They aren't secrets anymore, now are they?

This blog is in response to Annie Murphy Paul's article "Secrets of the most Successful College Students."

As far as secrets go, these are not in the slightest bit juicy. Being one of the most successful college students doesn't sound like that much fun if the gnarliest skeleton in their closet is that they are deeply invested in their class material.

With that said, I like to think of myself as a fairly successful college student. I would probably fall under the category as a "fair-weather" deep learner. If I am in a class that I enjoy, journalism, english, history, I can let myself get pretty immersed and dig a little deeper than the weekly online BlackBoard quizzes. As for math or science, I certainly am only in it for the grade. In my personal opinion, you can't dig any deeper in stats. Math is what it is and nothing more. I will not give math an ounce of passion.

Luckily, I am done with math forever, so perhaps I will be able to move on and become a full-fledged deep learner. In each of my classes I could explore more about the subject beyond what the textbook or the professor teaches. Textbooks and professors teach everything from their point of view, everything is tainted by their own experience, which is why it is important to learn from various perspectives, to ensure that a wholesome education is achieved. Consulting more with other students is another way to get a different and more in-depth understanding of the material.

Deep learning certainly gives a better educational experience. When I actually care about what I am learning, it doesn't seem like schoolwork, its the difference between checking the clock every three minutes in class and just sitting there, absorbing the material. Looking at the clock is not that fun, but learning, and increasing your value as a person can be nothing but a rip-roarin' good time.

In journalism it is very important to have a well rounded understanding of everything, especially other people. Becoming more richly and diversely educated is a great way to broaden one's knowledge base. As a journalist, to truly be able to capture the people you are writing about, you must be able to understand them. In strategic communication, to sell something, you must be able to connect to the buyer. Being more educated in the world can also help to ease the nerves of going into the unknown. If you are well educated about the world around you, the foreign may not feel to foreign after all. The more you care, the more you learn, and the road to the Pulitzer prize becomes more evenly paved.