Seek True Learning By Re-Framing Your Approach

Adam Pickens, PhD, MPH, ASP, Instructional Associate Professor, Environmental & Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University

As we journey deeper into the spring semester, it can be easy to feel worn down or burned out. The academic year can seem like a grind – one class, one project, one test after another. You just want to get through it.

With that in mind, allow me to offer you both a challenge and some encouragement. The challenge – to consider your approach to learning at a deeper level. The encouragement – that you are more than capable of not only "getting through" but of real, meaningful growth.

Don’t fall into the trap of simply memorizing what you need to know to select the right answers. While just getting through a test with a memory dump may provide a short-term benefit by helping you achieve the score you desire, it can often nullify the potential long-term impact of genuine study and contemplation.

It is easy to say now as a faculty member, but I was never really interested in my grades; I was interested more in what interesting things challenged me in the courses I took. I would encourage you to think similarly. Don’t just look at the material as something you have to get through for the test on Monday, but rather start with: What do you find interesting about the material itself? Where can you see these topics going? What questions do you have about where this material will take you next?

Certainly, you must pass. If that is your only goal, however, you are cheating yourself of the true benefit of education – learning to think critically and thoroughly. This goes not only for the material you’re studying, but also the test itself. I’ve found that evaluating how to take each professor’s test is its own learning opportunity. How do you analyze the question? How do you get to the root of what is being asked? How do you focus on a concise answer? These are all skills you can practice on your examinations that will translate outside of the classroom relatively quickly. 

When you encounter a problem on the job, you won't likely be presented with four neatly distinct choices and asked to pick the right one. There are almost never true/false questions. You will be forced to evaluate data and analyze situations, thinking through factors related to people, hazards, regulations, and much more, to identify the best solution for the circumstances. Sometimes you won’t have enough information. Other times you will have to sift through buckets of information that isn’t pertinent to the issue you’re facing. Train yourself for this type of mental exercise now so you are ready when the challenge comes.

Your mind has the potential for so much more than capturing information simply to regurgitate it later. Learn how to take that information and think through its real-life applications. It may be an extra step in your studies, but you have the capacity for it. And doing so will pay dividends long after you've earned your degree.

Best wishes to each of you for the rest of the semester. The safety, health, and environmental field of study is a noble one. Continue to strive for excellence. What you learn today will allow you to greatly impact this world tomorrow.

BCSP & BCSP Foundation Award 2023 QAP Scholarships and ABET Grants

In December, BCSP and the BCSP Foundation announced 40 recipients of Qualified Academic Program (QAP) Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded annually to deserving students who attend collegiate programs that BCSP has determined match the criteria needed to offer the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation.

Additionally, BCSP and the Foundation provided ABET accreditation/reaccreditation grants to 16 degree programs across 11 different universities.

Congratulations to all 2023 scholarship and grant recipients on their achievements.