Memorize vs Learning

I understand that in the coming week there will be a test or two in some of the engineering courses. Are you guys ready? Have you been studying to learn or are you waiting to memorize? Trust me when I tell you there is a huge difference.

As you memorize a fact you are putting that information in temporary storage in your brain & you will soon forget it soon after the test. When you learn something you can relate it to your work, find use for the knowledge and recall it long after. The knowledge and information your instructors are sharing with you is vastly important; it is stuff you will need to not only continue your academic career but to be a successful materials engineer. Don’t waste time memorizing facts when you want to understand the material as it applies to you.

“Memorized knowledge isn't half as useful as knowledge that's actually understood.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/when-memorization-gets-in-the-way-of-learning/279425/

“The fact that you have memorized throughput formulas, taxonomic structure and any other information is good but until you are able to put it in context and know how it applies to your situation, you have not learned anything; you have merely stored it in memory for future recall.”

http://www.aiim.org/community/blogs/expert/memorizing-is-not-learning

REQUIRED MEETINGS MUST BE COMPLETED BY END OF SEPTEMBER

It seems that many of you have forgotten about the required advising meetings. Well, consider this your last reminder before the dreaded HOLD. Please don’t make me put a Hold on your account – it’s a lot of work.

As I have had to cancel a few meetings because of my tooth pain, I take responsibility in my part. To make up for that I am going to extend office hours on Monday, 9/23 and Thursday, 9/26. Please use Scholar to sign up for a meeting or stop by during open hours.

The following is a reminder of the required meeting outline for all MSE undergraduates.

• ›  5 during Sophomore year
• Early fall term, course request, end of term or early spring term, course request, end of spring
• ›  4 during Junior year
• Early fall, course request, end of term or early spring term, course request
• ›  2 during Senior year
• Early fall, mid spring

 Important Dates

• September 21, MEPS Tailgate from 9-11. Enjoy breakfast & participate in the raffle.
• September 27-29, Fall Family Weekend
• October 4 is the last day to change a class grade option to P/F
• October 5, Homecoming
• October 10, Fall Focus Career Fair
• October 18, Fall Break

Helpful Tools

Social networking isn’t going anywhere. (That’s a no brainer.)  I’m not naive in the fact that you guys are using and will continue to use social networking sites to get help with your academics. I just ask that do you so with extreme caution.  You never know whose notes you are obtaining, if they are a good note taker, or if they deliberately shared bad notes.

I know you’re thinking people just wouldn’t be that cruel. Really people? I run a virus scan on my home computer daily because some idiot thought it would be fun to develop a computer virus and name it “ILoveYou.”

Random 

“Philosophers and scientists have long puzzled over where human imagination comes from. In other words, what makes humans able to create art, invent tools, think scientifically and perform other incredibly diverse behaviors?

The answer, Dartmouth researchers conclude in a new study, lies in a widespread neural network -- the brain's "mental workspace" -- that consciously manipulates images, symbols, ideas and theories and gives humans the laser-like mental focus needed to solve complex problems and come up with new ideas.”

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130916162003.htm

Ut Prosim

Campus Community Emergency Response Team training set for October

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/notices/091113-oem-emergencyteam.html

Sandbox

I don’t know if it’s true or just a folk tale but I was told that at one time Campbell Soup stop putting directions on their soup because they figured everyone knew how to make it. Well, college students started calling the company to ask for directions. Needless to say, they put the directions back on the label.

With that in mind I share the following recipe: 

http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398

After you read the recipe take your time and review the comments.

My Schedule 

Scheduled meeting times are available 10-11:30 & 2-4, no appointment needed 1-2.

To schedule a meeting please log into your Scholar account. Under the MSE Undergraduate Advising Tab use the sign-in tool to select a meeting time. Please know it will be necessary to click on “expand all recurring meetings” to see all available dates, then click on the date you would like to schedule a meeting and the available times will show. Currently, meeting times are available through the end of September.