Back to the Basics by Kveyona

Back to the Basics by Kveyona - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

When I began taking my first college math, pre-calculus, I assumed it would be one of my easier classes, because I had already completed dual enrollment pre-calculus in high school. In fact, I passed that course with an A, so I felt confident that I knew exactly what to expect; however, I quickly realized college math is not the same as high school and it challenged me in ways I had not anticipated.
Since my Freshman year of high school, I relied heavily on this app called Desmos, an advanced graphing calculator application that became a part of my learning regularly. Desmos allowed me to not only visualize graphs, but to also check my word and simplify many problems with features or shortcuts. While yes, it did help me to succeed academically in grade school, but I did not realize how dependent I had become on technology until I began college. To my surprise, my professors required students to use only a basic four function calculator during class and exams. Suddenly, I was back to having to solve problems by hand and showing every single step of my work. I soon realized that it was like a wake up call, revealing gaps in my understanding that only technology had unintentionally hidden from me.
In the end, instead of letting this challenge discourage me, I decided to go back and strengthen the skills I had forgotten. I searched through my old binders from middle school and high school and found some of my old Algebra 1 and 2 notes. Using those notes I taught myself the basic math concepts all over again, from long division and fractions to solving problems without relying heavily on technology. It took me a minute, but little by little, I became more confident in my abilities which allowed me to finish the course with a B..
Overall, in this experience I learned to stop looking for the quickest answer and to instead slow down, work though each problem, and understand why each step is important. It also strengthened my critical thinking skills because I solved problems on my own and thought through challenging equations without depending on a calculator. Now looking back at what I once saw as my most difficult course became one of my valuable learning experiences.