comprehensive not apprehensive
I have been struggling with motivation to study for my comprehensive exams.
Countdown from now (as I'm writing this): 24 days, 18 hours, 40 minutes
Approximately 2,140,840 seconds.
Yesterday I started freaking out about the fact that I have so little motivation. I told myself that I was going to take three days after classes ended to recover and then get to work . . . it's now been 10. Each day that passes I realize I'm only making it harder than it needs to be and yet getting that initial push start is proving to be harder than I imagined.
So last night, I made some progress. : ) I found all of my notes and textbooks that I need to cover in my studies. Here is a picture of them. I call it "the stack of learning."
When I took this picture, I was feeling pretty apprehensive about it. Not sure how on earth I would tackle such a project. A couple things have changed my perspective since then.
1. Finding a starting place
This is so important in any large task. Yesterday, I was thinking of my method of preparation for a long race. Instead of looking at the whole distance apprehensively; I start with a feasible distance, work on it until it is comfortable and then slowly, but persistently, keep adding increments of distance.
It's pretty logical that the same approach would work with a large exam. Therefore, I am starting with Theory and Practice of Translation and moving on from there. Previously, I started with Semantics & Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis because they were the first ones I took and I don't like or understand them as well as I do the translation course. It makes more sense to start with something "familiar," get the study juices flowing and then transition to the harder subjects.
2. Being reasonable in your goals
One of the emails I received from the head of the department about the comprehensive exam said that we should "be prepared to know anything from any of the core classes." That was an extremely overwhelming statement! Logical . . . but overwhelming. At first, I looked at the scope of the content and decided I would just have to go over it all.
That's not really a practical (or desirable) goal. In the past 24 hours, I have had two people pray the exact same thing for me (one without knowing that I was struggling with this issue right now), "that I would know what to study and remember what I study."
As a result, I am going to start out on faith that with God's wisdom I will be able to locate the most important parts of the material and focus on them. There is a limit to how much I can cram into my brain . . . so I have to resolve myself and accept that it is okay to not study every single page of every single book.
3. Being diligent
I think diligence is extremely important. Probably this in part stems from my struggle with putting it into practice. I like to think that diligence and persistence are qualities I use pretty well, but then I realize that true diligence and persistence probably don't include procrastination! : ) One of my friends told me a while back that I am a "procrastichiever." I procrastinate and yet I struggle with being an over-achiever . . . which usually results in me losing sleep.
Diligence is also important because we are instructed to do everything as working for the Lord. I think if I was truly following that, I might be more dedicated and diligent. I am adding this to my prayer list.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
4. Focus on the reason for your goal
Something else that really helps me is to remember why I am doing this in the first place. It all boils down to the fact that I want to learn as much as I can, as well as I can, because it is for such an important task. It's easy for me to lose track of that focus when I am tired and burnt out on studying and learning, but I need to remember, I am not here just to learn something for the sake of learning. I am here learning because there are still people who do not have Scripture in their own language. That's the ultimate goal. That's what I need to keep motivating myself for.
No more apprehension for me. Just comprehension!
Countdown from now (as I'm writing this): 24 days, 18 hours, 40 minutes
Approximately 2,140,840 seconds.
Yesterday I started freaking out about the fact that I have so little motivation. I told myself that I was going to take three days after classes ended to recover and then get to work . . . it's now been 10. Each day that passes I realize I'm only making it harder than it needs to be and yet getting that initial push start is proving to be harder than I imagined.
So last night, I made some progress. : ) I found all of my notes and textbooks that I need to cover in my studies. Here is a picture of them. I call it "the stack of learning."
When I took this picture, I was feeling pretty apprehensive about it. Not sure how on earth I would tackle such a project. A couple things have changed my perspective since then.
1. Finding a starting place
This is so important in any large task. Yesterday, I was thinking of my method of preparation for a long race. Instead of looking at the whole distance apprehensively; I start with a feasible distance, work on it until it is comfortable and then slowly, but persistently, keep adding increments of distance.
It's pretty logical that the same approach would work with a large exam. Therefore, I am starting with Theory and Practice of Translation and moving on from there. Previously, I started with Semantics & Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis because they were the first ones I took and I don't like or understand them as well as I do the translation course. It makes more sense to start with something "familiar," get the study juices flowing and then transition to the harder subjects.
2. Being reasonable in your goals
One of the emails I received from the head of the department about the comprehensive exam said that we should "be prepared to know anything from any of the core classes." That was an extremely overwhelming statement! Logical . . . but overwhelming. At first, I looked at the scope of the content and decided I would just have to go over it all.
That's not really a practical (or desirable) goal. In the past 24 hours, I have had two people pray the exact same thing for me (one without knowing that I was struggling with this issue right now), "that I would know what to study and remember what I study."
As a result, I am going to start out on faith that with God's wisdom I will be able to locate the most important parts of the material and focus on them. There is a limit to how much I can cram into my brain . . . so I have to resolve myself and accept that it is okay to not study every single page of every single book.
3. Being diligent
I think diligence is extremely important. Probably this in part stems from my struggle with putting it into practice. I like to think that diligence and persistence are qualities I use pretty well, but then I realize that true diligence and persistence probably don't include procrastination! : ) One of my friends told me a while back that I am a "procrastichiever." I procrastinate and yet I struggle with being an over-achiever . . . which usually results in me losing sleep.
Diligence is also important because we are instructed to do everything as working for the Lord. I think if I was truly following that, I might be more dedicated and diligent. I am adding this to my prayer list.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
4. Focus on the reason for your goal
Something else that really helps me is to remember why I am doing this in the first place. It all boils down to the fact that I want to learn as much as I can, as well as I can, because it is for such an important task. It's easy for me to lose track of that focus when I am tired and burnt out on studying and learning, but I need to remember, I am not here just to learn something for the sake of learning. I am here learning because there are still people who do not have Scripture in their own language. That's the ultimate goal. That's what I need to keep motivating myself for.
No more apprehension for me. Just comprehension!
Praying for you! Just think, one month from now you won't have to study any more for school! Ever again! (well, until you decide to go back again, that is) :)
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a stack! I'll be adding my prayers to Mandy's (and lots of other people's). You can do it!
ReplyDelete~R