Game On- How I Made Studying Fun! by Jayden

Game On- How I Made Studying Fun! by Jayden - September 2026 Scholarship Essay

Have you ever played a game, only to realize you actually learned something more than just winner? Well, that’s exactly what I do to help me understand different concepts and build better study habits. At first, I used to take notes in class and then review them at night to make sure I understood the lessons for test day. It was what I always knew to do. Nobody told me that I should or could do anything different, and it worked for me at the time. I’d read over my notes and then reference the textbook for any information I needed more clarification on. It was like a washing machine- rinse and repeat. My grades were good, and I always seemed to be ready for test day. The proof was in the grades that I earned, and I was quite happy.
As the years went on and I reached high school, the work and lessons became more intense. I needed a different strategy to stay interested while learning more challenging information. You might ask why my original study skills didn’t continue to work as in previous years. Well, the answer is, ‘It did!” My problem was that I found myself losing interest in what I was learning and became bored with studying altogether. I needed a new strategy, and so I found one.
A previous middle school teacher had introduced a new materials review website to her students to help prepare for tests and quizzes. I had completely forgotten about it until I thought about making my studying more fun and interesting. At the time, I had only used the website to learn vocabulary words. You could type in the information you wanted to study, and it would create electronic flashcards for you to review. It was actually a really good tool. When I went back to the website to see what else it could do, I found I could create video games where I could shoot the correct answer in the sky, match definitions, and do other fun activities that kept me focused. I was having fun and learning at the same time. This was just what I needed. I engaged in the studying process while not feeling like I was completing the chore of studying. I can’t honestly say that this helped to increase my grades (which were already pretty good), but it encouraged me to stay engaged, do my best, and continue to be successful in school.