Related Rates by Jeremiah

Related Rates by Jeremiah - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

AP Calculus AB was a very odd experience for me because the class was one of the most if not the most difficult class I have ever taken. Although it’s more of a class than a concept, it still remains something that challenged me and reshaped the way I approached learning.
Just to put into perspective how much I was challenged, I spent hours outside of class trying to understand some of the material and went to tons of other Calculus teachers for help. It was exhausting. Even so, I found the hustle thrilling. Finally understanding a problem after multiple attempts, everything finally clicking after not understanding, there is joy to be found in the struggle. I suppose it could also be attributed to the fact that I have never seriously struggled with math given that it’s historically been my strongest subject. Even so, I like the challenge it gave me, even if it was very difficult.
I can recall that Unit 4, the contextual application of differentiation, was where I struggled the most. I remember being out sick for a good part of this unit, and that was probably why I struggled with it so much. I remember especially struggling with related rates. Related rates was and still is the hardest concept to grasp for me, because it takes everything you’ve learned in math and combines it into one small problem or one small question. I cannot fathom the amount of YouTube videos I watched from the Organic Chemistry Tutor and other people who make calculus related content. What’s most memorable about this unit is that, even though I was out for a lot of the material, my teacher still had me take the quiz. I was very annoyed given that I was sick and hadn’t had time to study. I sucked it up and ended up completing the quiz anyway. I had gotten a C-, and I even told my teacher, if she had given me one more day to study, I would have gotten an A. It made me mad knowing that one more hour, even 30 more minutes of studying would have gotten me a better grade, so I made sure to study extra hard for the unit test. And just like I said, I ended up getting a 92%.
Related rates really challenged me as a scholar, because it’s something you can’t rush. You really have to slow down and think about how each part of the problem connects to a concept you’ve previously learned in math. I think this strengthened my ability to make connections in all of my other classes. My ability to recognize patterns and notice how certain things align, no matter the subject, has increased substantially. I plan to use my newly found skills to pursue an engineering degree. It’s going to be tough ,and I’m probably going to have to repeat the same steps that I took in my AP Calculus class. Even so, I’m going to take the challenge head on, because I know now that with enough time, you can understand any concept.