“I’ve always envied bright students.“
When I was three years old, my family decided to immigrate to Canada. I don’t have any recollections of the journey there, but I do remember the powdery snow and feeling the warmth of a fireplace for the first time. My parents wanted me to learn English quickly, and sure enough, I was quickly whisked off to preschool. Lucky for me, children possess an incredible capacity to learn, and I quickly adapted to my new surroundings, made new friends, and began communicating with those around me in a new language.
While the Canadian education system was not as strict as the Taiwanese one, I felt it produced a lot of outstanding students. The students didn’t study to appease their teachers or their parents. They worked hard for their own goals and purposes. They worked hard for their dreams.
And so I returned to Taiwan for medical school, once again as a foreigner, to my home country. I was more Canadian than Taiwanese now, and I had to readjust to my birthplace.
I was super excited at the time, and I felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whether it was a stroke of luck or the will of god, I was given the chance to work with some of the smartest students in the country.
However, I immediately regretted my decision.
My classmates outperformed me in every aspect, and I was barely passing the courses. I was at the foot of the mountain, and the peak was so high that it was hidden in the clouds.
I felt into a state of depression. How come some people can spend much less time studying while scoring higher? Why does it feel like some people naturally possess photographic memory? Was I just born with a dumber brain?
After many years of hard work and countless nights of studying, I made it through med school. Through the years, I observed the study habits of the top students and gradually applied their techniques to my learning.
The results were beyond my imagination.
I clearly remember a high school friend of mine telling me, “Did you know? Our brain cells don’t reproduce. That means that we actually don’t get smarter as we age. I guess we’re at our peak now”. It seems like a person’s intelligence is defined at the moment of birth.
This is NOT true.
Even though our brain cells (Neurons), they extend their little arms (Axons) and form networks with other cells. In certain areas of our brain, these networks are what makes up our memories.
To sum it up:
- It IS possible to become smarter
- You can LEARN how to learn better
I hope to share what I have found out about study techniques throughout my decade of learning and teaching. I KNOW that these can help ANYONE learn ANYTHING better and faster than they have ever before.
So whether you’re a high school student preparing for exams,
a college student worried about your future,
or a working professional looking for further self-improvement and eventual promotions,
I’m sure you’ll find the techniques here to be of great use.
I have written this blog for you.