The Struggles of Precalculus by Matthew

The Struggles of Precalculus by Matthew - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

During my junior year, I faced a challenging academic experience in my Precalculus class. I had always been a solid student, but when we started learning about functions, logarithms, and trigonometry, I found myself struggling. The concepts were more abstract and complicated than anything I had encountered before. I felt lost during lectures and often couldn't keep up with the pace of the lessons. As the tests approached, I began to feel overwhelmed, worrying that I wouldn’t do well in the class.

The first sign of trouble came when I got my first test back and saw that I had scored much lower than I expected. This was a wake-up call for me. I knew I needed to do something different to improve. Instead of feeling discouraged, I decided to take action. I approached my teacher after class and asked for extra help. She recommended that I go over the material in smaller chunks rather than trying to tackle everything at once. She also suggested that I practice problems daily, even if it was just for a short time, to strengthen my understanding.

In addition to meeting with my teacher, I found a study group with a few classmates who were also having trouble but were willing to work together. We would meet after school a couple of times a week and go over the topics we didn’t understand. Explaining concepts to each other and hearing different perspectives made the material clearer. Slowly but surely, I started to grasp the concepts that had once seemed impossible.

I also used online resources like Khan Academy and YouTube to watch lessons on specific topics. These resources provided explanations in different ways, which helped me understand the material from various angles. I would spend extra time each weekend reviewing everything we had learned during the week to stay on track.

By the time the final exam came around, I felt much more confident. I had worked hard, sought help when I needed it, and practiced consistently. When I received my final grade, I was proud to see that I had improved significantly. This experience taught me the importance of persistence and seeking help when needed. It also reminded me that challenges are a part of learning, and with the right mindset and effort, I could overcome them.