Friday, March 27, 2020

Survival Models


The first course I had to repeat because of failure was ironically called Survival Models. It was a step up from the course’s previous name. Mortality. If you have ever experienced the pain of finishing an essay or project, and the computer crashing, you will have some empathy for the penny that dropped for me. I hadn’t failed for lack of application. I had passed the course, but had been swallowed whole (along with most of my class) by the final exam. The exam was all that mattered for the professional qualification. Even when the evidence disappears, Skills & Knowledge built through blood, sweat and tears leave a mark. The second mouse gets the cheese. Second time round, a lot of concepts that didn’t make sense the first time sunk in. Normally we don’t have time for that. The production line moves on with progressively weaker foundations. I still look back at that course as a blessing (deep) in disguise. I learnt the value of learning through teaching people one step behind, even when you are grasping in the dark. I learnt the value of compounded learning. Of inconspicuous growth. It’s never starting from scratch if you carry hard won lessons with you.



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