My Relationship With Math by Cemyrah

My Relationship With Math by Cemyrah - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my whole life, I have had trouble with math. It all started in the second grade when I was introduced to multiplication. My teacher wanted us to get accustomed to this new type of math because, before that, we only knew addition, subtraction, and division. We weren’t allowed to leave the classroom until we got the question right, and of course, little me could not understand what 2 multiplied by 3 equaled. From then on, I was deterred from wanting to learn math because I was so convinced, from that one incident, that I didn’t understand the subject.

This stubborn attitude went on until the 9th grade. I was introduced to my blessing of an Algebra teacher who understood how to truly help her students grasp everything she was teaching. Unfortunately, even though she was such a great help, I still had issues keeping my grade up in her class. I was still convinced math just wasn’t my strong suit and that no matter how much “I tried,” it wouldn’t get better.

After a while, my grades and my nonchalant attitude caught up to me, and I realized I needed to actually try if I wanted to get past the 9th grade. So, I stayed after class and asked my teacher to help me. Quickly, I realized that math was not as hard as it seemed.

When people say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” you may think of a person who looks mean but is really a sweetheart. In my mind, I think of math. It looks so complex and can make you second-guess what you actually know. In reality, if you dig deep into your brain, you’ll see that math requires the same steps, just in different formats.

Slowly, after this realization, math became fun to me. I started turning in accurate assignments and even turning them in earlier than everyone else. I started to feel proud of myself and had the confidence in class to answer any question my teacher threw at me.

Time went on, and state testing came around. I was so nervous because, even though I did well in class, I had no idea what that test had in store for me. I went in and tried my best on every question. I didn’t have much confidence when submitting my answers, but I knew I did my best.

When everyone’s results came back, I prepared myself for the worst. Then I was met with my score. Second best in my class.

Math is the most exhilarating subject there is. It makes you dig deep into your mind and try your hardest. It’s not easy, and that’s what I love about it. It taught me that when times are hard and uncomfortable to keep trying and brainstorm ideas on how to get past those tense times successfully. Don’t give up because you don’t understand a topic or situation, but instead be consistent in your want to be greater.