University success demands a discipline that we all can learn. It could be argued that the students who claim honor’s degrees, scoring near-perfect GPAs, have two things going for them: (1) the right circumstances, such as plenty of free time for studies, and (2) mastery of study hacks. Let’s look at some study hacks for… Read more »
For most of my life, my idea of nature was a peanut in a Snicker’s bar. Blindly, I missed out on nature’s worlds of mysterious beauty, of sacredness, and of friendships with unlikely souls. I saw a clip about a 97-year-old man who wrote philosophy books, one of which was on dying. He seemed a… Read more »
Can we possibly identify with students plagued by exam anxiety, students so spacey during tests that just signing one’s name, reading the first question, and circling a single multiple choice answer takes the brunt of thirty minutes? What about the study nights where students feel so overwhelmed, so anxiety-riddled, that nine hours go by without… Read more »
I don’t know when the trend of throwing away all my keepsakes began. But I now know the regret that follows. I read that some people treasure keepsakes, and I never understood why. But when we cherish a piece of the heart someone left us in form of an object, we can later reflect. If… Read more »
Is there something we desperately want? But what we desire most can either rob us of our humanity or bring us closer to our truest nature. It’s helpful to note what was said by Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter for The West Wing and The Social Network: “You want to write the character as if they… Read more »
Have you ever had your computer die while writing a term paper? It’s a cause for grief, anger, and other prickly emotions. But with the next three tips, you may never lose grades due to the sudden death of a laptop, the loss of a file, or the lapse of a deadline. That’s because studies… Read more »
Three people changed my world dramatically. These are my mentors, and this is what I learned: My Mentor, my Brother. I had a mentor who valued intelligence and success. As a young child, I was mentored by him to excel at school. He taught me math, Roman numerals, microscopic science, and more math. He oohed… Read more »
The most painful way to grow is to face a brick wall. But if managed well, brick walls can lead to bliss. Indeed, brick walls can make life exciting and rewarding. Let’s examine the role of brick walls for characters in fiction—and for us. Everyday people live exciting lives. If people were to walk in… Read more »
A friend of mine said we must listen when somebody speaks from the heart. When someone is sincere, candid, or vulnerable, it’s time to lend a heartfelt ear. She also said, we must put our biases aside. When you write a reflective essay, you speak from the heart. But what exactly is a reflective essay?… Read more »
Have you ever wanted to tell a story, perhaps about your life? Well then, you’ve likely wanted to write what is called a narrative essay. It’s the kind of essay that starts with vivid visuals of the scene—from the scents to the sounds to a smorgasbord for the senses—and ends with a deep reflection. According… Read more »