Music Obsession by Sophia

Music Obsession by Sophia - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

Music is all I think about. Whether I'm sitting in class or walking to work, there's always a constant, rhythmic beat playing in my mind that makes me want to go straight home and learn how to force my fingers into playing the chords I've dreamed about all day. This fixation on my guitar has become more than just a hobby; it is a borderline obsession that, while it can be occasionally intense, has become my most effective tool for academic success. Under all of the pressure of my junior year, it's easy to spiral into a cycle of overthinking grades and deadlines. However, the moment I pick up my guitar, the academic noise is silenced by the immediate demands of the strings and playing the notes that satisfy my ears.
Because my mind is so naturally prone to obsession, I often find myself hyper-focusing on whatever is in front of me, especially when I’m told it is vital for my future. Before I established the routine of playing my guitar everyday, my energy was put entirely into my academic work, leading to a state of constant anxiety and burnouts, inevitably leading to my grades dropping. But now, shifting that intensity from a textbook to a fretboard allows me to exhaust my mental energy in a way that feels creative rather than draining, providing a total reset that leaves me feeling refreshed and genuinely focused.
By allowing myself to get lost in music, I release the tension that would mess up my performance in my academics. This habit has taught me that success is not just a creation from constant work, but rather the quality of it brought to the table. In both academics and music, quality undoubtedly wins over quantity; mindless repetition leads to collapse, while intentional, relaxed practice leads to breakthrough. When I finally set my guitar down, the "academic noise" that used to feel overwhelming is always replaced by a sense of calm, which naturally leads to better grades and significantly lower stress. This mental shift makes it way easier to return to my studies without tension and let me achieve a level of productivity that I could never achieve through sheer willpower alone.