Some thought on how to survive UWC academically ------------------------------------------ I went to AC (63-65) a long time ago and am now 55 years of age. And I have often thought it would have been good to have received the following advice: Understanding vs memorizing "Try not to be overwhelmed by the quantity of facts you have to absorb in your subjects. Emphasize understanding rather than than the memorizing of facts. If you don't understand something as presented in one particular textbook, try another one. Facts don't initially have to be remembered, but can usefully be written down structured by your understanding. Then at a later stage the facts can be memorized from the notes before exams. Pay attention to what you already know Do not regard yourself as an empty vessel to be filled by the knowledge of teachers and texbooks. All of us come to the classroom or the textbook with years of life experience. Before you absorb new knowledge try and activate what you already know about the particular question to be studied and think of what conclusions can be drawn from your own experience. This will provide you with the pegs on which to hang new knowledge and new facts, thereby new learning is integrated with what you already know. Lacking piece in the puzzle. If something is difficult to understand it might be that you lack particular pieces of information that the teacher and/or the textbook take for granted that you know. The problem is that each student might have different holes to be filled as a basis for understanding a certain question and it is hard for teachers and textbooks to accomodate individual needs. That is one reason why it is important to try different textbooks. A familiar word can be used with a different meaning than you are used to. Remember that words do not have any intrinsic meaning. The meaning of a word is simply the meaning an individual decides to give the word. Meaningful communication presupposes agreement on the meanings of words. When a text is difficult to understand it is useful to find out the precise meaning of a word in a particular context. Quite often the same word can be used with different nuances of meaning by different teachers and textbooks and also varying with context. Learning should a positive experience. Learning can be thrilling and fun. If it is not for you, you can try to do something about it." erik ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Erik Sinding-Larsen - tlf. jobb 22 04 23 14/95 13 46 72 - tlf. priv. 22 95 01 24 konsulent - fax jobb 22 04 25 13 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Statens institutt for folkehelse Pb 4404 Torshov 0403 OSLO > -----Opprinnelig melding----- > Fra: Educ Lab [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sendt: 12. mai 2001 23:21 > Til: uwc-l > Emne: I'm new... > > Hi! > > My name is Sarah Gates, I'm not an alumni - but I'll be going to > Atlantic College in September 2001. I was just wondering if you sould > send me some advice - what it's like, what to bring... andthing! I'd be > very thankful for it! > > Sarah
