Ten student myths (in my opinion)

1) “I am not a math person.”  The non-math person is a mythical creature that exists in the minds of many students and other people far and wide.  In truth, some people gravitate towards math because they are talented at it, and as a result some people are more successful at math than others.  No doubt, there is a range of capabilities out there.  However, 2 + 2 = 4 is math, and nearly all humans can comprehend the full equation and its meaning.  Therefore, non-math people do not exist.  So, why do we tell ourselves that we are not math people?  For the unskilled, higher levels of math take a tremendous amount of effort to master.  Learning some forms of math may not be worthwhile in some situations; I just want to make it clear that it is possible for a person to become better at math than she/he currently is.  There is a lot of math out there to learn, so it’s easy to become a math person.

2) “I don’t do notes.”  Well, actually you probably can do so.  In some classes, you simply must take notes, even if you are not a ‘notes person.’  Much like math, note-taking is a skill, and if you are a poor note taker you can become better at it.  Your note-taking style may be very unique; all that matters is that you can retrieve information and learn it.  Notes are your personal record of class material.  If you cannot physically take notes, then ask to record lectures and listen to the recordings during your commute (honestly, some of my students have done this to great effect in my statistics class).

3) “College is about so much more than an education.”  OK, so this is a half-truth, but we use it like a lie.  Here’s why; most future career opportunities, skills, knowledge, connections, et cetera come from the ‘education part’ of the college experience.  That is, education is the heart, soul, brain, and most other parts of the college organism.  Don’t kid yourself; if education is not your first priority during your limited, costly time in college, then you may be missing long-term opportunities in exchange for short-sighted fulfillment.

4) “Unpaid internships are not worth my time.”  Really…, what if the internship might put you into a position to gain skills, connections, confidence, and other experiences relevant to a permanent job after graduation?  A weakness of paid internships is that they are jobs, and you might be treated like an employee instead of like someone who is developing a career and who is simply there to learn.  It might result in short-term discomfort, but apply for any internship that can provide you with long-term career opportunities

5) “I try, but I just can’t make it to class on time.”  I do not live at the university, and it is very rare that I am late.  How do I manage it?  I put my classes first and plan ahead.  True, I am paid to be there, but students are paying to be there!

6) “The reading material is too boring.”  Boredom is not an inherent quality of any material object; it is a state of mind.  To counter this myth, subscribe to the following two-step program.  1) Realize that you are bored; that is, don’t blame the poor, harmless book or article.  2) Put the reading material into a context through asking the following question: “why is this material important for the class I am taking?”  The answer may be as simple as: “because it was assigned, therefore it must have some merit.”  Now that there is a reason for struggling through the material, it might become easier.  Reading may not always come easy, but struggle hard to figure out the relevance of material for each part of every class.  Theoretically, one could learn all that they need to know (and more) through reading.

7) “I am not a good test taker.”  No, you are simply not taking tests well using your current set of skills.  This is a myth because students would not be in college if they had not demonstrated success on tests in the past.  Why do we tell ourselves this?  Sometimes it is tempting to default to discouragement.  Consider the following, however.  Tests are not tools for evaluating the quality and character of individuals; they are tools for evaluating one’s current knowledge and skills.  Poor test results can be highly informative and helpful.  For example, it might be that a person experiences test anxiety; this is not an insurmountable problem.  It becomes insurmountable, however, if one believes that he/she cannot do well on test because of his/her very nature.  Do not take up this defeatist position; use test performance to determine what qualities you can enhance in order to do better next time.  Keep expectations at a realistic level, and keep trying.

8) “I love what I do.”  Do you?  This is a word with an awfully strong meaning to throw around loosely concerning one’s career.  Would you settle for liking what you do?  Much like a spouse, a career cannot stand up to the 'constantly loving' requirement.

9) “If I don’t get an A in this class…”  Then what?  Not getting the grade you anticipate (A, B, passing, et cetera) might entail discomfort, and it may not fit into your plans.  That comes with the territory of learning and being evaluated by people who have more experience and knowledge than you do. You may not always get the grade you want, so practice acceptance.  That said, work hard to achieve your best, leave it at that, and let the grades fall as they may.

10) “This class is too hard…”  No it’s not.

To become a mythbuster, one needs to develop strength and independence.  Support for these myths exists at every turn.  A student must work hard and will need to seek support from rare people and places to overcome the cultural strength of these myths.  Again, "Rome wasn't built in a day..."