Study Prof

The top 10 in-demand jobs for 2010 did not exist in 2004, according to former secretary of education, Richard Riley

The world is changing FAST. (Here are two great presentations (1) (2) that make the point very well … rather long, admittedly, but worth it.)

The point? Your education will only be marginally useful since much of the subject matter you learn will be obsolete by the time you graduate! It’s as if you’re mastering the slide rule in college, only to go to work in a world dominated by computers. For example, I never used email or a cell phone in college (and I graduated in 1991). There are still at least twenty years of work ahead of me before I reach retirement age, yet already I’m surrounded by technology and concepts that didn’t even exist when I graduated from college. So heads up; much of the knowledge you will use in your career will be things you did not learn in college–indeed, didn’t even exist when you were in college!

The world-after-school will reward the ability to learn, create, and adapt more than it will reward knowledge you gained in school. Learning how to learn is therefore MUCH more important than any particular subject you are currently studying!

Originally posted April 4, 2008

Thought this might be useful to most of you. This is a free, open-source laptop tracker that will let you know where your laptop is if it’s stolen. It will even take a picture of the thief if you have a built in camera!

http://adeona.cs.washington.edu/

Double-click any word for the dictionary reference. Check back every day for more words.

abominable
actuate
aggrandize
amiss
anthem
appurtenances
aspersion
avalanche
bastion
betray (more…)

Remember, getting to work when we don’t want to is a learned skill. We have to train ourselves to get motivated on command.

Here are the final three motivation busters. Make sure to check out the first two articles in the series if you haven’t already.

1. Blow up the little problems - Sometimes a little problem can cause more motivation frustration than a big problem. That little issue of (more…)

Part two in the series…

1. Shake it up – Get pumped up by acting like you’re really stoked. Think Dwight Schrute, from The Office. He psyches himself up for an upcoming sales call by doing some heavy metal air guitar kicks and jumps, and talking about how he’ll DOMINATE! Sounds silly, I know. But it works (although it does make my downstairs neighbors mad.)
2. Just take the next step – You don’t have to read (for example) all seven volumes of the Giant Compendium of Skin Diseases, like the prof assigned. All you have to read is that next page. Once your finished with that, pat yourself on the back, and then tackle the page after that. One step at a time.
3. Plan to prevail – Map out how you’ll get started and what each step will be. Get up early, lay out your tools, turn off all distractions, provide yourself with food and drink, and get crackin’. It’s much harder to shirk when you’re all prepped and ready to go.
4. Inspire yourself - Please log in or sign up to read the rest of this content. Find out more.

Lacking the uuumph to bust out that text book on, The Fascinating History of Colloids? Fear not, grasshopper. Here are 13 slick tips to overcome your motivational malaise (this is part one).

1. Consider why you are doing it – Step back to get the broad perspective. Where does this fit into your life goals? Example: “I’m studying this to get an A on that next exam so I can become the world’s greatest puppeteer and avenge Jim Henson’s nasty comments about my father’s ventriloquism talents. Curse you, Jim Henson! Curse you!”
2. Commit to 5 minutes – Promise yourself you’ll (more…)

“Aarrrgh! I so don’t want to study tonight.”

I understand, and I’ve been there. Here are some basic steps to get you going…

Ugly site. Powerful rules. Take a look.

Double-click any word for the dictionary reference. Check back every day for more words.

abolish
actuary
agglomeration
amicable
antediluvian
appropriate
asperity
auxiliary
bastard
betoken (more…)

Richard Feynman was fond of giving the following advice on how to be a genius. You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear or read a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps. Every once in a while there will be a hit, and people will say: “How did he do it? He must be a genius!”

From Gian-Carlo Rota’s “Ten Lessons I wish I had been Taught”