Avionics News August 2023 - 49

COLLEGE HACKS:
A MESSAGE
FOR STUDENTS
STORY BY THOMAS INMAN
have spent the last 37 years observing college
students as a professor. Most do well, and
some fail. The hacks below are based on my
observations. Included here are three college hacks. Do
these things, and you will find college life easier and your
grades higher. If you are a college student, this is good
information. If you know someone about to start college,
please share it.
I
The first hack regards reading assignments. Instructors
often create reading assignments knowing most students
won't read them. Then, they lecture on the topic before
giving a test or quiz. Hack No. 1 involves reading the
assignments ahead of time. Most don't take long to read. If
you don't understand things in the book, jot down or text
yourself a question to ask during class.
A colleague substituted for me one day when the topic
was code division multiple access. He developed an
interesting exercise to show how the system worked. After
being amazed by the exercise, one of the students asked
where my colleague learned the material. His answer was,
" I read the assignment. "
Reading in advance of the lecture topic will give you an
advantage over students who avoid reading. Your grades
will be good, you'll earn a reputation for excellence, and
you'll be among the first to get the best job offers.
The second hack involves note taking. Numerous
studies have shown a strong connection between hand
movement and memory. The mere act of writing things
down leaves you with a stronger memory than passively
listening and watching. Develop a good note taking habit.
You can supersize the benefit by organizing your notes and
comparing them to the reading assignment. Like advance
reading, copious notes will place you at the head of the class.
The first two hacks are old-school, but they are proven
to work well. The third hack is only as old as robust search
engines and regards material available online. Use your
favorite search engine to find online resources on the topic
at hand. Be sure to sift past all the advertising and sales
pages. YouTube can be especially helpful with videos
made by people explaining basic physics principles or
demonstrating the operation of avionics. But beware, as
online material isn't necessarily reviewed for accuracy. For
example, you can find plenty of material explaining how
the Earth is flat. Using those websites in preparation for a
satellite communication or navigation topic is a bad idea.
Using these hacks can be entertaining. Many teachers
don't expect hard questions from students. A student,
armed with knowledge gained through reading the
assignment and other material online, can ask inciteful and
challenging questions. Perhaps the instructor will sweat
a little, but the resulting answer and discussion will be
beneficial to everyone in the class.
All three of these hacks take relatively little time. Note
taking takes no extra time, since you are already sitting
in the classroom. With a little time each day budgeted for
reading, note organizing, and internet searching, you'll find
there is still a lot of time for other activities. Furthermore,
when your friends are knocking themselves out cramming
for a test, you'll be relaxed because you will have mastered
the material. q
avionics news * august 2023 49
Avionics News August 2023

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