Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post

Nani · 07-01-2009, 07:47 PM

You're probably not as behind as you think. I'm also going to be a sophomore in college. I went through high school as an A student and did very well without cheating (I cheated maybe 2 or 3 times), but I learned very little. I think most students have the wrong mindset about learning all throughout school. I wasn't much different from you, really, because the only thing that mattered to me was getting a good grade. I would study that boring-ass material for that good grade, and then I'd throw it aside, never wanting to look at it again. Ever.

I was really bitter about it, and ended up learning almost nothing because of that. I did develop a strong work ethic and drive to complete any assignment on time no matter what, though, so it's not without its positives as well. I'm sure you can find something positive about your years of cheating, too. If you made it all throughout your school years by cheating, then hot damn, you probably have excellent social skills, persuasion skills, and/or you're extremely creative. You can use all that to your advantage.

Now that you're in college, I think the most important thing you can do is learn with the intention of USING what you learn in the future. Don't always study just to get a good grade. Try your hardest to see how the material can be relevant in your own life.

I'm sure this can be done with any subject if you're creative enough, but I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it's really hard. I wanted to die in my Art History class and could not for the life of me see any use in knowing the names of paintings and their history. In classes like these, I suggest you either try to use the class to personally challenge yourself, like studying every day to strengthen your self-discipline, or develop some kind of interest in the subject by reading about it and asking questions.

Now, about how to study. You have to study efficiently. There are a lot of people in college who never cheated but still don't know how to study effectively. Reading the information over and over and hoping it'll stick in your mind is a method that rarely helps, yet a lot of people use that.

I recommend reading the free e-book on this page: Scott H Young » Holistic Learning EBook
Kind of funny, because I recommended it to someone else here the other day...
But I think it really will help you.

07-01-2009, 07:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
Nani Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 55	You're probably not as behind as you think. I'm also going to be a sophomore in college. I went through high school as an A student and did very well without cheating (I cheated maybe 2 or 3 times), but I learned very little. I think most students have the wrong mindset about learning all throughout school. I wasn't much different from you, really, because the only thing that mattered to me was getting a good grade. I would study that boring-ass material for that good grade, and then I'd throw it aside, never wanting to look at it again. Ever. I was really bitter about it, and ended up learning almost nothing because of that. I did develop a strong work ethic and drive to complete any assignment on time no matter what, though, so it's not without its positives as well. I'm sure you can find something positive about your years of cheating, too. If you made it all throughout your school years by cheating, then hot damn, you probably have excellent social skills, persuasion skills, and/or you're extremely creative. You can use all that to your advantage. Now that you're in college, I think the most important thing you can do is learn with the intention of USING what you learn in the future. Don't always study just to get a good grade. Try your hardest to see how the material can be relevant in your own life. I'm sure this can be done with any subject if you're creative enough, but I'll be the first to admit that sometimes it's really hard. I wanted to die in my Art History class and could not for the life of me see any use in knowing the names of paintings and their history. In classes like these, I suggest you either try to use the class to personally challenge yourself, like studying every day to strengthen your self-discipline, or develop some kind of interest in the subject by reading about it and asking questions. Now, about how to study. You have to study efficiently. There are a lot of people in college who never cheated but still don't know how to study effectively. Reading the information over and over and hoping it'll stick in your mind is a method that rarely helps, yet a lot of people use that. I recommend reading the free e-book on this page: Scott H Young » Holistic Learning EBook Kind of funny, because I recommended it to someone else here the other day... But I think it really will help you.