How to be an excellent student

The following text was originally written by David Kaufman (Sorry! I don't have his address)

How To Be An Excellent Student (Version 2)
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Proper Attitude: Learn the material required by each teacher.
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* Focus wholly and solely on the material to be learned.
* Put in the needed time to do each task well.
* Develop the skills needed to use time efficiently.
* Learn which corners to cut.

Proper Daily Studying Efforts: Be determined to do the best
----------------------------- to be an A student.

1. Before Studying: Make a list of what should be done.
* Do an overview of the assignments. List how many
pages to read, problems to solve, questions to
answer, pages to write, etc.

* Estimate the minimum time needed to do each task.
Also estimate the maximum time expected
to complete each task.

* Establish priorities. State the order of the
assignments and how well they should be learned.
Then set aside the time slots to get the homework
done. Work in 2 to 3 hour stretches of
concentrated effort with 5 or 10 minute breaks
at the end of each hour of work, if needed.

* During the breaks: meditate *, or snack (an
ounce of raisons and an ounce of nuts,
if hungry, should continue to maintain
alertness when one resumes studying) or take a
short walk or exercise.

* Study in 1 to 3 shifts daily of 1 to 3 hour
periods. For example, after school, study
4 to 7 PM, and again 8 to 11 PM. Or perhaps
study 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 11 PM.
Study at least 2 hours daily.

* Through extra study, become an expert in some
field of interest.

2. While Learning: Keep track of the time to do each
task. Learn how to cut corners.

* Try to get more done in less time. Evaluate
the study efforts and results after each task.

* Do an overview of the task. For example,
before reading the assigned pages, look at the
headings, pictures, tables and graphs. Then
read the first sentence of each paragraph.
Consider what should be learned.

* Read the material carefully noting the key
details. Ask question that give meaning to the
material while reading. Reread material that is
not well understood.

* Make brief notes about what is understood and
what is not clearly understood. Note pages that
may need clarification with a brief reason why.

3. After Studying the Material Carefully, spend time on the
following:
* Make sure all the homework is completed on time.

* Summarize what is important. Where helpful, also
make pneumonic words, where each letter represents
a related key idea. For example, to remember the 5
Great Lakes in the USA use the word, “HOMES” where
H = Huron, O = Ontario, M = Michigan, E = Erie and
S = Superior. This is a good way to remember many
related points when writing essays for exams.

* While summarizing, quickly reread the material to
help outline key ideas.

* Ask others for help when needed.

4. To Be An Exceptional Student: Do a useful project related
to course work.
* Teach others what’s essential and required.
* Apply the material learned to a useful or new
situation.
* Read the same material from another author’s view.

5. The day before the exam: review the related chapters,
notes and all the work done and required.
* During the exam: Answer the easiest questions with
the most value first. Then answer the more difficult
questions. Work quickly.
* Review all answers and work. Reread the questions to
make sure the answers given are what is asked for.
* After the exam, learn the material that was not well
understood.

Proper Space: Work in a quiet space at a desk organized for work.
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* Have a computer monitor on the left side of the desk
& a desk lamp on the right side (or vice versa). The
desk should be empty except for a pen, pencil, mouse
and mouse pad to the right side of the desktop (if
right handed), and a keyboard in the center at the
outer edge of the desktop (or if not needed on
the left side in front of the monitor). Have a
comfortable chair (a swivel chair without arms is
effective).

* Have flat surfaces (other desks or tables) to the left
and right of the work area (to form a U shape to work
in) for needed books, papers, folders, a yellow legal
pad 8.5” by 14” (for notes) and a reading stand.
These items should be moved on and off the work desk
as needed.

* Have a file system nearby for folders for storing and
retrieving important papers and projects.

Proper Food: If mentally sluggish or physically sleepy, eat less.
----------- Explore what quality foods will maintain alertness.

* To Improve Concentration, Meditate during study breaks for 5 or
10 minutes by doing as follows:
Get comfortable preferably in a sitting position where one can
remain completely still while meditating. Then (with the eyes
closed and ignored) look with the inner attention from a point
between and behind the eyebrows (called, “the third eye”) into
the middle of the darkness or light that lies in front. Look out
continuously into the middle of whatever is seen with the attention
only without any strain. To stop distracting thoughts, repeat
some inspiring words with the mind only. For example, repeat with
the tongue of thought only, “May peace and joy manifest, May peace
and joy manifest, May peace and joy manifest, ...” Another form of
this meditation is to stop the mental repetition and to listen
continuously to any sounds that may occur at the point of focus
which should remain steadfastly at the third eye.

Shopping coupons

Many of us forget to redeem the shopping coupons that we receive through mail.

A better way to organize them is to upload information about them in a calendar. Some coupons (COSTCO, for example) have a range of dates through which the coupons are valid. A software-based calendar would help us plan a trip to the store and avail the coupons that one is interested in.
I created a Google calendar with short notes about those COSTCO coupons that are of interest to me.

Procrastination

Productivity can be significantly reduced by procrastinating the "hardest" or "boring" tasks.

Tomorrow’s professor blog has a very good posting on overcoming procrastination. The article uses metaphors cleverly so that the reader can relate to everyday tasks. Although this article is supposed to be for academics, I believe it can be extended to any person who wants to be productive. While stressing the regular mantra of “Get Started Now!” the post explains 3 different methods to overcome procrastination:

The Tolerable Ten

If you've been putting something off, it helps to start small. Begin working for just ten minutes on the daunting tasks of your life.

The Weightlifter's Guide

Think of weightlifters in training: If a weightlifter tries on Monday to bench press 200 pounds and can't lift the bar, does she try to lift 250 pounds the next day?

The Internet Deferment Decree

Use the Internet as a reward rather than a precursor to your toughest tasks. Even if you are waiting to see if you've gotten your grant, are expecting an important message from your advisor, or need to do a new literature search on the computer, first work on your most important academic project for just ten minutes before "examining" anything else.

Smooth Resignation

Are you planning to quit your current job?

Here are some FAQs that will help you in a smooth transition.

Personally, I have followed the following tip, when I resigned my job for pursuing higher studies:

Make an appointment to talk to your manager. Morning is usually best, because it gives your boss a chance to absorb the news and to start on a plan for your transition, including the paperwork that will need to be completed, how and when your job will be posted and who best to train to handle your duties until someone else is hired,… Have a resignation letter prepared to hand to your boss, either at your meeting or shortly afterward.

And I wish I had followed this suggestion about writing a resignation letter:

The letter should include a formal statement that you are leaving, the timetable for your departure and a restatement of your plan for returning company property and transferring confidential information.
... remind your manager how long you’ve been at the company and all that you’ve accomplished.

Drivers' Ten Commandments

I really admire the Vatican for coming up with this list of ten commandments for drivers. This list is really appealing to the drivers and makes a lot of sense.

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

Creating Memorable Lectures

Lecturing a course is important both for an instructor and a student. Here is an article about creating memorable lectures.

Quick and Easy Ideas for Better Lectures

Provide students with a framework for each lecture
o Aim for three to five main points in each lecture.
o Begin the lecture with a high-level question that the upcoming information can answer.
o Prepare a handout of the lecture's main points.
o During lecture, be explicit about what students should focus on.

Don't overload students
o Give students short breaks throughout lecture to review their notes and ask questions.
o Include a formal activity or assignment after every 15-20 minutes of presentation.
o Don't use too many different types of presentation materials at once.
o Don't give students two conflicting things to attend to at the same time.

Students are also more likely to remember information that relates to ideas or experiences they are already familiar with.
o Use examples from student life, current events, or popular culture.
o Ask students to generate their own examples from personal experience.
o Tell students how new information relates to previous lectures in your course.
o Show students how specific skills can be applied to real-world problems.
o Create activities and assignments that ask students to fit new information into the overall themes of the course.

Equip thyself before thy meets someone

I am not talking about war. I am talking about a fruitful meeting that happens when you know some facts about a person beforehand.

How many times have we googled a person? Be it to know about a renowned scientist, potential date, recruiter, or plain simple self. But, the problem is that we encounter a lot of websites with the same last name.

Pipl [via Digital Inspiration] is a collaboration of plain vanilla search and geographical location. The results are structured based on quick facts, contact details, profiles, publications, websites etc. Below an excerpt from their website:

Unlike a typical search-engine, Pipl is designed to retrieve information in real-time from the deep web, our robots are set to interact with searchable databases and extract facts, contact details and other relevant information from personal profiles, member directories, scientific publications, court records and numerous other deep-web sources.

Go ahead and try it. I know you are eager to pipl your name. ;)

NMT License Plate

Finally NMT License plates are available. The NMT logo on the backdrop of the M-mountain makes it the most colorful and alluring license plate than any other collegiate name plate in New Mexico.

Rose Pruning Demonstrations

The Albuquerque Roses Society is conducting demonstrations for pruning roses. They will also provide tips and techniques for growing roses at your home during weekends in March. The demonstrations are from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on March 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th. (weekends)

Tax Time

Time is soon approaching and get ready to file your taxes. 15-point check list and 10 big deductions too many people miss are useful reads.

Ford and its endless woes

Ford has been hobbling for sometime now. Last week Ford Motor Company posted the biggest loss in its 103-year history.

Here are some unanswered questions.
Will 2009 be really a heyday for Ford as Alan Mulally foresees? Will Ford be the next turnaround story? How long are the customers willing to wait for an exciting American design?

The stakes are high and the company has mortgaged all its assets. We have to remain and see if the turnaround plan, The Way Forward, is working. Chief executive Alan Mulally is the pioneer in auto industry by using the “smaller is better” thinking.
Let us wish that Ford comes out of this hornets' nest pretty soon.

Martin Luther King Day

I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Google has a beautiful, yet simple, picture of playing children.

Driver's License Test

Here are some links for sample driver’s license written tests. I recommend taking these exams as practice before going to the main test. I suggested a couple of my friends who took the test here in Socorro. Mind that the answers are different for different states. Please refer your state’s driver’s license manual for the correct answers. These sample tests are useful in familiarizing with questions.

• Tennessee
• Connecticut
• California

Books that shaped a century

Here is my wish list that I would like to add in my personal library of books.

I picked these books from 100 or so books that shaped a century of science published in American Scientist. You may refer to the above mentioned link for books that have influenced your field of interest in the last century.

My list in the chronological order of publication is as follows:

1. G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician's Apology (1940)
2. John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern, Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944)
3. Norbert Weiner, Cybernetics (1948)
4. Charles Darwin, Autobiography (1950)
5. James Watson, The Double Helix (1968)
6. Donald Knuth, The Art of Computer Programming (1968)
7. Richard Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (1985)

NaBloPoMo

Last month, I participated in NaBloPoMo and posted everyday of November. Then, I took a break from posting. A lot has happened in the last three days. Will post updates about it soon.

Zicam

Today morning, I had a sore throat. Then, I heard a radio commercial that suggested the use of Zicam for quick remedy. I am going to take Aleve as that is what I have at home.

Dumpster

Someone’s trash may be a treasure for somebody else.

When people decide to move, they can leave really useful household things because they cannot take it with them. There was a herd of UHauls in my apartment complex last weekend.
I saw lots of mattresses, beds, tables, desks, etc. in the dumpster. I think it will be useful for the new students who move in at the beginning of the semester.

Holiday Stamps

I am pleased to see that most of the common festivals of the holiday season are recognized. The United States Post Office is now selling these new holiday stamps.

Holiday Snowflakes

Christmas

Eid

Hanukkah

Kwanzaa

Santa’s smallest helpers

Holiday Cookies

All the photos are posted from www.usps.com

Plagiarism

The more popular phrase among academia, “publish or perish,” is undergoing so many makeovers. Publish or Plagiarize, else Perish is one such expression. The article is a very interesting read. But, I am alarmed to see that plagiarism is widespread practice among Indians. I sympathize with the author’s personal experience in dealing with such inquiries.

I am impressed with the following quote from Nonoscience’s.

Publishing in peer reviewed research journals is to be seen a ‘personal academic duty’ of an academician, as a contribution to the growth of scientific knowledge rather as a means for (any) professional gains.

Spending enormous amount of time and earnest effort in the seeking of the ‘primary recognition’ naturally yields the ‘secondary recognition’ as a bonus. This is the only way one can become a successful researcher with conscience.

Apple Store

I have been yearning for this news.

As an avid user of many Apple products, I am glad to see an Apple Store opening up in Albuquerque. I am curious to see it open in the new ABQ Uptown mall.