Cognitive osmosis

The learning process has evolved and adapted itself to cultures and languages throughout time. However, one particular aspect has never changed, it is an enduring and harsh process. You need to consider that there are three steps in this process: class, homework, and research.

Coming to class gives you the basic knowledge and guidelines that will serve as pivot for your learning process. Homework is, at least, a refresher of what was reviewed. Nevertheless, homework is to be done in the same way medicine is to be taken. Imagine getting ready for summer, you crave to show that spectacular body. Would you work out the day before summer or during the entire winter? Cramming through homework half an hour before class is useless. The embarrassment of not having done your homework is pointless and belittled compared to the true damage: you are not learning. Finally, between what you do (go to class) and what you are expected to do (do homework), there is what you can do. If you are learning the architectural applications of life size models in the metric system (international system of units), then why not learn the imperial system? Because you might need it to work in countries that belonged to the British Commonwealth. Your own research will not award you a Nobel Prize but will strengthen your learning process.

Remember, for each hour of class you need to spend two hours at home studying. Let’s say you have 9 hours of class each week, this means you will need to spend 18 hours at home studying; impossible? No. Your Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays might be taken with 3 hours each, which means your Tuesday and Thursday are free to study, let’s say 3 hours as well. Then you have 2 entire days during the weekend to study, evenly you would study 6 hours each day; possible? Yes.

The education system in Perú has portrayed a lingering image in which paying high fees results in obtaining the most profitable diplomas. Schools are brands that grant knowledge, through osmosis, like a toddler’s perfect use of an iPad grants him or her an elevated IQ. You are now competing with the world, our shortcomings are our own and we have it within ourselves to stand up and rise to the challenge.

- Dennys Velasquez