The Challenge That Changed My Approach to Learning by Jayden

The Challenge That Changed My Approach to Learning by Jayden - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

One of the subjects that posed a lot of challenges in academia for me was calculus. At first, I could not understand the relationships between the various topics in the subject. While I could memorize the various equations, putting them together in order to solve various complicated questions was a challenge and it demanded more critical thinking skills from me than before. Many times, I found that I was giving the wrong solutions since I concentrated on trying to give an answer as fast as possible without considering the underlying logic of each step. This problem made me change my approach to learning and start doing things differently. I started concentrating more on analyzing where I went wrong and asking more questions. I realized that it was important to practice even the difficult questions and not the ones that were easy. This experience helped me sharpen my critical thinking abilities because it taught me patience, persistence, and analysis. I realized that the first option is not always the best solution and evaluating all possible options can lead to a more suitable solution. Critical thinking skills are applicable in other courses such as physics and engineering when problem-solving requires logical thinking and creativity. In retrospect, I appreciate that calculus pushed me to work harder. It taught me the lesson that growth and development come through persistence. Calculus has become an experience in which difficult topics become stepping stones to a whole new way of thinking. As I prepare myself for my degree program in Systems Engineering, I realize that calculus has equipped me with critical thinking skills which will be valuable throughout my college and professional life.