Why I Got My First "C" in College
Posted on March 06, 2013 by Sharon Beyer, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.
We had a problem, neither of us (me or the teacher) was willing to change, and, as a result, I got my worst grade in college.
Ancient Civilizations – it was the class that delivered me my first and only letter grade of a “C” in college. Welcome to the trials and tribulations of college. I was disappointed, and I struggled figuring out what I had done wrong. I had always done well in school, particularly in history. Looking back at it now, I understand that this professor’s style of teaching did not match my style of learning. Instead of adapting to it, which would have changed my outcome, I held onto my old ways of learning.
With a teacher that taught straight facts, I memorized and spit things back. He didn’t prefer that. In class he didn’t give time for discussion, it was straight lecture. I didn’t prefer that. I read the book, but it just felt like a series of facts listed on paper. It meant nothing to me. In all of that, I was missing the big picture, the connection of events, and ultimately the personalization I needed. My professor didn’t teach stories and I didn’t learn via the sequencing of facts. We had a problem, neither of us was willing to change, and, as a result, I got my worst grade in college.
It was not until later, that I discovered historical fiction novels. Those books provided me with many of the elements of learning I needed. First and foremost, they are about people. Not just events that were going on during a period of history, but people. My dominant MBTI function is Extroverted Feeling. I am all about people – knowing them, understanding them, empathizing with them, helping them – and books are all about people’s stories. Add on the option of being able to talk about the book with others, now the content is in my head forever. I am also a voracious reader so this was a perfect tool for my learning. If I had found a story revolving around a person living in one of those ancient civilizations, I would have rocked that class (or so I like to think).
After my first historical fiction novel, I couldn’t get enough. Each story I read led me to a new book about the time period. Next, it led me to Wikipedia for more information about the people and events that were featured in the story. This process was empowering and led to high levels of personal exploration. As an ENFJ, it aligned perfectly with my preferences for learning. On a personal side note, Michelle Moran is one of my new, favorite authors for learning about historical women. She has written great books about ancient Egypt, Rome, and the French Revolution.
What I also realized, is that this doesn’t just apply to history; people are a part of every topic that is studied. Science is not just about equations, it’s about the people who created them, solved them, and used them. The stock market is not just a pile of numbers; it is a story of businesses, employees, and of society’s behaviors. Through learning their stories, I am inspired and driven to understand those worlds.
Teachers and professors are not always going to be able to reach every preference style in the room, no matter how hard they try. That is why it is up to you, the learner, to figure out your best methods for taking in information and converting it to long-term knowledge. I wish I had known this simple truth my first year of college. Take steps to learn more about your own learning needs through avenues such as coaching or self-exploration.
