Finding Chaucer

Do you remember the first time you truly realized just how hungry you were for knowledge and learning?  I do.  

I've always had a profound love for learning.  When I was in my teens, my Uncle recounted a story of my thirst for knowledge.  I was three years old. Allegedly, I was sitting in the back seat of his Cadillac, holding one of his Jet magazines that he usually kept in the backseat for my Grandmother or any other passengers to read. 

I was holding up the magazine right-side up, appearing to be actually READING the magazine, and he said, “Well, would you look at that?” I don’t remember that, but I trust his account…

I do remember reading and reciting any street names that I’d see, along with anything with words on it: shop signs, graffiti, posters, flyers…really, anything! I didn't realized what this behavior looked like to others when I was doing it.  I was met with amusement from my Uncle…and annoyance from my Sister. My Uncle really enjoyed seeing me learn. My Sister really just wanted me to “Shut up”. Really, I can’t remember a time in my childhood when I wasn't reading everything...especially on car trips with my Uncle!

I guess I just wasn't aware of how much I loved learning-I just figured that’s the way I was.  You know that feeling.  You’re not really aware of something until you've lost it. Looking back, I realize that it was when I lost my access to learning materials that I fully recognized my love for learning.

When this moment happened to me, I had been in the California foster care system for about four years.  I was in my third foster home, a home that lacked love and nurture.  I remember having to live in a room with disgusting pea-green sheets that smelled faintly of urine.  There was a “dummy” television perched on a tiny, dusty TV console. We later realized that the TV was our guardian’s lousy attempt to make it seem as though we had access to all necessary amenities, including a TV in our room. In fact, it wasn't until the social worker left the home that we tried to turn on the TV...and swiftly realized the scam. The television did not turn on; when you tried to, all you heard was a click.  We checked behind the TV to see if it was unplugged. To our surprise, we found that there wasn't a cord attached to the TV at all! We knocked on the TV-it was hollow. The TV was literally EMPTY! We laughed at the sheer preposterousness of the situation, but it was sad, too.  It was yet another letdown in a series of letdowns.

One day, as with many other days in that house, we were as bored as dirt. My sister had let the house to play in the backyard.  I was lying on the floor next to “Dummy TV”. I happened to glance at the dusty console and spotted a strange-looking rectangular object. Is that a book?  No, it couldn’t be, I thought.  I almost stopped because I thought I might find a rat, roach, or some other unpleasant creature hiding in the clumps of dust and grime. My curiosity quickly overcame that instinct, and I opened the door and found a book. 

It was a thick leather-bound tome, dusty on the outside but nearly pristine inside (although musty) from years of disuse and neglect. Excitedly, I wiped the grime from this beautiful surprise. I saw the title of the book: The Canterbury Tales. Hmm...interesting, I thought. I looked at the name of the author: Geoffrey Chaucer. Hello, friend, I thought.

For the next few hours, I poured through this very dense work of literature. Boredom was replaced by rapt engagement as I luxuriated in intricate phrasings and interesting tales. In my mind, I’d traveled to Chaucer’s England.  

I deciphered Middle English without realizing it until much later, when I took an advanced English course at Santa Monica College. My favorite tale in this inaugural reading of The Canterbury Tales was “The Wife of Bath”.

That day, I knew I’d found a treasure. I wouldn't realize how great a treasure this finding was until years later.  (I totally should have kept the copy I’d found!) That day I found out just how far I’d go to get an education and to learn all that I could. My passion for learning was acknowledged in my spirit through this one act. 

Now that I think about it, I can’t believe that I braved the possibility of encountering unwanted pests just to get to that book! But I did.  And I've never stopped finding ways to educate myself and learn more about the world around me. When I found Chaucer’s book, I discovered my propensity to seek knowledge and wisdom. This consciousness continues to sustain my pursuit of life-long learning to this very day. Chaucer, I’m so glad that I found you…

[This entry is written in honor of  National Foster Care Awareness Month.]

Before the Test: How Life-Long Learners Prepare for Exam Day

Preparation lays the foundation for success. When it comes to studying, “Practice Makes Permanent”. When you prepare for exams, go beyond mere cramming, “studying to the test”, rote memorization, and regurgitation of facts and figures. To prepare for a test in the aforementioned ways negates your intelligence, your capacity to learn deeply, and your opportunity to thrive in your chosen academic environments. Life-long learners learn for comprehension, retention, and future application. 

Here are 10 study tips and other preparation guidance that will help you before, during, and after the test.  If you follow these tips, chances are you’ll actually remember what you studied months, even years later!

1. Study! Use effective learning techniques such as chunking, the Pomodoro method, mnemonic devices, and the Memory Palace method.
2. Don’t over-study! Beware of information overload. Also, space your study sessions out in smaller increments over time by utilizing the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of focused study, followed by a period of relaxation and reward) as often as needed. Be consistent with your study sessions throughout the semester so that you won’t need to do any last-minute cramming.
3. Know the test type and the types of questions that you’ll be required to answer: multiple choice, true or false, short answer/essay questions, or a hybrid of the aforementioned test/question types.
4. Make sure that you read and review all information pertaining to the test (i.e. review guides, flashcards, notes, test information from the instructor).
5. Prepare all of your examination materials well in advance. Make sure that you have a pen/pencil, scantron, and test booklet for in-person tests and a reliable internet connection for online courses.  It may be useful to purchase or prepare these items as soon as possible and place them in your backpack or in your study space so that you will already have the materials with you by exam day.
6. Be your own teacher!  Prepare summaries of the material after each chapter and attempt to explain the concepts and ideas in your own words. Form study groups with other students and prepare independent study guides. Create and prepare practice tests for your own personal use and for your study group members.
7. If you don’t understand a concept or idea, work to understand it during your study time. But don’t obsess and strain yourself.  If “A-ha moments” are not forthcoming, ask for help! If you need more clarification ask your instructor. Seek tutoring if necessary.
8. Take care of yourself! Get good sleep the night before any exam.  Remember: Sleep helps you to process information you’ve taken in the night before and assists you in making new neutral pathways that help you work out difficult problems. Sleep is good for you-just do it!
9. On Exam Day, make sure that you have a meal-or at least a snack-so that you’re not distracted by feelings of hunger.
10. If you begin to feel anxious, take steps to relieve your anxiety.  Before the test…Talk to a friend. Listen to an inspiring song. Most importantly, BREATHE.

Pomodoro and You: Employing the Pomodoro Method in your Study Session

In your sacred study space, make sure that you have access to a way to reward yourself as you reach your milestones. What better way to inspire yourself for making a commitment to your education and your scholastic pursuits? I mean, social learning theory requires that you do so...inspire yourself with delicious rewards! 

By now we’re all familiar with the Pomodoro method.  If you need a refresher, remember that the Pomodoro method basically suggests that you study for 25 minutes then give yourself a reward shortly thereafter.  This technique is loosely based on social learning theory, which posits that we need to condition ourselves to perform better.  The formal theory posits that behaviors are established reinforced when there are rewards. When applied to study techniques, we can assert that we can condition ourselves to focus on studying by engaging in studying for a given amount of time (in this case, 25 minutes), followed by an immediate reward (“Treat yo self to…”). 

One tip is to study in a place that inspires you.  I am inspired by coffee shops! I love the atmosphere. I put on noise-canceling headphones and study.  After a while, I stop and take a Frappuccino Break.  The frappuccino is my idea of an amazingly tasty reward. 

But hey-what moves me may not necessarily move you! Find your own personal way to reward yourself. Find places to study that inspire you, whether it is a mountaintop, in your garden, nestled in the library or holed up in your room in your favorite spot. Stay inspired-and don't forget to "Treat yo self"! Consider it self-care...

Creating an Inspirational Study Space

Sometimes we need a reminder of why we are working toward our chosen goals.  We can become so overwhelmed when we focus on the small picture. I'm going to anoint such issues as "small picture problems". Oh we're familiar with these. "Small picture problems" can include that homework assignment you've been avoiding, the test in that really difficult class that you're dreading, that admissions essay that you've been surfing the web vigorously trying to avoid. During times of hardship, discouragement, and procrastination, we need to be able to evoke what I call "Big Picture Perspective". Set your mind to diffuse mode when it comes to inspiring yourself. Focus on the larger outcomes of all of the hard work you’re putting in now: career advancement better economic situation, career change, providing for your family making the world a better place.

There is a special process that I used in order to create an inspirational study space. I surrounded my study space with things that inspired me.  The very setting I chose for studying was inspiring to me. 

For the record, I love coffee shops like Starbucks and Coffee Bean.  

I also love the beach. 

Sometimes, I’d go to the Santa Monica Promenade to study.  I went to Starbucks or Coffee Bean.  I preferred Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf because it was more quiet. 

I settled in set up my study space, and ordered my favorite drink. After I’d studied for a block of time (30-40 minutes) I’d take a break, sip my drink, and listen to my favorite tunes on my iPod.  Then I got back to work.  After repeating this pattern, four hours would easily pass by. On the way home, I’d stroll by my favorite bookstore and music store and enjoy my walk to the bus stop. I was a student, so I couldn't afford to do this every day, but I would try to do this four times a month. 

I was able to create a similar inspirational workspace in the library, student center, and other places I chose to study.  I would leave these study sessions feeling so accomplished and happy.  I was happy to learn what I was learning and to be able to make various connections between the concepts I was learning about and how they applied to other classes I was taking.  In addition, I was enjoying the educational process on my own terms.  Another important element of this process is that I was prepared to answer questions the next day in class in a thoughtful and engaged manner. The ability to discuss, ask questions, and answer questions deepened my engagement and my knowledge in a very deep and significant manner. 

One of the things that I used to do was set up my study area as though it were my very own desk. My in-depth study sessions were a solitary yet enriching activity.  My motto: I'm hard at work. Don't bother me when I'm studying. Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi and Les Sins fame summed up my modus operandi during those sessions very well...

I treated school like a career, so I mirrored my goal by setting up my workspace like an office desk. I prepared my materials, set up my computer, notepad, binder, pens, pencils and highlighters. Then I took out a small photo album that held pictures of those I love. I also took out a copy of an inspiration collage I made to inspire myself and placed in on my desk. By creating an inspirational space to study I did a number of things.

1. I took ownership of my educational experience.
2. I engaged in "Big Picture Perspective", which reflected my changed mindset about the learning process.
3. I made my learning experience fun and enjoyable...my study time became something I looked forward to.
4. I created a space for learning that was facilitative in the enhancement and deepening of my learning experience. I'd even venture to say that I created a sacred place in which my determination, love of learning, and pleasure centers were nurtured and activated.  I know-pretty intense, eh?
5. I became my own teacher as I gave myself the permission and the time to create my own study apparati: practice exams, mock presentations, self-made charts, and independent essay prompts.
6. I established an important ritual around my practice of studying that involved establishing a safe place for learning, surrounding myself with inspirational and pragmatic study apparati, changing my paradigm regarding my view of studying, and learning in a way that integrates academic knowledge with my knowledge of myself and the world around me.