College Crunch

As a graduate student, I learned many things. Some of the most important things I learned were not taught in any class. They were things I observed in the process:

1. Hearing Does Not Equal Understanding

How many times have you sat in class, heard your professor talk, thought you understood what he was talking about only to discover a few hours later that it no longer makes any sense. For me, the important measure of understanding is whether you can talk about the topic in a conversation with someone who wasn’t sitting in class with you.

Tip: Try to tell someone in your family what you learned in class. If you are successful, you’ll be reinforcing your knowledge. If you are unsuccessful, go back into your notes and work until you understand.

2. Be Critical While You Read

You can’t criticize something without understanding it. Next time you are reading through an assignment in your textbook, try to think of holes in the argument. Remember that textbook writers and even the most world renowned scholars are human beings who make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to exercise your mind by holding these ideas up to criticism.

3. Talk To Other Students After Class

The very best learning for me happened in the midst of my fellow grad students. Iron sharpens iron, so to speak. Take the time to help someone else understand an important point. Ask for clarification. Or, even better, ask a fellow student for feedback on an idea you had related to the lecture. Who knows… you might be on to something important!

4. Human Knowledge Is Constantly Improving

Don’t treat education as a task in memorization. Rather, treat it as a game to be played, enjoyed and perhaps even improved upon. Every major thinker in the history of civilization was a student like you at one point. Let that soak in. And don’t be intimidated. Engage ideas as a thinker. Challenge ideas. Seek to understand ideas more fully.

5. Write At Least One Page Per Day (about 15 minutes)

Whatever else you do, make sure to write your own ideas down at least 15 minutes today. If you don’t understand something, write down your questions. If you think you understand something, prove it to yourself by writing it down. If you think something is wrong, write why. The more writing you do, the more you solidify your knowledge and understanding.