How I invented perfect schooling
This text is part of: "I would never send my kids to school" by Piotr Wozniak (2017)
Perfect college
School is a perfect destroyer of passion for learning. As such it is one of the most powerful forces that undermines lifelong education. My own passions were also systematically ravaged by the coercion of schooling. Thankfully, towards the end of my 22 long years of schooling, I invented an algorithm that, for the first time, made it possible to do some actual learning. The key to success was the joy of learning.
My perfect college algorithm provided the following:
- knowledge for life
- low cost in time
- no time-wasting lectures
- progress in English
- fun
Version 1988
My perfect college learning algorithm, looked like this:
- go to the teacher
- tell him "I really want to learn"
- ask him for the best book to use for the exam
- insist that the book be written in English (assuming you know English rules the world)
- insist that you never need to go to lectures because you will better use that time for study
- read the book, make notes on things you want to remember, put most important notes to SuperMemo
- cram the book to perfection in the last 3-4 days before the exam
- shine in the exam (straight As give you an aura of invincibility that makes it harder for other teachers to refuse your offer)
This algorithm worked for me in all cases except for one. One stubborn old-fashioned elderly lecturer refused to grant me freedom. In that one case, I solved the problem by not attending lectures, not learning, and cheating on the test (this was probably my only cheating at school in my entire life).
This algorithm helped me never attend lectures that are a waste of time anyway. As a bonus, there was less commuting (or jogging in my case).
This algorithm works best if you really do not care that much about dropping out or not dropping out. This easy going attitude will boost your confidence and give your teacher the impression he got no choice. He can set you free and make you learn, or he can force you to drop out by saying "No".
This algorithm will leave you with some knowledge that will last a lifetime. You memorize with SuperMemo only things that you think you need to and be able to recall for life.
Version 2017
Modern version of the above algorithm would look like this:
- go to the teacher
- tell him "I really want to learn"
- ask him for the best book to use for the exam
- insist that the book be written in English
- insist that the book be available in electronic form
- insist that you never need to go to lectures because you will better use that time for study
- master the book with incremental reading (fast and easy!)
- shine in exams to prove to everyone you are on the right path