Hello Future Students,

This week, the most important thing I learned was the importance of sticking to a tool once you choose one. This could be anything, from an app, a website, or even just a small notebook. This week in 1159, I took a look at the app Pocket Points. It was a simple application to reward me for staying off my phone while I studied. I tested it out for a couple assignments, then I went on with my day, continuing to go back to my old patterns of getting distracted by my Phone.

As the day was ending, I realized that I have a terrible habit of setting up a tool, and never utilizing it again. I realized just how important it is just commit to using something no matter if you want to or not. Too many times have I created a calendar in a new tool and just never gone back to it.

If I could impart any wisdom to you, its that sticking with something will pay its dividend in the future. It allows you to create a rhythm with your workflow and that is a stepping stone to a good work ethic. Whether its a small app to improve your  focus, or a complete turnaround of your regime, it pays to stick with it in the end.

Hello future students,

This week I learned about researching and how one should go about finding a quality source. However, the most important thing I learned was much deeper than than: The importance of researching for your own sake, not just an academic one.

Everyday, you have conversations with others, and everyday, people discuss new ideas and new topics relating to everything from science and technology to politics and people. Everyday you are presented with new information, and now-a-days, you never know whats true and whats false.

If I have learned anything in college, its that you need to think and research for yourself, no matter what anybody else thinks. That requires having good researching skills, and good fact-based resources to be able to take from. In the end, being able to research, not for any academic reason, but for a true love-of-learning sake, is a skill every student needs to learn.

This allows you to grow as a person and live your own life, with your own opinions and own ideals. In order to do so, you need to take the time to sit down and just learn. Not for any real reason, besides your own self-interest in self development, and how you can grow personality. For example, I was reading about artificial intelligence as it is something that interests me, and today it was relevant in an online discussion in class. If you would like to have a read, its really interesting!: (https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/ai-will-reduce-socioeconomic-inequality-f40a19b18340)

As it is will all work, learning ain’t easy, but it makes the world a very interesting place.

Hello Future Ohio State Students,

This week, the most important thing I learned was about how to truly crawl before you walk so to speak. In my Online Study Skills class we were given an assignment about learning something new, and it really opened my eyes on just how to start learning a new subject. Many people now-a-days take think that one can really just jump right into a subject and start learning, without understanding an overview or the basics of a subject. As a student, you need to be prepared to advance your knowledge and understand how to do so without biting off more than you can chew.

There are lots of helpful resources when you truly do not know where to start when initially learning a subject

Youtube search bar: <subject> + “basic tutorial” usually pulls hundreds of resources of where to be able to start when learning something new

Wikipedia: While it isn’t the world most reliable source, it can still be useful for a quick reference, or a quick summary on a topic

Online Forums (Reddit, StackExchange,Etc): This is a remarkable source as it is able to create an environment to ask others where to start. This provides a solid, though sometimes unreliable source, get familiar with before you jump into a larger subject.

Google: When in doubt, just Google where to start!

Overall, there are plenty of resources, not to mention knowledgeable people, to help students get started learning a new subject or skill, one just needs to know to look and test the water before they decide to swim.