Difference between revisions of "General Advice"
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* '''Don't fool yourself'''. J. Sakurai says that "''the student who has read the book but cannot do any problems has learnt nothing''". A common mistake is to read rather than getting your hands dirty. Independent of your study habits, by far the best preparation for the comprehensive exams is practicing previous problems (UCLA's previous comps, previous finals and midterms of committee members, comp question and answer books by Lim, Chicago, Princeton). | * '''Don't fool yourself'''. J. Sakurai says that "''the student who has read the book but cannot do any problems has learnt nothing''". A common mistake is to read rather than getting your hands dirty. Independent of your study habits, by far the best preparation for the comprehensive exams is practicing previous problems (UCLA's previous comps, previous finals and midterms of committee members, comp question and answer books by Lim, Chicago, Princeton). | ||
* '''Do problems properly'''. One may be tempted to prefer quantity over quality in order to collect a large canon of completed questions. However, it is important to find a balance between quality and quantity of problem practice. A quality problem session involves working on the problem for 30 minutes, checking one's answer with the solutions and then going back to the question without the solutions as aid. If one does not check the answers, one is merely revising the things that one already knows rather than learning new things that one does not yet know. | * '''Do problems properly'''. One may be tempted to prefer quantity over quality in order to collect a large canon of completed questions. However, it is important to find a balance between quality and quantity of problem practice. A quality problem session involves working on the problem for 30 minutes, checking one's answer with the solutions and then going back to the question without the solutions as aid. If one does not check the answers, one is merely revising the things that one already knows rather than learning new things that one does not yet know. | ||
| − | * '''Leave your comfort zone'''. Learning has an uncomfortable activation potential. Overcoming this potential means leaving one's comfort zone and accepting the fact that one does not know something | + | * '''Leave your comfort zone'''. Learning has an uncomfortable activation potential. Overcoming this potential means leaving one's comfort zone and accepting the fact that one does not know something. When you transform this confusion into curiosity, the learning process becomes fun and intrinsically rewarding. |
* '''Work in small groups'''. Working with peers helps with motivation, problem debugging and is mentally stimulating. | * '''Work in small groups'''. Working with peers helps with motivation, problem debugging and is mentally stimulating. | ||
* '''Be optimistic'''. Research has shown that optimism motivates for long term reward rather than short term reward. Therefore it is important to remain optimistic to fight procrastination. | * '''Be optimistic'''. Research has shown that optimism motivates for long term reward rather than short term reward. Therefore it is important to remain optimistic to fight procrastination. | ||
Revision as of 02:11, 7 November 2014
Every year, between 20%-40% of students do not pass UCLA's comprehensive exams. Not passing the comps is embarrassing. Don't be unnecessarily embarrassed. Firstly, your colleagues probably know your results. Information gradients quickly equilibrate and with them dissipate any future potential for embarrassment. Therefore, don't avoid your friends and colleagues for fear of being asked about your comp results. They want you to do well and are likely to offer help and advice for next time. It may feel like you have an albatross around your neck, but it is only temporary. Secondly, let it be known that some students that have not passed UCLA's comprehensive exams have gone on to become leaders in their field (including an assistant professorship at MIT straight out of graduate school). Therefore, not passing is not a measure of your innate ability, but merely an instantaneous measurement of your training status. Therefore, do more training. The best training strategy for your next attempt will probably involve some modification of your last strategy. Therefore, try to identify your mistakes from last year.
Some good training strategies include:
- Don't fool yourself. J. Sakurai says that "the student who has read the book but cannot do any problems has learnt nothing". A common mistake is to read rather than getting your hands dirty. Independent of your study habits, by far the best preparation for the comprehensive exams is practicing previous problems (UCLA's previous comps, previous finals and midterms of committee members, comp question and answer books by Lim, Chicago, Princeton).
- Do problems properly. One may be tempted to prefer quantity over quality in order to collect a large canon of completed questions. However, it is important to find a balance between quality and quantity of problem practice. A quality problem session involves working on the problem for 30 minutes, checking one's answer with the solutions and then going back to the question without the solutions as aid. If one does not check the answers, one is merely revising the things that one already knows rather than learning new things that one does not yet know.
- Leave your comfort zone. Learning has an uncomfortable activation potential. Overcoming this potential means leaving one's comfort zone and accepting the fact that one does not know something. When you transform this confusion into curiosity, the learning process becomes fun and intrinsically rewarding.
- Work in small groups. Working with peers helps with motivation, problem debugging and is mentally stimulating.
- Be optimistic. Research has shown that optimism motivates for long term reward rather than short term reward. Therefore it is important to remain optimistic to fight procrastination.
