The Power of Putting It on Paper by Erica

The Power of Putting It on Paper by Erica - September 2026 Scholarship Essay

The study strategy that has had the greatest impact on my academic success is simple: I write things out. I have always found that I understand and remember information better when I take the time to put it into my own words. Reading something once might give me a general idea of what it means, but writing it down forces me to slow down and actually process it.

When I come across a complicated concept, especially one I don't immediately understand, I rewrite it in a way that makes sense to me. I might take a paragraph from a textbook or a lecture and turn it into a few sentences that I would actually use in conversation. Sometimes I explain the concept to myself as if I were explaining it to someone else. If I can make a complicated idea sound simple, I know I actually understand it.

I also use writing to connect new information to things I already know. This has especially helped when I am learning concepts that seem unfamiliar at first. I might connect something from a class to an experience from my professional career, something I have encountered in the cultural space, or even something from everyday life. Making those connections gives the information somewhere to “stick” in my mind. Writing helps me organize those ideas and figure out how they relate to one another. It gives me a way to take information that initially feels overwhelming and break it into something I can actually understand and use. I have also learned that studying is about being more intentional with the time I do spend learning. Writing things out allows me to actively participate in the learning process. I am not just taking in information. I can question it, connect it to what I already know, and figure out how to apply it.

As I start my Master’s in Arts & Cultural Management, I know I will encounter new ideas and perspectives that challenge the way I think. So I plan to bring this learning strategy with me. I will continue writing out complicated concepts, making connections across subjects, and finding ways to relate what I am learning to the work I plan to do.

For me, writing is how I turn information into understanding, and understanding into something I can remember to apply it later.