I've found that there's an important connection between learning calculus, getting good at Halo, growing muscle, or accomplishing pretty much anything you set out to do. You probably instinctively know that connection is practice. I didn't just wake up good at Halo (actually, I'm still not all that great); I had a 7 year old (not a typo) wipe the floor with me and taunt me in his sweet, childlike, rotten little voice... and then I practiced and practiced until finally I beat him. Same story with derivatives, finishing a marathon, etc.
What I didn't expect, and what may or may not take you by surprise, is that stuff we don't do is practice too: Not studying. Not going to the gym. Not consistently writing in your blog that only your mom reads. I think the analogy that might strike home the quickest is the dirty laundry corollary. I have a hamper... at least I think I do, but instead, I practice daily carefully using my dirty laundry as an impromptu carpet covering. My room isn't a war-zone right away, but after a week or so, it really starts to build up... that's how I've started viewing the other foibles (did I use that right?) in my life... incrementally not all that bad, but after a while, I have to spend an entire Saturday washing and folding my bad habits.
The beauty for you and I? There are TONS of systems for improving the way we do stuff... my favorite places to look are Lifehacker and instructables.com. If you've got something you want fixed, give 'em a whirl. I'll probably refer to these sites a lot... and very likely point out favorite posts there. I also plan to start posting my own instructables as I progress through my Bio-Electrical engineering/Comp Sci degree. Speaking of breaking bad habits, it's time to get back to the books.
Not a great first post, but not the worst one out there... :)
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omg Chris! I know a kid who interned at Instructables.. that is so funny.. :P signed, your cousin.
ReplyDeleteChris some of these may seem like no-brainers, but they're stuff a lot of my firends didn't really think of when we were starting out in school, especially with the math:
ReplyDelete1. Take good notes
2. Do your homework (school decided this was probably an important thing and started checking the year after I finished my Calc courses. I wish they had done the checking sooner, it would have saved me retakes)
3. The most important thing, if you don't understand something, don't be afraid to hassle the teacher. The university pays them to maintain office hours where they just sit and gloat about the fact that none of the students are willing to see them, as well as playing video games and drinking tons of coffee. Take advantage of them.
Thanks for the tip...I will stop practicing my bad habits.
ReplyDelete@Jeff Kelly: I know! I take notes galore, live to do nothing but homework, and make sure that my profs earn their dollars. My calc teacher only has one office hour/day AND has a T/A.
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