Step by Step - Issue #6

Kiran Johns

Apr 1, 2022

Here's a tweet that I really wanted to share with all the students out there.

Ana Lorena Fabrega @anafabrega11

Formal school does not match the usual way humans learn. We've taken learning out of its natural context and put it into an institutional framework. We’ve prioritized grades, conformity, and compliance over joy, curiosity, and creative exploration.

I used to be that student who used to spend all the time memorizing the notes my teachers gave to score good marks for my exams. This used to be my sole focus till 12th. Somewhere along the way I realized that there's so much more to learning, and it's a lot more than memorizing concepts.

One major reason why there is a huge gap between academia and industry is because our education relies so much on memorization and reproducing the content on a sheet of paper for exams.

True learning happens when you're able to take a concept that you learned, tweak and modify it to tackle a problem that you face. I doubt that colleges and conventional educational institutes enable students to attain that skills

It's hard to change the system that we were all brought up in, however what you can do is to push yourself to think outside the box and how you can utilize the resources and opportunities around you to build yourself.

How can you make learning fun again?

Start a peer to peer learning group with your friends.
Build side projects and launch them (learn by doing)
Do brainstorming sessions with your friends.

One of the biggest mistakes conventional education made is that make students think that they have to do everything on their own and everything is a competition. Don't fall for that trap, the real world need people who are great in collaborating. Find joy in learning and you'll be way ahead in life!

There's a huge excitement around product management, and lots of resources are on the web. But it might be hard to learn the skills for a career in product, learn how you can build a career in product.

Download a variety of resume, cover letter, and CV guides and templates.

Oh btw here's a tip from Naval...