Learning How I Learn by Jose

Learning How I Learn by Jose - September 2026 Scholarship Essay

The study strategy that has had the greatest impact on my academic success is actively testing myself instead of simply rereading my notes. I’ve always been good at memorizing content by doing it instead of just listening or reading it. When it came to classes like AP Precalculus or Physics, I excelled because I had spent time in class practicing the numbers and strategies and applying what I was learning. This was a one-sided benefit, however, because I wasn’t always the strongest at memorizing information or recalling it during discussions and lessons.

That is where my notes came into play. I needed to write notes for all my classes in order to remember and understand what we had talked about. Without them, I would have struggled to grasp certain concepts and information. Eventually, near the end of my junior year, I started feeling more pressured to memorize information and to make sure I was prepared for my AP exams and final tests. I began asking my friends how they studied, hoping to find a method that worked for me. They mentioned watching videos, reading through class materials, and attending office hours, but none of these methods felt natural to me.

One answer stood out, which was finding word problems or example problems and trying to solve them myself. I figured this was similar to the way I already learned best, so I decided to try it. I went to Khan Academy, Math Medic, and other websites to find printouts, word problems, and practice questions for my classes. I began using different resources for different subjects, and that allowed me to take what I had learned and apply it to actual questions and problems. I continued practicing this way until my exams.

Luckily, it worked. I found that I could progress through exams and apply concepts much more easily because I had already gained experience using them through practice. With this, I realized that studying did not necessarily mean sitting down and rereading information for hours. For me, it meant actively using what I had learned until I could recognize how to apply it masterfully.

Applying what I learned to practice problems was time-consuming and sometimes finding good problems was difficult. However, discovering this method taught me how I learn best and gave me a study strategy that I continue to use as my high school years conclude and as I go beyond high school. It taught me that finding the right way to learn can make a major difference in my academic success, which, to me, mattered more than simply helping me prepare for exams.