A Thought On Learning

In my college classes, I almost always become known as the "smart one" who finishes tests way earlier than anyone else and then passes them with flying colors. And I call them easy. People start coming to me with questions and for help. I don't mind helping them in the least.

But I've started questioning why this happens. I don't feel like I'm particularly smart or anything, at least not smarter than an average person. Maybe my work ethic is better, but I doubt it. Most times I don't even review for tests, I just rely on the memory of what I learned. I don't have a super good memory, either.

Then I recalled back to my childhood. I used to read encyclopedias for fun [I realize now that's a bit strange...........:/]. And then I wrote summaries of the entries that interested me. I just loved learning things.

And I still do, but only when something interests me. When something interests me, I absorb information about it like a sponge. I think most people are like that, honestly. Then I remembered that the only class I didn't excel at was one I never really could find any interest in.

And it clicked. I'm not really smart. I'm not that hard of a worker. I don't have an amazing memory. I'm just super good at finding things interesting.

My Business Law class was really dull. I couldn't get into it at all. Then, I visited the courthouse and saw a hearing in action. Suddenly, the topic excites me. I actually considered reading the chapters of the textbook that we won't actually be covering in class, so just I could know more about it. I'm only not doing that because I simply don't have time right now. It's a pity the textbook is only a rental, or I'd do it later.

But when other students are gazing up at the professor with glazed over eyes, half taking notes, half sleeping, I'm wide awake and absorbing everything, but I've already read the chapter in the textbook, so I already know everything he's going to say.

So that's the point of all of this, I guess. Learning is easy, when you love what you're learning.

The Dream

I had a dream last night that I'm still trying to decipher.

It started out normal enough - or rather, like any of my other dreams which are usually anything but normal, and include random characters from various books popping in and out of them. Last night, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy made an appearance. :)

Anyway, after a bit, the dream changed from my normal abnormal. I was standing on a beach with three other people, I don't recall who they were. I spoke to them, "Let me show you something." We were then in a horse drawn wagon, riding through the woods. As we rode down the path, we witnessed various scenes.

It was these scenes that startle me. They were scenes from the scriptures - the life of Christ, Nephi, Abinadi, Daniel, Noah, and on and on. Even more marvelous were that the scenes were performed by beings dressed in all white; and they were glowing. I knew instinctively that they were resurrected beings. We rode passed so many of these scenes, witnessing so many events.

Then we were back on the beach. I asked my companions, "Having seen so much, how then can you doubt?"

The dream ended there, caused by my alarm clock.

I don't know if the dream is a remnant of my missionary days, teaching others of these marvelous things, or if it was speaking to me, reminding me to keep my faith firm.

It's a pity that the dream has faded from my mind. If only I could recall those scenes more clearly and actually remember witnessing some of the events the resurrected beings depicted......