Thank You, Biology! by Brooke

Thank You, Biology! by Brooke - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

When I first entered high school, I was determined and ready to take on any high school course that came my way. I plopped down on my seat in first-period Biology and was given one of my very first assignments which was to create an accurate bar graph based on statistics. I remember smiling to myself, honestly how easier could it get? I wrote my assignment with the youthful middle school mentality and expected nothing less than an A because I mean I was a Principal Honors Student! Man was I wrong. When my teacher handed me back my assignment, I was appalled. I was staring at a huge 1 on my paper, which was a fail in master grading. At first, I acted out in frustration and disbelief.

I talked it up with other classmates dedicated to making myself look good and tried to reason about the terrible score I had received (the first step of disbelief). There was no way in the whole wide world that a deemed Principal Honors Student failed any assignment. My bio teacher then announced there would be tutoring along with retakes for those who didn't do well. Man was I ready to storm into the class and demand answers. However, when I attended the re-take, I had a drastic mindset shift. The teacher was absolutely correct. My work wasn't neat. My work wasn't accurate at all. I realized the mistakes I had made and was able to fix them to bring up my grade due to the merciful act of limitless retakes. Looking back, I didn't realize the assignment taught me.

It taught me to always turn in my best work and to not be over-consumed or egotistical. Every assignment requires critical thinking and deep consideration and is not meant to be rushed. You always want to make sure your work reflects you as a person. Reflecting on that assignment, I learned how to study efficiently. I began to ask my teachers more questions if I didn't understand a concept. I learned to work hard. To answer the ultimate question of how I would grade if I was a teacher is I would grade with a mark of Pass/Fail. I would grade this way because nowadays I believe students only study for tests to get a high grade failing to understand the key part which is the understanding of the concept. With a mark of Pass/Fail students can actually understand the topic without worrying about a letter grade or mastery grade. Ever since I could remember I began studying for tests only to pass without even considering studying to understand it. Although this may be somehow my fault, I couldn't fully blame it on my but would blame it on the way schools are designed now especially in advanced classes where tests are given almost every week. That is why one day, I hope to attend Brown University, a school that utilizes the grading system of Pass/Fail and focuses on curiosity and critical thinking. So, thank you Biology!