Joy in Repitition

There’s one basic truth about college life. This truth remains through life after college as well, though it’s sometimes less recognizable, perhaps because post-college, you know a little more about what you’re signing up for. College, on the other hand, is supposed to be filled with days of aimless fun, and random moments that stretch into hours of the free-est time that one could ever image. That’s certainly a part of the picture. And then you have the other twenty hours of your day, when you’re in a lab writing code, at a library table reading through a stack of books, or in front of your laptop trying to write the perfect paper (for the fourth time this semester).

We call this “the grind.” And the only way to get through it is to get through it (Daily Graduate #35).

There’s no way to sugarcoat this – studying is difficult. Becoming proficient at solving mathematical equations, learning the ins and outs of international commerce, getting fluent in the artistic milestones of given periods, understanding reactions in cells, and the many other things that we try to wrap our minds around involves a commitment to working with a ton of material over and over again. The best learning (ie, being able to actually remember and apply something) is built on taking simple steps, getting them down solid, practicing/applying the knowledge, and moving on to the next step. Most things are built on foundations; you don’t forget these, so you need to make sure that your core knowledge base is solid. Fast-forwarding is never a good idea. Worse when you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s going to take time and patience. You will have to find a certain comfort zone, if not an appreciation for the mental pain.

This blog entry came to me last week as I realized that in many of my post-college pursuits – teaching, writing, entrepreneurial stuff – I’ve been doing a lot of the same things over and over again. I’ve revisited thoughts and ideas, re-read texts, re-had conversations, and re-did plans. I’ve gone through a lot of the same motions, sometimes leading me to dead ends and other times opening up unexpected doors. It’s all been a learning process, which is the best that one could hope for, especially given the years that have been put in. The joy in the struggle and process is found when you repeat those same steps, but you realize that this time around you’re stronger, building on past experiences (rather than starting over), and climbing higher. Whether its solving a problem set or cranking out the third draft of a business plan, you have to run around the track a few times before you can get to the finish line. With each cycle, make it a point to learn and grow. Only then will you finish as strong as you possibly can.