Never be afraid to be right.
Hey there!
My name is Ken and I have 37 years of experience in the tech industry. I want to provide you with a few tips and tricks to help you when studying and retaining the learning you will be exposed to throughout your STEM journey or honestly, any career or educational journey you decide to embark on.
Any field of study that involves math, science, or engineering can never be treated as a spectator sport:
be a full contact participant, practice, practice, practice
solve, attempt, and dissect as many problems as you possibly can
repetition is a path to not only success, but confidence and high self-esteem
never be afraid to be right
never be fearful of failing
understand a wrong answer, do not settle with anyone just giving you the right or corrected answer, be curious
understand and be able to replicate why you are right, how you got the right answer, or what different possibilities of ending at the same correct answer or solution could or might be
on the flip side, always work to understand why you were wrong or came to a different answer. A lot of times, may of the steps you take in solving a problem will be spot on, and it could be just one misplaced digit, symbol, or decimal point that alters the path to the correct answer
do not procrastinate, the snowball effect of tasks and problems in anything can be daunting and lead to mental fatigue that can hold you back
it is ok to be super organized, it helps greatly in reducing stress and prepares you to always be prepared, and to mitigate surprises
be a pack rat for the right reasons, save your practice material or homework and tests, to look back on and see why you succeeded with certain problems or challenges. It’s like a self-made pep talk, to look at your own work, your success and failures along the way
always be open to ask for help, trust me, someone else didn’t get it at one point and eventually did get there with help, it is ok, and a great thing to ask for
if you haven’t heard this already, you will. No question asked is a stupid question. Questions never asked, can only exist as questions, and never as answers
In closing, I wish you all the best in your journey. It will test you, it may frustrate you, but do not let it defeat you. It will inspire you. It will teach you. It will reward you many times over. Remember, it is the journey, not the destination, that is the true reward.
Good luck, Ken
