The use of asking questions by Robert

The use of asking questions by Robert - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

Many students in schools today know the frustration of not understanding what to do in that one difficult class. That one class where the assignments are confusing and the labs make time slow to an agonizing crawl. I was once a part of those students until I did one of the easiest and most effective habits to improve grades: I asked for clarification.
One of the greatest habits I have found to improve my academic results has been to request elaboration when I do not understand a prompt in a writing assignment and when I do not fully understand instructions in lab projects. I have watched others assume they understand any given question in a lab assignment and proceed to fall short when needing to apply what they should have learned in said lab assignment. My habit is an incredibly simple way for me to not only know exactly what I should be doing in a class setting but also allows me to catch errors in work and any misunderstandings I had in previous work.
It is my belief that we as human beings should be critical and analytical of our actions and habits that is why I first started asking teachers and others clarifying questions. It is better to know what to do ahead of time instead of simply assuming you are correct.