Beyond memorization by MaKayla

Beyond memorization by MaKayla - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

During my first year of college, Anatomy and Physiology challenged the way I had always approached learning. When I first entered the course, I believed that the study habits I had used in high school would still be enough. I quickly discovered that college-level science required more than reviewing notes and memorizing vocabulary. The assignments contained questions that required careful reasoning, lab practicals tested my ability to recognize structures in unfamiliar settings, and lecture exams asked me to connect several concepts at once.
The topic that challenged me most was the cardiovascular system, particularly tracing blood flow through the heart. At first, the four chambers, valves, blood vessels, and pathways seemed like separate pieces of a complicated map. I could memorize the order in which blood traveled, but when a question was presented differently, I became confused. I eventually realized that my problem was not my ability to remember information. My problem was that I was studying each structure separately rather than examining how they worked together.
To improve, I changed the questions I asked while studying. Instead of only asking, “Where does the blood go next?” I began asking, “Why does it move in that direction?” and “What would happen if one part of the process failed?” I mentally mapped the flow of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, studied how pressure differences caused valves to open and close, and connected each chamber's structure to its function. When I examined how a damaged valve could affect circulation throughout the body, the cardiovascular system stopped feeling like a list of terms and began to feel like one interconnected process.
This experience strengthened my critical thinking by teaching me to look beyond what is happening and investigate why it is happening. I learned that understanding a subject requires me to identify relationships, test my knowledge in unfamiliar situations, and recognize gaps in my reasoning. I also learned that struggling with a topic does not mean I am incapable of mastering it. Sometimes, it means that I need to change the way I approach it. From that point on, I began using this lesson to guide how I study and solve problems.
The lessons I gained from Anatomy and Physiology now influence how I study in every course. Rather than passively rereading information, I explain concepts in my own words, connect new material to what I already know, and ask questions that require more than memorization. Mastering blood flow through the heart did more than help me understand the cardiovascular system. It taught me how to think more deeply, adapt when my first strategy fails, and approach difficult problems with curiosity instead of fear, skills that I will continue carrying throughout college and into my future career.