What study strategy or learning method has had the greatest impact on your academic success, and why? by McKinley

What study strategy or learning method has had the greatest impact on your academic success, and why? by McKinley - September 2026 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my life, studying never came naturally. I always struggled with getting information into my long-term memory; thus, making test preparation hard. Advice from peers or mentors never really resonated because the methods they used were not engaging to me. So, for years, I worked hard to find a study habit that worked well, which is what led me to use note cards. Writing out the cards was engaging on its own, as writing stuff down on paper can ground my body and calm me down. However, what was even better was the repeated studying. It always felt like a game, which excited me to study.

I remember the day I realized note cards were the best study method for me. My AP Environmental Science class had a lot of terminology and concepts, and none of them ever stayed in my brain. They were all so similar and writing them out was the only thing that made me understand the little differences between each concept. Studying the terms made a stressful class more fun, allowing me to associate the class with joy rather than anger. I began passing my exams with As and Bs, all thanks to my technique of using note cards as a study tool.