Happy New Year 2016-ers!
Do
You Have What It Takes?
One of my guilty pleasures is the National
Geographic reality show Doomsday Preppers. The show “explores the lives of otherwise
ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it.
Unique in their beliefs, motivations, and strategies, preppers will go to
whatever lengths they can to make sure they are prepared for any of life’s
uncertainties.”* (Sighing, you must already know where I’m going with this…)
Over the break, I caught up on several
months of episodes that had been stored on my DVR. And what struck me was how these people and
their lives exemplified so much of the nagging I’ve directed towards you over
the past 18 months (and yes, I admit that I’ve nagged at times!)
Whether or not you accept the premises of
these people and their beliefs, I feel that there is much we can learn from
them. So, sit back and listen to the Parable of the Prepper.
Step up the Prep
Whether preparing for the collapse of the
world financial systems or the meltdown of the polar caps, preppers stock up on
food, construct means of either powering their equipment or devising ways of
operating without the standard support systems we’ve grown used to in the
US. They create their own barter systems
or contrive means of interacting financially without dependence upon current
financial structures, as well as develop their skills in growing food,
protecting their homes and families, and training their children to carry on in
their footsteps.
The Basics
So what does that mean for you, my
2016-ers? What is the moral? First of all, while money might be important
for you in terms of tuition and books, probably your most valuable asset,
particularly as you approach midterms and finals weeks, is time. Just like food or energy, developing ways of
utilizing it successfully will take you a long way in the next few months. Get that planner out, and when you get your
syllabi, plug in your exams and assignments.
Plot backwards from those deadlines, and try to realistically measure
the amount of time you need to truly be prepared. You should be getting better at that, even if
you learned ‘the hard way,’ by being about 2-3 hours short of your optimum
preparation time last semester!
What about skills? While the actual content and techniques might
change from semester to semester, based on your coursework, there are basics
that never change: effective reading
techniques (do you know the difference between skimming, close reading,
summarizing, reflective preparation?), note taking, note organization and
outlining, journaling, etc. How much
thought have you given to how improvement in this area could improve your
academic career? Watching the show is so
much fun for me because I love to see how preppers think ‘outside the box,’ but
really it’s just them plain ol’ thinking, period. I strongly recommend taking a moment to
reflect about the success of your strategies in the past year and a half, and
trying to hone and develop them further.
Thrive or Just Survive?
Whether your crisis is a climactic
catastrophe or juggling three papers, two presentations and four final exams,
efficient scheduling, honing your skills, and being creative with the way you
think about yourself and your work will not only help you get through the
semester, but thinking of ways to do all of that and enjoy yourself at Trinity
is just a win-win situation, don’t you think?
Good luck!
Dr. M
