Monday Morning

No, today is not Monday - I am not that out of touch with reality. Rather, I want to refer to the phenomenon of the Monday morning quarterback, who analyzes yesterday's game, or agonizes over yesterday's defeat. I feel a little bit like that, in these days just after my mid-term exam in HIST 18 - the History of the Middle East, my fall 2006 class taken online from Foothill College.

I was, frankly, disappointed with my performance on Monday afternoon (All Hallow's eve - I even missed seeing some of the trick-or-treaters!). I thought afterwards of so many things I SHOULD have said, and maybe a few that I wish I had NOT said. Furthermore, I feel as if I didn't adequately answer the questions! And that is doubly disappointing, because I had every chance in the world to do so.

The test was open book; I had a copy of 5 possible questions a week ahead of time, and knew that I only needed to be prepared to answer 2 out of 3 questions (chosen from amongst the 5). Furthermore, I actually had a copy of the questions from last time the class was given! So essentially I had 6 weeks to prepare for this test. So why do I feel as if I failed? What could have kept me from performing well?

Well, the truth is this: I have a grave tendency to over-prepare, and that interferred with my ability to actually produce-under-pressure in a satisfactory way. For one thing, Dr. Davison clearly and repeatedly said that all we needed to know was what was in the textbook by Bernard Lewis, or posted in the lectures online by her. We needed consult no other material. How easy can it be?

Yet these simple and sane suggestions were not the ones I followed. No, I chose instead to follow my instinct of wanting to know more, read more, LEARN more. And what was the result? I spent a LOT of time looking up more and more information, and then even MORE time trying to document what I had found (via a bibliography, of over 50 web articles I read)!

Somewhere I heard that insanity is continuing to do what has not worked before. Well, folks, my study methods are insane, and they produce insane results in and on me. It's true, so far I've been successful with the perceived results - I have an A average at Foothill, and I have the evidence of many successful years of "scholary pursuits" to back up the supposition that my study habits are ok.

However, I think the actual situation is a little like that of the Ottoman Turks in the 18th century. They still appeared strong to their European or Asian enemies, but on the inside of their Empire, the process of decay and the descent downhill had already begun. Even when they took up the use of firearms, importing more and more weapons from the Europeans, and the repair specialists and instructors to go along with them - even then they were not able to keep up with the enemies that soon emerged. The Ottomans got complacent, and the Russians and Austrians got aggressive - a bad combination, which produced dreadful results. Furthermore, the times changed, and along with it the nature of the competition, and the skills necessary for success.

And that's what I fear most: I am falling further and further behind in my ability to MASTER what I take in - to digest it, and appropriate it, and put it to use. So, I propose for this second half of the quarter to try a different tack. I will NOT use some of my standard techniques. This is my current, "Monday morning menu" for what it will take to succeed in this second half of my Middle East escapade into history.

1) Read, re-read, and re-read again ONLY the textbook and the online lectures - forget about knowing what others think or know; learn and UNDERSTAND all that these two authors say.
2) Abstain from taking notes in my standard way; do not spend hours writing down everything on 6X8 notecards; write keywords only, or outline the structure of the chapter or lecture, but do not copy it!
3) APPLY what I learn; use personal experience, and write about my impressions or ideas; reflect, absorb, and become a part of this history, and let it become a part of me.
4) Discuss what I read with others; tell them what I've learned; summarize events, express my reactions, and do whatever it takes to become ONE with this material.

I don't know if this will make much of a difference, but I do know this: I learn best when I put to use what I know - when I live it, and breathe it, and write about it. That's what needs to be done with this course. It is not enough to cram more and more information into my brain, if I can't apply it, and put it to use. It is the same mistake I make when I eat too much, or when I save too many newspaper articles - quantity, at some point, interfers with quality! Small portions of the right "foods" are what I need to eat; complete digestion and frequent exercise are what I need to do; and wise investment of my energies is what I need to practice in this, the second half of life (and, by extension, this class).