Chapter 6 – Input/Output (Finding Information)
Presentations
The Mother of all Battles
There are some people that consider public speaking more horrible than even death. Death?! Can that be right? But it’s true. Some people would rather die than stand up in public to speak.
Perhaps you don’t quite fear it as much. Perhaps you really do. Teachers usually give pep-talks such as, “Hey, you’re going to have to do it anyway so don’t even think about getting scared.” Or they might be a little more persuasive and tell them, “It’s going to be OK. Everyone’s doing it, and we’re all nice people here anyway, so why worry?” That’s all a load of, um, hogwash. People are going to get scared anyway.
What’s the secret to overcoming this? Well, you can get drunk, but that wouldn’t help because you wouldn’t be able to think properly, and then you’d really make a fool out of yourself. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to get to know the people who are going to listen to you. Try to make friends with them. That way, you will consider speaking to your friends and not a bunch of scary people who are probably thinking about what a horrible shirt you have on today. If the people in your class really do turn out to be jerks, and not worth your effort at befriending them, then establish rapport with your teacher. When giving your presentation, just pretend you’re speaking to him or her exclusively, and the rest of the class is just being nosy and listening in on your conversation. If they manage to ask you questions, just remember that you’re the expert (if you’re not, make sure you are by doing enough research) on the topic you’re giving, and that you’re going to be giving them your piece of mind, and not the other way around.
Follow the same procedure as writing an essay, for putting together a presentation, only this time you don’t have to write so much. Remember to use the strategic order in your presentation, do thorough research (especially if fielding questions – think of questions as possible missiles, and consider research as protective shielding), dress smartly, do your hair properly, act cool, and take the room by storm.
Know Thy Enemy
Establishing Rapport with your Teacher
Your teacher isn’t really your enemy, but he or she is the one who will finally give you the grade. The usual way a student will obtain a good grade is by doing whatever the teacher assigns the class. The usual way a teacher knows what to assign the class is by following not only the curriculum, but in addition following his or her own preferences. Educators are, after all, only human – unlike us cyborgs – and they’re subject to the same whims and fancies that make people who they are.
As a result, it is one of your primary mission directives to seek out your teachers and analyze their personality makeups. Find out what they like and dislike. The only way to do this is by chatting with them, after class, or whenever it is socially viable. By chatting with them you are (1) establishing rapport; (2) removing the possible false prejudice that teachers are inaccessible, cold, and non-human; (3) understanding the class from their point of view. This last item is very important. Usually, when a teacher is giving a presentation, he has a specific point he wishes to impress upon the class. In fact, he has a thesis not unlike one which might exist in an essay. Indeed, there is usually a thesis for the entire course. This overall objective is usually written down in an outline of the course given at the beginning of the year. Never lose track of the main theme of the course. Everything you present to the teacher in the form of essays, tests, final exams, presentations, etc. will be gauged against how well your understanding of the course material is on par with the teacher’s own thesis (or the course’s thesis). Sometimes, the course’s thesis will change over the duration of the year, and you should be aware of this, but for most of the time it will remain the same as when you started out from Day One.
By paying attention to the teacher’s thesis, you will ensure handshaking with him or her. “Handshaking” is a term used in computer communications jargon to mean that two machines are agreeing to speak to each other in a certain manner. Put in another way, you and your teacher are on the same wavelength. Until you establish this communications channel, there will be interference and noise, and both you and your teacher may misunderstand each other (but only you really suffer, because you get the grade, not usually the other way around).
On the other hand, I do not want to appear to condone senseless chit-chat, or asking questions just for the sake of asking a question. Usually, when that happens, everyone in the room knows the student is trying too hard. Mr. Wannabe-A-Student had better do a lot of reading and research and ask an intelligent question, or one that honestly deserves attention, or one that he honestly wants to ask for the sake of information and not the act of asking a question. Teachers (and fellow students) would sometimes get annoyed at questions that obviously are a waste of everyone’s time. I’m sure you probably have heard one of them in your academic career. The only way to ensure that you’re being sincere and useful and, above all, impressive upon the teacher, is to understand the teacher’s thesis, understand the course’s thesis, understand your course material, and then ask a question on the basis of all these things. I am not trying to discourage people from asking questions. That’s the last thing I want to come across as saying. I just feel that there is a definite need for students to understand the distinction between asking a question, and moving your mouth with your hand up. I stress this distinction not for the sake of the class, but for the sake of the student. If a teacher realises that a student is trying to “suck up” or impress him or her just because they want a better grade, then that teacher will feel “used” and probably won’t give the student much thought. However, if the teacher sees that a student has done his homework – literally! – and is sincerely interested in the topic (while further demonstrating his prowess by bringing into the discussion outside reading and research which is relevant to the course material) then the teacher will enjoy teaching that student, and enjoy giving that student high marks. You must realise that teachers, like everyone else, wants to be useful. If they feel that they are doing a good job, they’ll be happy, and a happy teacher is what you want when it comes to writing down that A+ on your report card.
A further note on teacher-student rapport: If a teacher realises that a student is a capable and interested pupil, he or she will find it difficult to give them a bad grade. What I mean to say is that a teacher will want to find some reason to give the student a good grade. Usually this is provided through the normal course offerings of exams and assignments. Sometimes, however, a student can create further opportunities by asking for more work! You might shudder at this suggestion, but it really isn’t as bad as it sounds, and bonus credit for extra assignments usually are easily earned since there isn’t as much pressure associated with them as the usual “mainstream” assignments.
Another reason why a teacher wants to give a good grade to a student is quite simply because the teacher feels that the student deserves it. And if you’ve done all your work properly, you do indeed deserve a good grade. Everyone deserves good grades, but only those who are committed to making the efforts involved will get them. I remember quite distinctly a certain professor (who shall remain totally anonymous!) I had at my university. I had originally thought the course she taught to be very stupid, and took it only because it was required. As the year progressed, I began to understand the thesis of the course, and found out that it was totally unlike the thesis I thought it was at the beginning of the year! When I realised this prejudice of mine, and thus changed my paradigm of what the course meant, I enjoyed the class so much that even my professor realised I was enthusiastic about it. One day, after handing back a very important essay (worth probably about 30% of our grade) she took me aside and told me that my essay was missing some parts, and that she thinks I have what it takes to get an A for the course. So she offered to let me rewrite a particular portion of the essay, so that I could obtain a higher mark. I thanked her for her kindness, and rewrote the paper. I got an A for that course. So you see, teachers will sometimes go out of their way to help students. All you have to do is show them that you deserve their help. And you must always remember the favours your teacher affords you. The professor who let me rewrite my paper was not only bending the rules for me, but she must already have tons of work to do, without having to entertain the extra effort of marking my essay a second time around. I guess I am sincerely grateful to her enough to include her example in this book.
Friends or Foes
Fellow Students
Put simply, anyone who deters you from a good grade, is an enemy. This may, of course, change with circumstances, but it’s a general rule to follow. (For more information on determining who the enemy really is, please see Chapter Seven.) At the risk of sounding like I am condoning superficial human relationships, I venture to say here that it is to your best interest to make friends with your fellow classmates if for no reason other than that it will help you get a better grade.
Fellow students are filled with information. They can help you out when you cannot attend class on a certain day, or when you have to find out the exact deadline for an assignment, or when you have to do a group project. Always try to make friends with the students who seem the brightest and most enthusiastic in the class, but never be so conceited and arrogant to ignore the more quiet and less conspicious of your classmates. If you have the potential to make friends that last not only for the duration of the course, but perhaps for a lifetime, why pass on that opportunity? What I’m saying is that you should make an effort that is more active and has more initiative than usual in getting to know people. Don’t just let things happen “naturally.” Everything happens naturally. It’s just that sometimes “natural” isn’t what you want to happen. Finally, making friends with students ensures that you walk into a classroom of people, and not just faces. You will feel more relaxed, having more friends who are “on your side,” and you will be able to participate more frequently, and with less stress, in class discussions. You will find that you will enjoy just being in the class, simply because you know people around you. Every little bit helps. Remember: Synergy. By making yourself known to your fellow students, and your teacher, you are on your way to becoming the exceptional student, and a happy cyborg.
Now, power up your weapons, because in the next few pages, you will encounter the most important chapter in this book. You will enter…
