textbook anymore; it became a tool for making sense of what I had been through.

Re-engaging with the subject with this new fire completely transformed my thinking skills. I had to let go of my need for straight up answers, and learn about the complex areas of human behavior. True critical thinking meant realizing things weren’t gonna come to me easily. I had to analyze situations without bias, question assumptions, and lpok at a single problem from multiple perspectives. Psychology forced me to do exactly that.

As I dug deeper into how the mind works, I realized I was never gonna get a straight up answer, everyone is different in their own way, maybe from their nature or nurture, We are all driven by core needs for safety, connection, and survival. Psychology gave me the tools to think about why people do the things they do and why they act the way they act under pressure or influence. Instead of just judging people's actions on the surface, I learned to look at the deeper emotional and environmental factors driving them.

This shift from hating the subject to being fascinated by it completely redefined how I solve problems. It taught me that even the most complex human behaviors have patterns.

Ultimately, overcoming my struggle with psychology proved to me that the most frustrating subjects are often the ones that grow us the most. It made me to forgive those kidnapped me, It pushed me past the boundaries of straightforward logic and taught me how to think deeply about human experiences. I didn't just learn to appreciate the subject, I gained a sharp, empathetic way of thinking that allows me to look at any future challenge with a balance of objectivity and deep human insight.