Thursday, December 27, 2007

Tips on being successful at MSU (Part 2)

To study successfully, you need to understand how your memory works. In practice, your memory is divided into three parts:

1. Your sensory register (normally, inputs stays there for less than 1 second)

2. Your working memory (normally stays there for a few seconds)

3. Your long-term memory (normally stays there for ever)

To be able to use information during your final exam, it has to be stored in the long-term memory. That means that you need to see the information often enough for it to enter your long-term memory. Here are two common scenarios

1. Student A likes to study last minute. What that means is that - when revising for the final exams - all the information is going into his working memory but not into his long-term memory. He may remember some of it, but not enough to score.

2. Student B studies regularly. That means paying attention in class, reading the textbook before and after class, writing lots of notes, surfing the internet for additional information and so forth. Because you are "seeing" the same information regularly, it is gradually transferred from the working memory to the long-term memory. That means that when the final exams come, all of it is easy accessible and you can score As.

When of the biggest misunderstandings about studying is that most people assume that some people are "smarter" than others. Although that is true, the difference in intelligence between people is not that important. What it comes down to is:

1. Some people have SMART goals, others do not

2. People with SMART goals tend to manage their time effectively. They work more and do things earlier whereas other people simply do things last minute

3. Students who study early and on a regular basis score better results because the information they get during the course is transferred into their long-term memory. It is accessible during exam time. People who study last-minute only transfer the information to the working memory. During the exam time, it is often "not there".

There are various tricks to help you remember information better and help the critical transfer of information into your long-term memory. Surf the net to find out or come and talk to me.

Tips on being successful at MSU (Part 1)

If you read all the "How to be successful" books, there are two main themes

1. Set clear goals

2. Manage your time to achieve your goals

The formula for setting goals is SMART. SMART stands for

- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Reason
- Time-based

So, "graduating from MSU with a good CGPA" is not a SMART goal. However, "This semester, I want to get at least 3.2 in all my courses" is a SMART goal. To be effective, goals should be written down on a piece of paper and evaluated regularly.

Once you have a clear goal, you simply manage your time to achieve your goal. In practice that means,

- Not taking too many subjects every semester so you can score higher grades
- Studying regularly
- Revising regularly
- Not going back home every weekend

It also means, you have to prioritize between what is important and what is desirable. If it is time to study, and your girlfriend / boyfriend comes knocking on your door; you have to tell him / her that you are still studying and to come back later.

As a general rule, any student that has a CGPA above 3.2 is doing OK. Whenever the CGPA falls below that level, it is ALWAYS because of lack of SMART goals and poor time management. If in doubt, ask your mentor for advice on how to improve your goals / time management system.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Theory of Contraints

It's almost Xmas. Anyway, my research indicates that the Theory of Constraints (TOC) is something to look for. It has enormous implications in how we develop effective strategies. Check out the idea of "Throughput Accounting" because we will talk about that in class.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Welcome to my Blog

This blog has been set up for my students. Feel free to discuss your assignments here!