The Woes of Going Back to School

I have forgotten how to study.

I have a test tonight in my digital media class, and I wasn't too worried until last night. That's when I took out my notes and realized that yes, I've forgotten how to study.

Studying for engineering classes, something I did with regularity from 1996 until 2002, was a totally different concept. First, you are usually allowed to bring in a single sheet of paper that you can fill to your heart's content with equations and mental notes. Second, engineering exams are not about facts. Memorizing facts and dates does not work. Heck, there aren't even really any facts and dates to remember. Engineering exams are all about the process, so you study the process. You study the basics, and the problem solving process. You need to know your general equations and concepts, and know how to apply those to a variety of problems. It's all about the big picture.

My digital media class, on the other hand, is something I've not experienced since high school. I have to know dates, I have to know facts, I have to know acronyms. In short, the process of studying for this test is simply rote memorization. And apparently I don't remember how to remember.

It is a weird feeling.