Learning to Understand

Posted By: Dillon Burns
Posted On: October 17th, 2016
Attending: Limerick Institute of Technology

Working toward a master’s degree has not been easy these last couple of weeks. We have been assigned numerous different projects with short deadlines and a lot to be accomplished. The style which is taught at LIT is considered to be problem based learning (PBL), where we are assigned in groups and given tasks in which we must work together to find a solution for. In the beginning of the year I was so used to being in classes with lectures and tests, I was constantly looking for concrete answers, or specific ways of doing things. As class has gone on I have realized that this kind of learning is to open your mind and think outside the box. There is no right/wrong answer, you are determining what you think a proper solution is, and being graded on how well you are able to support your arguments.

This way of learning has made strive to understand more day in and day out. What I mean is that in college I will be the first one to say that a lot of times you find yourself in school, especially as an athlete, going through the motions. Now, I am not saying I was not striving for good grades or paying attention in class. What I mean is that if a teacher told me that there was a test to be taken on Friday of that week and it was Monday, I was studying each night trying to learn the material by memorizing information. By the end of the weekend, most of the stuff I just took a test on would be gone from my head and forgotten about. Having spoken with many student-athletes in America who feel similar, we often spend too much time trying to memorize information in order to do well on tests, rather than trying to understand. In this master’s course at LIT, I have truly learned to value “learning”.  It has been my goal every day to understand something I do not quite get, which I believe will lead me to have the ability to carry this knowledge with me throughout life.

My mind has been opened up by understanding everything I am learning even outside of school. Some quick advice for those who tend to let things go in one ear and out the other; a lot of people will give effort in trying to advise you or offer insight, don’t be stubborn and brush it off, try to understand what that person is telling you and open your mind. Never stop learning, and never stop trying to learn.

 

Knowledge is power.

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