Page 168 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

finish in the top ten in the nation. We have found that many seemingly top students (who
are getting an A+ in all their classes) do not perform as well under the pressure of a
Science Olympiad event as those who can mentally manipulate the knowledge they have.
Interestingly, this second tier (if you will) of students at times seem to think of themselves
as less intelligent than these top students. I would much rather take ostensibly lower-
performing students who can think creatively on their feet, as the Olympiad requires, than
top students who get flustered if the questions being posed don’t exactly fit the memorized
chunks in their brains.”
—Mark Porter, biology teacher, Mira Loma High School, Sacramento, California

SUMMING IT UP

At some point, after you’ve got chunked material well in hand (and in
brain), you start to let go of conscious awareness of every little detail
and do things automatically.
It may seem intimidating to work alongside other students who grasp
material more quickly than you do. But “average” students can
sometimes have advantages when it comes to initiative, ability to get

things done, and creativity.
Part of the key to creativity is to be able to switch from full focused
concentration to the relaxed, daydreamy diffuse mode.
Focusing too intently can inhibit the solution you are seeking—like
trying to hammer a screw because you think it’s a nail. When you are

stuck, sometimes it’s best to get away from a problem for a while and
move on to something else, or to simply sleep on it.

PAUSE AND RECALL

Close the book and look away. What were the main ideas of this
chapter? Pause also to try to recall the essential ideas of the book as a
whole so far.

ENHANCE YOUR LEARNING

1. Think of an area where persistence has paid off for you in your life. Is