3 Steps to Master Anything Fast

I've learned something about myself in the past two years since I graduated from graduate school:

I'm obsessed with learning. 

It's like a fire that I can't quench; every book I read just makes me want to read more. 

I miss formal schooling every day, but I'm thankful that my education taught me how to learn so I can continue the journey on my own.

As I've been learning on my own for years now, today I thought I should share with you my strategy for mastering new topics as fast as possible.

The steps below have become almost like breathing to me, and when I consider how far I've come, I know I owe a lot to these strategies and my insatiable curiosity.

What interests me most is equity, education, communication, and social issues. 

What about you?

What is something you really want to learn more about right now?

Your learning desire could be about ANYTHING. Maybe you're like me and there's a social problem that just burns you up and you want to do something about it. Or maybe there's an idea you're curious about, an academic subject you want to get better at, a career you want to explore, a relationship you want to improve, or a new adventure you want to prepare for.

The only rule is that it has to be something you want to learn because it genuinely interests you. 

What is coming to your mind right now? 

Below are three things you can do to ensure that your learning journey is not only worthwhile, but also an amazing adventure that pushes your life closer to where you want it to go:

1) Read
I can't underestimate the power of reading. Today there are books on almost every nuanced subject imaginable. It's kind of amazing.

You'll be blown away by how your life can change and what you can learn by checking out a bunch of books on the subject at the library and/or buying some books yourself. 

Buying books on something you want to learn is always a good investment.

Action step 1: search for a book right now on your local library's website or Amazon.com on what you want to learn. Pick one for this week and then start reading. 

2) Find someone who knows
My book is all about mentorship; one of the quickest and best ways to learn something is to find a mentor who is already an expert in what you want to know or has done what it is you want to do.

Look for these people. Use your social networks. Be bold. And ask to meet in person or talk on the phone for fifteen minutes to ask your burning questions.

Just show your authentic desire to learn and express why you're interested in them and what they know/do, and trust me, they'll be more than happy to share.

Action step 2: Email someone who knows or does what it is you want to learn more about and ask to chat for fifteen minutes (if you don't know anyone, tell your mentors, family, friends, professors and anyone else you can about what you're trying to learn and ask if they know anyone who might be able to help). 

3) Get up close and personal
Getting more exposure to whatever you want to learn will teach you so much; there is nothing like personal, immersive experience. It's why most people say the best way to learn a new language is to spend time in a country where that language is spoken. 

Take that bold step and volunteer at, intern at, or visit a place that will give you a deeper understanding of what you're trying to learn. 

The internet is great, but it's not the best teacher. Experiencing what you want to learn more about in person will teach you so much more.

Be brave and invest yourself in some kind of new experience that will give you first-hand understanding of whatever it is you're trying to learn more about. 

Action step 3: Look online right now for some kind of opportunity that would help you get closer to what you are trying to learn about. This can also be a good question to ask a mentor who knows a lot about what you're trying to learn. 

I hope this helps; happy learning! :)

What Miley Cyrus reminded me about college

As I've been starting to pack to move to a new place in a few weeks I stumbled across my senior thesis. The title? 

“Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”: The Incongruous Juxtaposition of Girlhood and Womanhood in Mediated Portrayals of Britney Spears

I opened it up and this paragraph (written in 2008) caught my attention:

       As represented by Spears, when women try to perfect the incongruous standards of girlhood and womanhood, certain destruction follows. Yet these conflicting expectations are still being mediated, as represented by the slew of criticisms that follow new emerging starlets. 
        For example, many question if young pop star Miley Cyrus will go down the same destructive path as Spears (“Teen Stars”). Their shared Southern roots and claims to innocence make many believe Cyrus will also rebel with sexual promiscuity. Media outlets have been on the lookout for these instances, and are already beginning to criticize some of her outfits...
       Cyrus has become a symbolic replacement for Spears; it seems the public is anxious to see if she too will mismanage her transition from girlhood to womanhood.
       

(It turns out I can predict the future.)

After community college I transferred to Stetson University where we were required to write a senior thesis; the project took over a year and was one of the most intense experiences of my life.

And, looking back now, I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Reading it over four years later reminded me how wonderful the learning process of college really can be.

The rhetoric surrounding whether or not college is worth it today focuses heavily on numbers, career outcomes, and speed.

While I truly believe college should help many have access to a good career and be done efficiently, I think it's easy to forget the actual privilege of learning. 

Aside from a few professions, there will be no other time in your life where your sole goal is to learn. 

While there are times in college where you will dream about the day where your life isn't dedicated to learning, I daresay you might be surprised when you miss it.

I won't lie - I don't miss exams. 

But I do miss the life dedicated to nothing but your own learning and growth. It was such a beautiful, magnificent privilege.

And that is what we can't forget. College and learning are a privilege. Just ask the millions around the world who would love to be in your shoes right now. 

The best thing you can do to show your gratitude for this privilege is to take full advantage of it. Bask in the knowledge. Learn deeply about the world. Pursue classes that excite you. 

Many think what they learn in college isn't relevant to their futures. At first glance you may think mediated portrayals of Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus have nothing to do with my current career. But you would be mistaken. 

That research project was the foundation to everything I'm doing now. It taught me to think in a way I still think every single day. (Critical thinking: it's highly underrated.) 

It also taught me how to manage a big writing project (when people ask me how I was able to write a book at such a young age I usually point to this research project). 

And it also taught me to fall in love with learning for learning's sake. I chose to research this topic for no other reason than it fascinated me. I wasn't thinking about my future career. I wasn't thinking about what would be easy. I was thinking about what I wanted to learn more about. 

It paid off: I got a $2,000 research grant and was flown to New Orleans (beignets also changed my life) to present it at a national conference. 

Learning is wonderful. If you aren't in love with learning right now it might mean you're not pursuing something that fascinates you.

Learning what you love isn't easy, of course. A good college education is excruciatingly difficult. But it's the appreciation of what you are learning that makes the challenge fun. 

So when choosing the next topic for a project, or your major, go for something you want to know just for the sake of knowing it. 

I have learned that being curious, thinking critically, and pursuing knowledge that fascinates you lead to a tremendous career, even if at times you have no idea where it's going to go. 

The habit of learning is the best thing college can give you. But it's up to you to run with it. 

Are you always learning?

I consult for Pearson Students and one of the things I'm excited to be doing with them is contributing to their new P.S. Blog! 

I recently wrote a post about how always learning has changed my life, and three things you can do right now to make it a part of your life, and I wanted to share it with you too: 

"A lot of people ask me how I have been so successful at such a young age. I still have a long way to go, but my answer is always the same: I’m always learning.

If you walked into my apartment right now you would see six writing books on my “to-read” bookshelf. (Yes, I name my bookshelves. No, I’m not weird I promise)...." Read the rest of the article here!

I hope you enjoy :) 

How to make your learning more fun

I'll never forget the moment when my 5th grade teacher took out an oatmeal cream pie (the crinkling sound of it coming out of its wrapper making my mouth water) and crushed it up, stirring it into a big container of water.

He then went on to give us a science lesson about the digestive system.

I've never forgotten that moment, because it was fun and relevant.

In elementary school it is accepted that learning should be fun, to keep the kids engaged. I'm currently learning Spanish right now, and I frequently watch Blues Clues in Spanish to help me learn. And you know what, it is pretty fun. 

I'm sure Blue couldn't do much when it comes to teaching calculus, but then again, what if? Fun and learning can and should always be connected. 

I always looked forward to the classes that were fun. They were the classes where I also learned the most. 

Field trips to Publix to learn about how a deli works, interactive coffee houses where we read poetry, acting out a period of 13th century history using silly costumes...these are the moments I treasure. And they are what kept me waking up every day for school - excited. 

Sadly, those moments waned with every year, with the exception of a few exceptional teachers. Our society assumes we grow out of a need for childlike fun and wonder. That it's time to grow up and stare at books. I don't believe this. Who said coloring stops being relevant? (Bring out a pack of markers for a college assignment and watch what happens in a classroom). 

Learning should never stop being fun. But you can't always rely on other people to make it fun for you - that is a part of growing up.  

Below are some ways you can bring the fun to your learning every day:

• Start study groups and develop fun games to practice the content together. Illustrate concepts with markers. Develop a trivia game with points and prizes. Make people laugh. 
• Have contests between your friends when it comes to getting the best test grades (e.g. person with highest grade gets to pick where you all go to dinner afterwards) 
• Volunteer with or spend time with elementary school kids you know. Watch how they play and learn. Chase your dreams like they chase bubbles.
• When you're reading your textbook or listening to a lecture, always be thinking about how you can connect what you're learning with what you already know about the world. Make it relevant for yourself.
• Listen to music you love while studying, and take short dance breaks.
• Organize your own field trip with a few classmates to a place that will help bring your course content alive. 
• Look into study abroad or other field study courses.
• When you give a class presentation, don't just do the bare minimum and read from slides. Make it fun for your audience. Bring relevant humor, props, videos, and your personality to the table. Entertain while you educate. Invite your audience to have fun with the content. 
• Pick classes that really fascinate you. Never just pick a class because it's convenient to your schedule. Engage with learning that excites you and encourages you to want to wake up every morning. 

When learning is fun, you actually learn. You retain it, treasure it - and you never look at oatmeal cream pies the same again. 

"140 characters changed my life:" my interview with a Twitter movement phenom

#YouMatter.

One day, Angela Maiers, an acclaimed author, educator, and speaker, sent out a tweet with the hash tag "YouMatter" on Twitter. The hash tag started out as a way for Angela to espouse a philosophy - as we all do frequently on social media - that the world can be changed by those two simple words.

As of today, there have been over 388,000 tweets with the #YouMatter hash tag, and last year Angela was asked to give a TED talk.

After talking to Angela on the phone, I can confirm that she lives the #YouMatter philosophy every day. Because she didn't mean to start this movement. It happened organically because people connected with those two simple words. 

How often do you feel like you do not matter? How much sadness, heartache, violence, and high school/college dropouts happen because people feel like they don't matter? 

Those 140 characters have sparked a movement. A movement that I think is paramount to community college success - because you do matter. And I think we can all learn a lot from the woman behind that movement. I know I did. 

When Angela started college she was on track to pursue medicine. To put herself through college, she worked four jobs with children with special needs, families in crisis, and homeless teens. 

But as she moved forward to take the entrance exam for med school, her bosses in those jobs said: "I'd be a terrible doctor, and that I should be a teacher instead. I realized it was something I must do. While my family did not embrace it in the beginning, I finally understood what passion-driven work is. It's not doing something that's fun or you feel like you're good at, but it's doing something you must do. Asking me not to teach is like asking me not to breathe."

So Angela took the leap and pursued teaching. Her first job was preparing future undergraduate teachers. She held her university classes at a school so that her students "could be immersed in real experiences to see if its something they really want to commit to doing. Kids' lives are at stake. I wanted my students to make sure they really wanted this."

Angela has spent 14 years in the classroom working with almost every grade level. She concludes about education that "learning needs are the same no matter what grade you are in. Students need to be trusted, supported, believed in, pushed, and demonstrated to. Every learner needs time to play and make mistakes. And every learner needs coaching; its what teacher whispers in your ear not says in front that really makes the difference."

When I asked Angela what advice she had to share with college students she said: "Really recognize that your goal isn't to seek success, your goal is to seek significance. You can get a job and you can do work, OR you can pursue something that will make you feel that you matter, that you are essential, that you are contributing the best of who you are, and that is far more valuable than any other achievement you can get."

"When you lay your head on your pillow, ask yourself, did I do something that mattered today?"

Angela had her own challenging moment when she was asked to do a TED talk recently: "Even though I speak for a living, I had a panic attack," she said of the night before. "I watched my top favorite TED talks and I started feeling insignificant. At about 3am I decided I was going to call and say I can't do this."

"But then, I had to ask myself, how can you look people in the eye and tell them you matter and then not live it? If you don't believe that YOU are significant than there is no way you can help other people grow."

Angela did the TED talk, and the subsequent #YouMatter hash tag on Twitter indeed sparked a movement to remind us that "it is fundamental that we are essential and that we belong to something bigger than ourselves."

"Our greatest fear is the fear that we are insignificant.The moment you hear the words 'you matter,' it changes you. And it changes you more as the giver than the receiver."

I can agree with that. Working in a community college, I'll never forget the look in a student's eye the first time I told her about the talents and potential I saw in her. It was the first time I had really told someone how they mattered in such a direct way. It really took me by surprise, the light that grew behind her eyes.

So today, tell someone they matter. Watch the light brew. And as you do, grow the light behind your own eyes. The best way to feel like you matter, is to focus on helping others feel that way. 

And to conquer the high school and college drop out crisis, we desperately need more students like you, telling each other that you matter. 

You can follow Angela and the #YouMatter movement on Twitter. You can also learn more about her speaking, and check out her newest book. 

Three cheers for audio books

It's Three for Thursday – and this week I am going to make a case for audio books and why you should incorporate them into your commute. 

I read in a book once (I honestly can’t remember the title) that if you listen to non-fiction audio books on a general subject area on your drive to and from work or school every day for a year, you would have accumulated the equivalent knowledge as that of a graduate degree.

I’m not suggesting that you call your registrar’s office and tell them that you got a new boom box, so they can go ahead and tear up your academic records and refund your tuition payments.

What I am suggesting is that your education shouldn't be confined to the classroom. 

#1: Education never stops – especially after college.

The truly successful people in this world are constantly learning - and developing the habit of a perpetual learner is a key to success. 

And when you're busy and may not always have time to sit down to read, turning your drive time into learning time will compound and help you improve immensely. 

#2: Fiction can be a great start for you when making the leap into the world of audio books – it expands your vocabulary, imagination, and creative process skills – those are all things that the 21^st century workplace and job market appreciate. 

But definitely find ways to integrate nonfiction that interests you.

Go for broad subjects, anything that piques your interest or anything you want to learn about. Really - anything!


I love learning about people - how they operate, what they feel, how they are affected, and how they become successful; so in addition to self-help and success books (e.g. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy), I love books on the millennial generation, how people build relationships, how the brain works socially, how we are motivated, and one of my favorites in my CD player right now (that I got for free from the library) - The Social Animal by David Brooks.

#3: The knowledge you gain from books is invaluable – it adds to everything you do whether you realize it or not. For example, it will lead to better papers, more interesting conversational topics, expand your vocabulary, and help you better connect to and understand the world around you. And yet the reality is that as a college student with a lot of required reading, you won’t always have the time to fit in recreational reading.

So go audio. 

You’d be surprised how many audio books you can download to your iPod or Smart Phone from your college or personal library – they also offer cds if you know what those are ;)

I recommend audible.com and, of course, the audio books available on iTunes. 

Reading will always be important to success –  regardless of technological advancement. Whether you're reading on a Kindle or listening on an iPod... 

The information acquired is priceless.

So while I still rock out to a song or two before something exciting (and Pandora is on in my office for most of the day), I like to dedicate my drive time to learning. I hope you discover the kinds of audio books that bring you as much joy and engagement as mine have brought to me.