Monday, September 2, 2013

How do you learn?

"The most important learnings of life are caught- not taught." - Elder David A Bednar

Perhaps it's human nature, maybe it's (like my Grandma says) "society these days," but have you noticed how everyone tries to get the most with the least amount of effort? Unfortunately this applies to education, too.  Here in the United States we are each given a free education, maybe the free price tag causes us to take our learning for granted. But cost doesn't always have to be money. It can also be energy.

With the Back-to-school season in full swing, this is a great time to reevaluate our efforts to learn. Remember that we should all be learning and growing in some way. Read below for tips to get the most out of your education, whether it be formal schooling, church-related classes, or independent learning.

1) Learning takes effort. You cannot expect to learn in any circumstance unless you put forth effort. It takes action to learn.

2) Learn to love learning. We all know that if we enjoy something we do it more often. Find a way to enjoy what you are studying. Make it a joy instead of a chore.

3) Set goals. What do you want to learn? What is your timetable? Make clear goals and work towards them.

4) Talk about what you learn. Discuss your new insights with friends and family. Join in discussions at school. Listen for opportunities in conversations to share your new found knowledge.

5) The responsibility of learning is yours. Don't make excuses or depend on others. Take control of your educational experiences.

Elder Bednar is saying in his quote above that learning takes effort, like catching a fish. We must work, not just passively wait for someone to teach us all we need to know.

 Be an example to your kids. Show them how important education is and  the harder they work, the more they will get out of it.

Comment:
Tell me about something you learned because you put forth a little more effort.

3 comments:

  1. it seems as though education is the only commodity that some Americans don't want to get their money's worth out of it. It always made me sad at college when people were glad that a professor had to cancel a class.

    One of my favorite things to do combines two of my goals in life- to have a closer relationship with my children, and to read interesting books. I find out what novels my kids have been a assigned for the school year and try to read them concurrently. It makes for great discussions!

    ReplyDelete
  2. it seems as though education is the only commodity that some Americans don't want to get their money's worth out of it. It always made me sad at college when people were glad that a professor had to cancel a class.

    One of my favorite things to do combines two of my goals in life- to have a closer relationship with my children, and to read interesting books. I find out what novels my kids have been a assigned for the school year and try to read them concurrently. It makes for great discussions!

    ReplyDelete