Off of a Cliff! by Kaitlyn

Off of a Cliff! by Kaitlyn - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

The time has come. You knew it was coming and its been looming over your head like the sword of Damocles for far too long. Your shut your eyes tight and dive off the cliff. For a moment it feels like falling and in those split seconds you are forced to accept that you will hit the ground and that the moment it happens... you'll have to hit it running. This is less a metaphor than I'd like to admit. I used to have a academic procrastination problem and no matter what I tried I could not force myself to do *literally* anything. So I came up with the saying "Off of a Cliff!". At the beginning, I would actually throw myself over my bed and out unto the floor. I speed- ran all the uncomfortable aspects and dread of actually getting started by stop- dropping- and rolling. Now, this was good for a rough- draft of a habit but I wanted something more structurally sound. Off of a Cliff represents spontaneity and taking charge of a situation that you felt was out of your control. That could look like anything from going to a cafe if you feel you wont be productive in your house or having a dance break whenever you feel like it midway through a study session. Whatever it is, you just have to do it! It keeps me fresh and makes procrastination useless because in some small way you’re still serving yourself. It is okay to be selfish in your pursuit of knowledge because at the end of the day, you’re the only person its for. All this to say, “Off of a Cliff” was something I came with during a hopeless time where I desperately struggled to focus, I had never heard of any study method that made room for people with brains who didn’t always work as straight- forward as others. It has made a world of difference for me and one day I hope that there are more habits and study methods that incorporate the joy that’s learning a new thing!