In my experience, school is not about the content learned. It is instead about developing tools and strategies that one can use to learn and problem solve.
With new classes every semester and a lack of opportunities in daily life to calculate surface integrals of a vector field, is it really surprising that most students forget the content of previous classes? Will I ever have to calculate the thermodynamic properties of a diesel engine or the deformities present in an organic polymer as a software engineer? The answer to both of these question is no. However, these (seemingly irrelevant) classes provide exposure to a new way of thinking and explain a bit more about the way the world works.
Assignments aren’t about finding the answer to questions you are unfamiliar with, but about finding how to answer questions you are unfamiliar with. This is much more valuable than learning information. First, information is easily forgotten. Second, there is an infinite supply of information and no education can provide the exact information needed in every situation. By instead developing the tools to learn and problem solve, one can face any situation knowing they will be able to find the information needed.
– Mitch
Quote of the Week
I don’t know what’s the matter with people: they don’t learn by understanding, they learn by some other way — by rote or something. Their knowledge is so fragile! - Richard Feynman
PS: I write this as I am in the middle of studying for finals. A task which involves the (perhaps temporary) ingestion of large amounts of information.
Favourite Things of The Week
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
Very different lifestyle from my current routine of consistent sleep times, healthy food, exercise and water.
Skin in the Game - Nicholas Nassim Taleb
Smart dude, difficult to read.
Music: Marc Rebillet - Sunday Brunch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqPnuDyPyFQ)
Talented guy with character.