Article by Tziporah Ibragimova ('23)
In a high school student’s life, there seem to be only two things that matter: getting good grades and getting into college. In the process of getting good grades, we learn the material but do not always retain the information that is being taught to us. To truly learn something, we have to make sure that knowledge is sustainable and can be applied to our everyday life.
To truly learn something, we have to make sure that knowledge is sustainable and can be applied to our everyday life.
Research shows that there are three main components of learning: reading, writing, and thinking. When people read, they improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills. Additionally, reading provides readers with more information about the topic that they are reading about; hence they can learn simultaneously. When people write, they express themselves, allowing them to learn more about parts of themselves they may have repressed. Thinking allows people to truly comprehend and absorb the information they have been taught. When people read, write, and think, they learn.
When people read, write, and think, they learn.
Reading is incredibly valuable, as it improves a person’s vocabulary while providing the opportunity to escape the realities of life and explore a different one. Additionally, reading gives answers to questions that people may have had for a long time, and it expands a person’s imagination. Vladimir Nabokov states in his essay “Good Readers and Good Writers” that “the good reader is one who has imagination.” In the business world, research has shown that those who use their imaginations to come up with and pursue new ideas tend to accomplish the most.
The spheres of reading and writing are strongly intertwined: a good reader tends to be a good writer. As Stephen King affirms in his novel, On Writing, “Reading is the creative center of a writer's life.” A writer can derive inspiration from reading, as well as apply the vocabulary learned through reading to the world of writing. A question that is frequently asked is, “Why do people write?” Some people do it to express themselves, to get specific points across, to feel relief, or attain a sense of accomplishment. Others enjoy the liberty of creating an alternate world through written forms.
To properly learn, people need to think. Whether it is thinking about what to read, what to write, or what the author of what you are reading is expressing, cognition is necessary. However, self-doubt often obstructs a student’s ability to learn. Carol S. Dweck states in her article, “Brainology,” that there are two mindsets: A fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Students with a fixed mindset tend to give up whenever they are faced with a challenge because they believe that they do not have the potential to overcome it, thus harming their motivation to learn. Students with a “growth mindset” acknowledge that intelligence does not only come naturally, and understand that it takes hard work and cognitive efforts to achieve their goals. This belief that one can control the events of his or her future increases the motivation to learn.
This belief that one can control the events of his or her future increases the motivation to learn.
In a fast-paced world of learning, it is easy to forget to connect and contextualize learned information. While getting good grades and getting into the college of our dreams is important, we must remember that learning itself is what will enable us to achieve our goals.
Commenti