Breaking down the hard nut: How to get those difficult credits in the kitty!

Having constantly been haggled by questions like – “ What course should I opt for”, “how do I study this course?” “ Is this course necessary for me to understand certain concepts and apply them” “Are there any other alternatives” I found myself always picking the toughest course in the curriculum irrespective of my caliber, brainpower, assimilation ability and time. However, there have been certain misconceptions, preconceived notions, and prejudices towards the so-called “rubbing the nose against the grindstone” subjects.

But sometimes, burning the midnight oil, or slogging the daylight hours may just not yield the required output in the estimated time. Life has given humankind one major constraint in a fairly simple linear optimization problem- time. Staying cautious of the same, there exists a myriad of mighty paths that one can envisage, get sidetracked, and eventually ensue a personalized work out mantra to mete out that last-minute palpitations during examinations. I too succumbed. But later, I realized that the sole reason I opted for a course was not to prove it to the world that I too, can overcome a three credit disaster every semester, it was because I genuinely yearned to learn. My heart longed to know and the brain wished to break the shackles of ignorance.

So I presumed the easiest ways to conquer a dreadful course/ subject area -1. Relinquish it. 2. Relish it by facing it, head-on. I did the '1' majorly, but the guilt which followed was enough to subdue me. I gave '2' a try. I realized that whenever I had to eat something necessary for the body, but not fancy enough for the tongue, I create a package to make it look/taste appetizing and gratifying- like sugar-coating harsh truths before yapping them out. So I decided to sugar coat, decorate and embellish my idea about a catastrophic conundrum I fell into. I took to the internet to create basic know-how through applicative learning instead of diving deep into the fundamentals swiftly.

Considering an example to break the process down- Opamps and their operations.

Opamps are effectively circuits that were invented to simplify our lives. Alas, the Indian Education system had other ideas. So what do we do about it? Apart from cribbing and whining about the misery, a solution does exist. I started reading the preface, and the introduction parts of the book subscribed. I was astounded about the miraculousness of a triangle and five wires popping right through it. The mere reading of a good prologue deemed a new beginning of the approach.

Step 1 of the process of breaking down:

Get a solid layman introduction of anything unknown.

 I moved to the internet and grabbed Simple English Wikipedia, to perceive the nuances. I rolled over to YouTube to hear podcasts. Certain videos took me in awe. Quora was a favorite as the answers had distinctive magic in them. There were blog posts that floored me. I had mixed emotions looking at my ignorance and ingenuity (just kidding, it was a really low blow). I overcame my aversion slowly and moved to my course books. I did not follow the hefty ones which were prescribed already. I opted for simple books that explained concepts to a kid learning addition of numbers for the first time.

Step 2, can be derived easily:

"Use the simplest of language constructs, mathematical formulations, and physical elements to create the perfect concoction of understanding. Do not delve into the books which lead to pandemonium in the grey cells"

All said and done, books disproved my conscience and concentration. I was not able to withstand them. My visual and mental stamina dropped viciously. So who is available right now? MOOCs. I searched through the common ones, the popular ones, and the not so popular ones. I was waiting for a cue. Browsing, scrolling, skipping hopping jumping wading my way through the burgeon. Firstly, I skimmed through the structure and syllabi of the MOOCs. I took one introductory video followed by one explanatory video on it. Nourishing the enriching experience which cropped out certain dreams is the prompt for my next blog post. I shortlisted the best fits. Each course had the unique quirk that made me gravitate towards it. I made a comprehensive list of topics to be covered. For each of the topics, I matched the best fits.

Step 3 consequently:

"MOOCs are amazing, but they come with the vice called choice. It is better to do an in-person analysis of each of them rather than going by word of mouth."

The next step is the crucial one. The effective habit of jotting down key points. They may seem universal in general, but may not cover all the intricacies in particular. What appears important to me, following my viewpoint, perception, memory and past knowledge may look trivial to someone else. Hence, I would recommend a personal diary of notes, rather than a downloaded one. Sure, the ready to download, easy to grasp materials do exist. Nevertheless, it is better to write in your handwriting.

Step 4 :

“Write in your handwriting. It is a self-made one. You will be proud of your invention”

After taking down a few pointers, here comes the task to hunt for the efficacious study materials- in the form of books, notes, handouts, white papers, and research papers. The task is empowering. Through every step, typing the right keywords, scrolling through pages, eyes gunning down every equation, to eventually arrive at the one-stop solution- a personal manual which is a concoction- a bit of here, a grab of there, a pint of this and a juice of that is tiring but equally rewarding.

In conclusion, step 5 is-

“Scrounge the various resources available- internet, library, old book stores, discarded crap, and written manuals, to get the suitable fit for you. A one size fits all does not work when it comes to learning.”

The five-step process has overlapping intersections that can seem irrelevant, or overt. But paying conscious attention to subtlety helps tap the inner potential. It grabs the mind’s attention towards certain nuances, which one may have done wrong in the past, and helps in mending the mistake. Nothing is irreparable in learning. You learn, you fail, and you learn from the failure to succeed. This may seem cliché, but is the bitter truth. Savoring bittersweet memories keeps one grounded and focused on the better part of success- failure.

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