Page 112 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science
P. 112
“CHUNK-PUTERS” ARE GREAT!
“Between being a full-time engineering student and also working a full-time job as an
engineering tech, I have too much academic work to keep it all in the forefront of my mind.
So my mental trick is to create big chunks for different areas—thermo class, machine
design, programming, et cetera. When I need to recall an individual project, I set my
current focus aside and reference the desired chunk, which is like a link on my computer
desktop. I can either focus in on a specific area or, in diffuse mode, I can look at the
complete desktop and find conceptual links between chunks. When I have a clean and
organized mental desktop, I can make connections more easily. It increases my mental
agility and also allows me to bore deeper into any one topic more easily.”
—Mike Orrell, junior, electrical engineering
Hitting the Wall—When Your Knowledge Suddenly Seems to
Collapse
Learning doesn’t progress logically so that each day just adds an additional neat
packet to your knowledge shelf. Sometimes you hit a wall in constructing your
understanding. Things that made sense before can suddenly seem confusing. 11
This type of “knowledge collapse” seems to occur when your mind is
restructuring its understanding—building a more solid foundation. In the case of
language learners, they experience occasional periods when the foreign language
suddenly seems as comprehensible as Klingon.
Remember—it takes time to assimilate new knowledge. You will go through
some periods when you seem to take an exasperating step backward in your
understanding. This a natural phenomenon that means your mind is wrestling
deeply with the material. You’ll find that when you emerge from these periods of
temporary frustration, your knowledge base will take a surprising step forward.
Getting Your Act Together—Organizing Your Materials
In preparation for a test, have your problems and solutions neatly organized so
you can go over them quickly. Some students tape handwritten solutions to
