the air

photo courtesy of Image*After

So you think you have what it takes to memorize information? How good are you at memorizing words? Students who are preparing to enter college and even college students have a big need to learn “big words.” The SAT is notorious for using complicated words to test your understanding of not only context but also comprehension. Sure, the SAT no longer has those dreaded analogies, but it does still have the reading section. Why bother memorizing words when you can learn them and use them in your everyday writing and/or talk?

The problem with memorizing words is that you will often forget them after several days. The trick is that you need to learn HOW those words are USED in everyday instances. According to my professors and friends, my writing (my blog does not count) is quite advanced and equivalent to what most researchers and academic professionals use. This includes (note: it’s just a small list):

• use of proper grammar
• use of intellectual words
• correct use of images, figures, and tables

So what’s my secret? It’s really not a secret, but more of a formula for success:

1. I read books, magazines, flyers, blogs, websites, etc.
2. I note down and look up words I don’t know as soon as possible
3. I practice using those words in writing and in everyday conversation

There you have it! That is my formula for successfully learning how to use words rather than simply memorizing them. Now let’s go further and I’ll explain each step in more detail.

An In-Depth Look At My Formula For Learning Words Successfully

1. Read Read Read

Yes, your mother’s advice on reading was correct. The more you read, the better it is. However, you should also read a variety of different publications. This means, read different magazines such as Forbes, Car and Driver, Cosmopolitan, etc. Honestly, it may seem weird reading a “chick” magazine, but you’ll be surprised as to how well thought out and well written the articles are. How about reading books from different authors? From my experience, reading books by the classical authors works wonders for your grammar skills and word-hunting expeditions. These authors include F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, etc.

The key here is that you want to focus on the type of words they use and their use of grammar. You don’t necessarily need to enjoy the material, but you should have the attitude that you want to observe their usage and see how you can learn from it. In a way, you’re doing the same thing that your high school English teachers wanted you to learn.

2. Write it down if you don’t know it!

If you don’t know a particular word, WRITE IT DOWN! What if you’re on the go and don’t have a pen and paper handy? Use your phone and write up a draft text message with the word. You don’t even need to send yourself a text message. The point is that you should note down any word that you are unfamiliar with. The second step is then to look it up and learn the meaning of the word.

What I generally do is look up words as I am reading. This way, I can understand how the word was used in context. It helps to understand what I am reading and it is definitely much more beneficial to me than to wait and look up words. However, there is nothing wrong with compiling a list of words and then looking up their definitions. Try it out and see what method works for you.

3. Practice what you have just learned

Remember what the problem with memorizing words is? You eventually forget what you memorized. The best thing to do is to practice using the words you have just learned. I do the following:

1. Write down the word five times
2. Write down the definition of the word in your own words
3. Write a minimum of five good sentences using the word
4. Re-write the word five times

Yes, it does sound like a lot of work, but it works. The reason why I write down the word ten times is so that I become used to writing the word. I write down the definition in my own words so that I know I understand what it means. And I write a minimum of five good sentences so that I know how to use the word correctly.

What exactly are “good” sentences? A good sentence, to me anyways, is one that reflects thought and accurate use of the word. This may mean that I end up writing five paragraphs using that word only once in each paragraph. The point I make is to ensure that I know when and where to use a particular word correctly. Learning words is a long process, but it will ensure that you will never forget how to use a word.

The Bonus Step

The next step after all of that is really just consciouslly knowing to use the word in everyday lingo. Next time you’re conversing with some friends, go ahead and use the new word you learned. It will help you understand how to use the word correctly and it will become natural for you to use it. Try these steps out and share your experiences.

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courtesy of ZDNET blogs

I find it amusing when media outlets and “gurus” suggest that Mac owners/fans are progressive liberals who:

• Mac users more likely to use teeth-whitening products
• Mac users bought on average five new pairs of sneakers in the last year
• More likely to buy organic food
• More likely to frequent Starbucks
• More likely to own a hybrid car
• Mac users are perfectionists
• More likely to use notebooks
• Prefer to drive station wagons
• More likely to pay more for green products
• More likely to pay for downloaded music

Allow me to address these points individually.

• I’ve only used teeth whitening products once. And that was four years before I even bought a Mac.
• I’ve only bought 2 pairs of sneakers in the last year. The most I’ve ever bought was four pairs and two of them were dress shoes
• Sorry, I’ve never bought organic food. I can’t justify the higher price tag
• Although I like Starbucks, I get my coffee anywhere that is close to my current location (e.g. McD’s, Caribou, etc.)
• I’m against hybrid cars
• Yes, I like to be a perfectionist. However, I do know when to quit and I often quit before things are perfect
• I prefer notebooks because of their increased mobility. I thought Windows-based notebooks were outselling Windows-based desktops
• Station wagons? You must mean crossovers. But, I drive a 1995 Toyota Camry.
• Green products? Not my thing!
• Pay for downloaded music

I have no idea where these people draw their conclusions from, but I assure you, Mac fans are not necessarily liberals. Just take a look at O’Reilly! The dude loves his Mac. The fact is this. Mac users are just like many PC users from around the world. The only difference is that we use cooler looking machines that are far more secure than your Windows.

via Insanely Great Mac

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I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. I want to assure all of you that I am fine and was no where near the shooting. When the shooting occurred, I was actually in my car on my way home to my apartment. My usual route does not go anywhere near Cole Hall, the sight of the shootings. My thoughts and prayers are with the affected students and their families. Regardless of what others might say, NIU and all the respective law enforcement agencies did respond in a very effective manner.

You may visit the NIU homepage for additional information. At the time of this writing, there is a live press release in progress. Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Have a good day.

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Photo courtesy of Sylvar

Many college students fail to understand leadership and often walk the path of tyranny. What students need to do is understand how to lead before leading. One of the basic principles of leadership is that you have to have followers. Just take a look around. If Barack Obama did not have any followers, how could he lead? How could we call him a leader? How could we even suggest that he is leading Hillary Clinton? Before you lead, you have to have followers. Pretty easy so far, don’t you think?

One of the best lessons I am learning about being president of the IIE student chapter at NIU is leadership. I’m learning how to work well with others, deal with miscommunication and poor information, work with deficient work quality and inadequate participation from colleagues, and more. Perhaps the single most important lesson I am learning is to lead through empowerment not judgment. Empowerment is, in my words, the art of teaching others to take the lead and move forward. Empowerment allows others to experience the same euphoria that you enjoy but in their own world. It’s really not a novel idea, but it is an idea that goes against conventional approaches to leadership.

Everyone’s Your idea sucks

A big mistake that many students make as team leaders is to go out and “suggest” that their approach is the best. Some of these students are so good, that they will feign interest in a discussion and garner other group members’ ideas as well. The true student leader will always enter a group discussion with an open mind before making up his/her mind. It is smarter for a student leader to listen to other people first before even saying their own ideas or offering their opinion. Some students are intimidated by leaders and will shut-down the moment they hear the leader’s ideas. They will even go as far as supporting the leader’s ideas regardless of what they think. Get others to talk before you talk. That way, there’s more participation and more people will feel like they “own” the task.

Let them make goals

Once you decide, as a group, what needs to be accomplished for a particular task, let the group decide what goals they need to set. If you are the leader, this is the time to keep your mouth shut and observe how the group is interacting. In my opinion, effective leaders mediate between members and let the members decide what course of action to take. Remember, a group cannot function with full effectiveness unless they all move forward together. The balancing act comes into play when you have to override someone and say that their goal is not necessary. Again, let the group take ownership of the goals and “lead” them to making goals that you think will work.

Empower their drive

I hate looking over someone’s shoulder to make sure that they are working correctly. The hardest thing about being a leader is dealing with ineffective group members. So I combat that dilemma by empowering my group members. I let them tell me how they will approach a particular task and how they will see it to fruition. I even go as far as making them write it down and verbally (in writing as well) promise to complete the task. My strongest emphasis are always on the deadline and the final result. The golden rule I follow is assist throughout the process. By continually offering my help and asking for quick reviews, I am able to demonstrate to them that I care about them and their work.

Sometimes, things don’t work out the way I planned. And that is what I am still learning to deal with. However, I think that sometimes, we do get ineffective team members who we simply have to deal with and carry as dead weight. It is at this point, where I ask for your methods. How do you deal with ineffective team members? What do you think about empowering others to accomplish tasks? What are other effective tools you recommend that have the potential to work?

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Photo courtesy of Apple

I think by now, almost everyone should have heard about Apple’s new computer called “MacBook Air” (MBA). And many of us have been given a major sticker shock when we heard how much it would cost. The MBA starts at around $1800 and can easily go beyond $3100. The major fervor around blogs concerning Apple products is the fact that it is overpriced for the gadgets it offers. Rather than discuss its technological benefits or hardware specifications, I want to offer my own thoughts on this product from a very different angle.

The MBA represents a whole new direction for personal computing. Rather than toting around a machine that does everything, the new concept focuses on what I call “complemented personal computing” (CPC). CPC is concerned with supplementing your current computing with a device that gives you increased flexible opportunities. In my opinion, CPC is a concept that can be seen more with mobile professionals rather than the mass population. However, I do believe that today’s society is increasingly becoming more mobile and technologically savvy. For instance, some college students use their cellular phone or iPod as a tool to replace their datebooks. I think that slowly, society is moving towards a realm in which we will have continuous access to our digital data through numerous synchronized electronic devices.

I think of CPC as a server and client type of approach to computing. Suppose you have a desktop and want to take notes at a meeting or a lecture. Unless your desktop is tiny and easy to “assemble,” you will most likely opt for a portable computing machine. This would be a great time to have a laptop, wouldn’t you agree? So why would you need a laptop and a desktop? Let me ask you this: why would you need two laptops? This is where my CPC concept begins. While one of your machines can be considered the primary computer with all the data, the other devices act as “clients” which can access your personal data on the primary machine on demand. This allows you to maintain your personal information at your fingertips no matter which machine you use.

The MBA is not designed to replace any desktop or laptop offering from Apple. Rather, it is designed for the mobile individual who demands portability over power. I think the MBA will prove to be successful amongst those who need a laptop to complement their primary computer, those who are in need of an extremely portable and mobile machine, and tech-savvy “geeks.”

I think that Apple has identified the new trend in computing and is encouraging the development of this trend. Since the machine is new and the manufacturing processes behind making such a portable machine are new, cost will undoubtedly remain high. I would not be surprised if the price for the MBA is reduced by the end of 2008 and it would certainly seem plausible that the MBA may have performance boosts by the end of the year as well.

CPC is a new concept and I, myself, sometimes have a hard time justifying it. However, CPC is a concept that I think people are aware of and probably have different names for it. Nevertheless, CPC is a new direction in personal computing and I strongly believe that Apple along with Dell, HP, and Microsoft are engaged in exploring this new trend.

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