Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Winning strategies for studying and acquiring knowledge
Excerpts from article by Benjamin Chen, Columbia University, published in studybreaks.com
You may encounter many hardships in your academic journeys, especially if you’re approaching a new field of study. Due to the unfamiliarity of the subject, it is possible to feel discouraged at the beginning. Some people may form a negative impression about themselves and might feel that they aren’t smart enough. It’s possible to gradually lose confidence in your learning capability.
However, learning is similar to driving — if you find the right way to drive, you will ultimately reach your destination.
Taking necessary breaks as important as studying
The online course ‘Psychology of Learning’, available on Coursera, highlights some key aspects of the studying process. It highlights the importance of taking breaks and exercising. This is related to the two primary modes in the brain when we study: diffused and focused. The activation of these two modes is related to different areas of the brain.
- When you intensely focus on solving intellectual problems, the focused mode is normally activated and your pre-frontal cortex will energetically support your brain activities.
- To switch from the pre-frontal cortex to involving other parts of your brain, you need to loosen your intense concentration. The diffused mode allows your brain to wander freely, facilitate neural activities and contribute to the process of creative thinking.
Think of the moments when you encountered a difficult question that you so “painfully” wrestled with, but suddenly found the answer on your way from the library back to the dorm. That’s an example of switching from the focused to the diffused mode.
In addition to constant study breaks, exercise and sleep are also critically important to support your intellectual growth.
- Sleep is indispensable for cementing memories and maintaining your brain’s robustness.
- Regular exercise is not only essential to enhancing mood and benefitting mental health, but it can also cause blood to flow to the brain, which facilitates the firing of neurons and the growth of cells.
Overcome Procrastination
I believe at least a good number of college students have experience with procrastination. It could be natural for people to procrastinate because when they are faced with a task they are not so motivated to start doing, the area of their brains where pain is processed will be activated. So, the process is understandably “painful.”
However, there is a fairly easy way to conquer this annoying feature once you understand its underlying psychological principle. Normally, the initial pain you experience when you think of starting an activity is temporary. It will evaporate shortly after you begin to immerse yourself in the study.
So next time, when you are lying on the bed, texting your friends and justifying this behaviour by subconsciously telling yourself that you care about your friends so you want to spend more time with them, remind yourself that getting started might be a bit painful, but the discomfort will go away quickly!
Career
How to relax before and during a job interview
Excerpts from article published in pharmiweb.com
Job interview nerves are perfectly normal, especially if you’ve found your dream job and want to make a good impression on recruiters. Whilst interviewers may see nerves as a sign that you genuinely care about a role, you need to make sure they don’t take control over you.
Here are some tips on how to relax before and during a job interview, and communicate your key achievements and potential as a candidate in the best way possible:
1. Pick an Early Interview Time
If you’re given a choice of times for your interview, try to pick the earliest slot where possible. This means you won’t be building up your nerves throughout the day.
2. Plan Something for Afterwards
Picking an early interview time will also mean you can plan something for afterwards, giving you something to look forward to and taking the focus away from your nerves.
3. Plan Ahead
Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to plan for the aspects of your interview that you are in control of, as this will give you less to worry about on the day. This could include:
- Printing out a copy of your CV/application
- Finding a professional outfit to wear
- Mapping your route to the interview
For virtual interviews, this could involve:
- Testing your audio, camera, and internet connection before the day
- Making sure you have the relevant links and/or passwords to access the interview, and familiarise yourself with the platform
- Find an appropriate space to do the interview or make one if necessary
4. Prepare for Things Going Wrong
You should also prepare for things going wrong on the day of your job interview. For face-to-face interviews, this could include giving yourself extra time to get there to account for traffic and planning out at least one alternative route. For virtual interviews, this could include making sure both your phone and laptop are ready to join the call.
5. Eat Beforehand
Make sure to eat something beforehand, as being nervous on an empty stomach will only make you feel worse.
6. Research Questions and Rehearse
Research the most commonly asked interview questions for your job role and practise answering them either by yourself or with a friend. Don’t be tempted to try and memorise scripted answers – this will only add more pressure and will be very obvious to interviewers. Instead, make a list of the key requirements of the role and write down the most relevant and impressive parts of your CV that you think will help you to stand out in these areas.
7. Think Positively
Instead of worrying about interviewers asking you questions in areas you might be lacking in, remind yourself of your biggest achievements and the things that set you apart from your peers, and highlight these in your interview.
8. Keep the Interview to Yourself
Especially if you’re applying for multiple roles, it’s a good idea to keep the interview to yourself and to tell as few people about it as possible. This will take the pressure off.
9. Wear Something Comfortable
Whilst you should choose something professional to wear to your interview, you should also pick something comfortable. For example, If you buy new smart shoes, make sure you try them out beforehand and don’t wear them for the first time to your interview.
10. Pause Before Speaking
Don’t jump straight into answering a question as soon as the interviewer has finished talking, and instead take a moment to collect your thoughts.
11. Take it One Question at a Time
Once you’ve answered a question, try not to overthink how well you answered and instead make sure you’re fully focused on the next one. You need to show you’re engaged in what the interviewer is saying.
Another good way to overcome nerves is to fake confidence. Sitting up straight and maintaining a good posture will help you to appear – and hopefully feel – more confident.
Good Luck!
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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