Keeping Sharp




A side-effect of having graduated, I think, is that I seem to spend less time forcibly stimulating my mind. I mean not just absorbing, but really working through new material and understanding it. I have certainly learned a lot in the past few months, but I don't think very much of it has the same quality of information stored as when, say, I spent a week diagramming and memorizing how respiration works in excruciating detail for a physiology class.

I know that basically everyone experiences this, and none so much as those involved in academia, but I am really a bit unsure what to do about it and I'm already a little worried about what veering away from "hard science" for a little bit to do my Masters might do to me. I just want the quality of my brain to remain unhindered as I move through my adult prime. I've been watching a lot of TED talks, reading more, and trolling through Khan Academy videos on random subjects just to keep fresh, but somehow even that doesn't seem quite enough. Don't get me wrong, I could be trying harder, seeing as I also sometimes decide to watch 12 episodes of Community back-to-back and call it a day, but still. How do you guys keep your minds keen?

Comments

  1. I am big on this one. Here goes:1. Crossword puzzles. Emotionally relaxing plus mentally stimulating? Yes Please. 2. TED talks. 3. Listening to lots and lots and lots of public radio. NPR News, All Things Considered, This American Life. 4. Reading, reading, reading, reading, reading. And then some more reading. 5. My new job. Which is crazy insane hard and requires tons and tons of research and pushing myself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i agree, lots of npr....lots of msnbc....{hope you're not a fox-news fan...eeep}...

    i actually work so many hours, and "on" so much with my clients, i'm the other way. i am looking for ways to dumb it down...i constantly attempting to bring my brain down...i've tried reality tv, etc. but still haven't found anything....

    ReplyDelete
  3. a keen mind i've never had. ;p do you think part of it might be that now you no longer are required, meaning getting tested, credit, or graded on material? i'm just saying that if I'M not held accountable, i'm lazy as all get out. truthfully, after i graduated from college, was when i started developing my creative hobbies. i had all this free time, since i was no longer studying. do what ever feels right for you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great question! I try to read a non-fiction book a week, and watch any documentary that remotely interests me on any subject I want to know more about. And then I try to convince my friends to read the same books/movies so we can discuss! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I read and write a lot.:D

    ***** Marie *****
    allthingsmarie.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love to read. And not just reading anything but I love to read mysteries the most and I am one of those people who has to read straight through so that I can see if I have determined the right person for the crime. I also love to do sodoku and puzzles. I have decided recently that I am not learning about enough new things, so I have been trying to find new topics that I can blog about and learn at the same time. I have also picked 5 things that I want to learn more about in the next year. My 5 things were Greek mythology, Constellations, learning the sign language alphabet and some common words/phrases, learning tarot card reading, and learning about places that I want to travel too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...