Teach, Learn, Improve

It seems disadvantageous for me to write about this topic. People think of me as someone who got into a UC and flew through the four years without any issues. To write this post, I have to be willing to taint that. Now, that thought process is ridiculous. Hardships happen in everyone's life and shouldn't taint one's accomplishments. However, we have built a culture where setbacks are seen as failures. To fix this, it is important that we, as a society, talk about the different issues that arise during one’s educational career. (*Note: To keep this post short, I will only talk about the biggest setback I faced in college, but I faced many setbacks, big and small, along the way.) Storytime… The week before finals during my first quarter of college, I was doing extremely poorly in my courses. When I talked to my academic advisor, she suggested I withdraw from all my classes. I was shocked. I came back to the dorms and cried for hours. My parents were extremely disappointed....

What is Active Reading and Annotating?  Active Reading: Reading with the purpose of understanding the text.  Annotating: Adding notes to comment, explain or raise questions about a text  When is this most helpful?  I found this most helpful before going to class; however, this method can be used at any time.  Why use this study method?  Engaging Prevents mindless reading Develops critical thinking skills Helps to make connections, inferences, and conclusions Keep track of ideas and questions How? Skim the Text Take note of headings and subtopics Make learning goals Read and Annotate the Text  Highlight important words, terms Underline key ides  Write down questions, ideas, connections, and conclusions  C o l o r - c o d e your notes. Summarize the reading after each section Write down key points from memory  Go back to the text to fill in gaps Fill in ALL gaps Ask the instructor about unclear to...

AR Rahman, an Oscar award-winning music composer from India, is one of my favorite celebrities. Many of his fans, including myself, refer to his songs as "slow poison". When I first listen to a new AR Rahman song, I find it confusing. When I listen to it again, I find some aspects of the song intriguing. Each time I listen to the song, I find myself more appreciative of the artistic genius and the mesmerizing techniques that are employed in the composition, instrumental music, and vocals of the song. Soon, I am addicted. In my experience, finding one's passion also works similarly. Rarely do people find themselves falling in love with a major at first glance. It takes time, persistence, and constant exposure. Many people assume that finding a passion is like putting down the last piece of a puzzle; once they find the right major everything will be picture perfect. That is a lot of pressure to place on a single choice. In reality, finding the right major is simply one p...

This is an introductory post on common study methods that are good starting points for when you are confused about how to study. In further posts, we will look at each of these study methods in detail including the pros and cons and how they can be tweaked to fit your needs While studying, it is best to try to incorporate as many colors and senses as possible as it boosts memory significantly!  Actively Read and Annotate the Textbook Useful to review material before class.  Write down questions and highlight important vocabulary.  Incorporate more senses by reading out-loud  Create and Review Flashcards Useful memorization tool. Use colorful pens to color-code terms and pictures.  Incorporate more senses by reading them out-loud and walking or moving around as you review them.  Reorganize and Rewrite Your Notes Most helpful when reviewing material after class for the first time.  Think about different ways to word, organize, a...

Experimenting with Studying  I nervously looked around; everyone around me was scribbling away in their blue books. I looked down at the question. "20 points. How does the federal government of the United States define who is 'American Indian' or a 'Native American?'", it read. I was sitting in my ethnic studies midterm utterly confused. How was I supposed to remember the exact definition? I could write an essay on how the definition of "American Indian" or "Native American" affected the Native Americans, but I could not recall what the definition was. I considered myself to be an analytical learner. I see connections easily, so I always excelled in my math and science classes. When it came to classes that required memorization of terms, definitions, or dates I was defeated. I told myself that I was just bad at classes such as history or ethnic studies. This was far from the truth. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.  However...