How to Study

There's one thing they never teach but you but you're supposed to miraculously know how to do: study. The thing is, I didn't learn how to properly study until about my second year of university, and I wish I knew how to before, so here are my six steps to being an expert studier.

STEP 1: DO THE READINGS!

I used to think I could get by not doing readings, and I was right. I could get by. But the semester I decided to stay on top of my readings is the semester I achieved a 4.0 GPA. Readings are so important because they give you a fuller, clearer picture of the topic at-hand. You may feel like they're useless & a waste of time, but I assure you one key way to become a quasi-expert on anything you're studying is to read. It's a tedious task, so be sure to put aside a few hours every week to get the job done. Highlight if you can and take notes in the margins, so you can easily refer to that later on and not have to read through the entire thing twice. When I say "take notes", by the way, I mean summarize what you read succinctly & in your own words.

STEP 2: ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES

During my first year of university we were prohibited from using our laptops in class, which forced me to take notes by hand. This, I learned quickly, was a blessing in disguise. To me, the best most effective way to organize my notes is to write them by hand in-class, and then type them out before a test. When I type out my notes in preparation for studying, I have all my readings done and I merge my margin notes with my class notes, which ensures I have a complete and clear synopsis of any topic. I then like to have a printed copy of my typed notes so they can be more portable.

STEP 3: USE FLASH CARDS

Never underestimate the power of flash cards! It may seem like a juvenile tactic, but it can be incredibly helpful for a number of reasons. First, the act of writing out the flash cards is a study method in and of itself. It helps you consolidate and remember information. Second, you're confining your notes on a given topic to one card, which potentially narrows down pages upon pages of information to something more realistic/manageable. I'm not saying to discard your full notes completely, but flash cards really help your brain bring recall key information quickly. This tactic is particularly useful if you're memorizing definitions or learning things word-for-word.

STEP 4: LEARN TO FORMULATE POTENTIAL EXAM QUESTIONS

Or in other words, think like a teacher to anticipate exam questions. What did the prof stress in class? If you know there's going to be long-answer or essay questions on your exam, which topics in your studying can you glean enough information on to write longform answers to? Having read your textbook can definitely help you navigate through this thought process quickly and efficiently. Pick a topic, ask yourself a hypothetical question about it, close your notes, and type out as much as you can. If you're not able to tackle this task sufficiently, try again until you can. Typing out answers to hypothetical exam questions helps you organize information, and it has happened to me a couple times where my own practice questions have actually showed up on an exam!

STEP 5 (OPTIONAL): RECORD YOURSELF READING YOUR NOTES

This may seem a little exaggerated, but it has benefitted me multiple times. This is especially helpful if you're not the best reader or it requires a lot of concentration for you to register what you read. Simultaneously seeing the words on the page and hearing them in your headphones ensures that every bit of information is given the opportunity to be processed. This is especially helpful if you're studying a very dense topic, or if it's a high stakes exam and you need to study on-the-go/at any given moment. This method + flash cards is really ideal for utilizing public transportation time.

FINAL STEP: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

One of the biggest issues when it comes to studying is discerning which information is important and which is not. Often, you don't have enough time to comb through pages and pages of stuff, so picking and choosing what gets studied is a really good skill to learn. But, like every skill, practice makes perfect. It's important to go to class so you can observe and anticipate which specific topics are most important to your professor. It may take a few tests to understand what your prof's testing style is like, but keep on it because eventually you'll figure it out. You also need to learn which methods work for you and which don't, but once you get that down pat you'll be so much better off.

I guess the last thing I'd like to mention is that, as you might have noticed, my favorite study methods are very hands-on and participatory. I like writing things out. I like reading things out loud. Skimming notes or reading them over and over has never proven helpful to me because I don't have a photographic memory, and chances are, you don't either - so don't be afraid to switch it up and try new things!

What I Learned in University

It's the last week of my undergrad! Woooooohoooo! I know I haven't blogged in a while but I figured my future self would be pretty upset if I didn't blog about the completion of my university degree. I thought I would document some of the lessons I picked up along the way.

First, I want to thank my parents who were able to finance my degree. Thanks to my dad who paid for most of my tuition, and thanks to my mom for supporting me in ways she was by no means obliged to. She paid for the majority of my cell phone bill, my train pass, big portions of my vacations, in addition to, of course, providing my housing and food. All I had to pay for is Netflix, new clothes, and socializing. I know I'm privileged to be subsidized by my parents when many my age are struggling and in debt. The lesson here is to acknowledge and be grateful for the help I've received. Thanks, parentals.

Second, I learned to stop denying my intellectual ability. In CEGEP, my strategy for getting good grades was to anticipate what the prof might want and replicate it to the best of my ability. This rarely led to any grade better than a B. In university, I decided I was smart enough to take chances with my assignments. I decided to have faith in my intellect and it paid off. I've been pulling straight As since the second year of my undergrad when I decided change my approach to school. Writing about what you like and what you think is much more rewarding and fun than having to write about boring topics that you don't feel connected to. Profs (good ones at least) recognize when a student takes risks with their writing and they grade accordingly. It's nice.

Speaking of good profs, I learned that not all profs are good. Some are arrogant and condescending. Some are so worried about academic bureaucracy that they forget what their job is. I had one prof that was so hell-bent on not giving As that no matter how hard you worked, how often you consulted the TA and got professional feedback on your work, you were doomed to a B+ at best. It's demoralizing. Bless McGill students who have to go through this on a regular basis.

I learned to reeelaaaxx about the future. Ever since high school it's been clear that I should be focused on one thing only: $$$. At this point, many of my friends are discouraged, anxiety-ridden, and stressed beyond belief about what they're going to do when they graduate. This is no bueno. I decided that I need to chill out a bit so as to not have a head full of greys before I hit 25. We live in a time that glorifies hard work, which is not to say hard work is a bad thing, but it serves to make those who are not constantly working feel incredibly guilty. We're trying so hard to transcend the notion that millennials are lazy and useless, that we're overworked and tired beyond belief. I refuse.

Finally, I learned that I need to celebrate my accomplishments more. Over the course of three years I completed an internship, secured a position that paid more than minimum wage, QUIT said position because I realized it wasn't making me happy, took my time to complete my major without stressing the hell out, and completed a minor along with it. I made Dean's List. My GPA is nearly a 4.0. I'm more socially and politically aware than I've ever been. My friendships are stronger than they've ever been. My bank account isn't in the negatives. I'm a small business owner. Am I on the road to riches? Who knows, but right now I'm good. It's all good and I'm proud of myself.

Education Shmeducation

Hey everyone... Someone posted this video to my school program's Facebook group, and after watching it, well, I felt a rant coming on. I know this has nothing to do with beauty so you don't necessarily need to read it but I thought I'd share my opinion!



To be fully honest, this video infuriates me for many reasons. First, I'd like to take this guy's idea to the "worst case scenario" for purely argumentative purposes. I should hope that this is not how it goes. But sometimes it's crucial to apply theories universally. (See: Kant's Moral Theory)

People who lack critical thinking skills and are easily swayed might view this video and think, "Man, this guy's right. Why go to school? I'm gonna take a day off. Or maybe two. Or maybe I'll drop out." Etcetera. They'll pass it on to their friends who will wholeheartedly agree. And soon enough we're going to live in a society where no one will have an education. Where people simply didn't feel like memorizing dates and staying up late to study. A society filled with people who slept through their classes and didn't so much as bat an eyelash whenever the wise prof said anything remotely interesting. Because what's the point?

But let's get back to this society where no one is educated. God, if this guy attended and payed attention to a single history class, he would know that this society he's set up would gravely backtrack us in time. A time with no gender equality. A time with no racial equality. A time with no such thing as technology. He fails to realize that Steve Jobs' ingenuity relies on the sheer intellect of his developers, all of whom bring a quality of intelligence wrought mostly by their formal schooling. I mean, if no one knew about the Holocaust, if no one knew about the intricacies of science, math, and physics, if no one knew about Shakespeare and Chaucer and Austen and Hemingway... What a truly boring, dysfunctional, and discordant world we would live in.

And originally I didn't want to go there... But it's necessary. In what world do we live in where an African American can stand there and claim formal education is all for naught. African American history is all about redemption, equality, and most importantly RIGHTS. The most fundamental of which is the RIGHT to education.

Sadly, many countries do not have the right to education. Personally, I think this guy needs to do some world travelling. I hope one day he will go to a 3rd world country and realize that the one thing in the world that kids in poor countries long for is an education. Maybe going to school won't directly fix poverty and famine and drought, but it might give a person the intellectual tools necessary to tackle the problem logically and perhaps to simply even cope. If anything, it might give a child something to hinge on and to be passionate about. If you give a poverty-stricken child in a third world country the opportunity to go to school, I guarantee that they will not be moaning and groaning like you.

I admit that I complain about school. I admit it. That doesn't mean I lose sight of the fact that I am in a rare situation. I have been given the opportunity to attend higher education, whereas the majority of the world's inhabitants have not. However, I accept this opportunity with humility. I don't understand people who think they're above school. I just don't. Even if you harbor all the creativity and personality in the world, trust me, you will not mask it by going to school, you will simply highlight it.

Kids bitching about school being useless is something I can't stand. But here's something I'd like to clarify: I acknowledge that the end goal of school is to obtain a degree that will get a potentially mediocre, unfulfilling job, and that might sound very daunting. That's attributed to the capitalist-driven society we're living in.

But here's another idea. Why not pay attention in class? Why not try to absorb some information? Learning for the sake of learning. Why not? It might make a dreary school day somewhat tolerable. I mean, if this guy wants to be an educated individual, here's an idea: instead of droning about your school days, why not take up a genuine interest in a class? Even if it's just one! Take a class you might not usually take: architecture, religion, painting, anything. I promise that school is not all about deadlines and grades and sleep deprivation.

I guess one good thing came about from watching this... I really feel like studying now. Learning doesn't suck unless you let it.