Master Student Journal 2
Success often leads to a personal false image of practical habits. When people are successful, they immediately think that they must be doing everything right, since apparently whatever they have been doing has taken them their current state. I am guilty of this inflated self-image. Although I do realize some of my flaws, I often do not bother to correct them, as these flaws have not ever severely hindered my success. After reading the last few chapters in the Becoming a Master Student textbook, I have realized that I can always improve; I can always become better and more successful. Therefore, in the future, I plan to push aside these notions of overconfidence and accept some of the techniques.
Most of the time, I have the mentality that if I complete an individual task or set of tasks, why does it matter when I do it. Homework is a key example of this. I can do the homework at school the day that it is assigned, I can do it at home, or I can do it at school in the morning. I often choose the latter. Although most of the work gets done effectively, I understand that this is not the best choice and there are often consequences for this choice in poor time management. From the chapter on Planning/Time Management, I have learned that time management is important, no matter how the work gets done. As a result of this, I have chosen to adapt the concept of actually making schedules and to-do lists, and then actually following through with them. I was once under the impression that a single to-do list was enough, again, with the mindset that as long as it gets done, its fine, but this chapter has showed to how to effectively use my time. Another aspect of time management that I will incorporate is from the 25 Ways to Get the Most out of now section. “#18 Ask: Is This a Piano?” stood out in particular. I find myself striving for perfection so often, when it is rarely needed. I have come to realize that there is a gray area in between good enough and perfect that can still yield exceptional results, saving time in the long run.
Again, I am also guilty of overestimating myself when taking tests. Normally, I don’t study. Ever. Studying is a rare occasion for me because it is unnecessary most of the time. In the past, I have only studied for major exams, such as midterms or finals, and even then, it was only half-studying. I would go back and reread the chapter or some review questions for a few minutes and I was done. I think I have created a review outline, without it being required, only once or twice. I didn’t study because I didn’t have to. The past 10 years of schooling haven’t really been hard; challenges were always minor and easy to overcome. I could read a chapter once and absorb all of the vital information or do a few review problems and fully understand the concept. Now that I am moving into a more intense and difficult learning environment, I am beginning to realize that I won’t understand everything on the first attempt, much less retain everything just by reading the material once. This chapter on test-taking has lead me to realize that I can improve the knowledge that I have gained by just taking a few minutes daily to go back and review notes, implying that I have to make an effort to begin taking notes, regardless of how important I find the information at the time it is given. If I study efficiently, it is a given that I will be well-versed in the material and more prepared for a test.
Another facet of test-taking that I can improve is actually what I do when taking the test. Ever since I have been taking test, I have always scanned the whole thing through to effectively pace myself, but I have recently learned that I can now take this a step further. Often, when taking a test, I am so anxious to get to the material that I just jump right in after skimming that I don’t even think about what I am beginning to do, which causes the loss of focus, almost forgetting the knowledge that I began with. A technique that I have learned to curb this habit is to jot down all of the important information before the test begins. For example, on a math test I can write down all of the formulas required for solving the problems on the test, or on an English exam I can plan out the key points for an essay question before beginning to write. This produces more thorough concepts and responses.
An underlying, often forgotten, trait of my personality is my ability to remember things. I unconsciously use mnemonics to help remember specific facts, but most of the time I don’t put much effort into actually trying to remember something. Most of the time, when I do try to retain information, it is only by repetition. In the Memory chapter, I have paid specific attention to the Pay Attention to Your Attention technique. I have gathered from this section that I should monitor my memory by consistently recalling facts or skills learned. This can be applied to reviewing notes, using study aids, reciting a learn fact, or even reminding myself that a specific fact is important to remember. Also, another flaw in my memory techniques involves the distribution of learning. Because I most often do homework and review material late at night, there is so much information being processed at once. If I distribute this more evenly, it will be easier to retain more information. This will aid in increasing my knowledge overall. If I learn something but cannot remember it later, the time spent learning was useless.
Back to other written works
