Get Lost 2A

           This past week we were assigned to read seven articles on an array of different topics.  When I started, I was dreading reading some random article that I thought I might not get much out of.  It turns out, one of the articles was about challenging yourself and trying to get the most out of everything, even if at that moment it doesn’t have a purpose.  Reading different kinds of materials makes you a better learner.

            My favorite article was the New York Times article on College Advice.  I enjoyed reading advice from people that know what its like to be a student. In this article they talk about not just to be interested in what you need to slide through to get a degree, but to actually absorb the information so you are someone with true intelligence.  In this article the page titled, “Go the Wrong Way,” is about challenging yourself and stretching your imagination instead of being narrow minded.  There is one quote on that page that I really like. “You need resources to prevent your mind from becoming narrower and more routinized in later life.*” To me this means you need to keep an open mind and always be an active learner.   The more you challenge yourself and continue to learn, the easier learning will become.  This is going to definitely be a challenge for me.  In high school, I was so used to not doing much of any work and getting A’s.  I never really had the opportunity to be really challenged.  I know at first being challenged will take a lot of getting use to, but I think in the long run there will be a much bigger pay off then just scooting by with the bare minimum.  Life will be so much more interesting when you have lots of different things to connect with others. 

            I was dragging reading these articles but in the end I found that I enjoyed it.  It was something I could connect to and understand how that would improve my college experience.  Learning about different techniques is nice because that way you have a lot of ways that could help you.  You can try them, continue doing the ones that work for you and forget the rest!

            After reading some of these tips I’m really going to get organized and really try to not focus on just getting it done, but rather focus on really grasping the ideas that come from doing that activity or reading.

*http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/opinion/06nussbaum.html