COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
APPLICATION OF SKILLS
Your Brain Has a Bone to Pick with You!
To: Owner From: Brainy Subject: Your Brain Has a Bone to Pick with You! Priority: High
Dear Owner:
I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for you. How do you thank me? You treat me like I mean nothing to you. Riding around on your bike and skateboard without a helmet, leaving me open to all sorts of injuries if you fall… Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to make repairs in here? Btw, you know all that junk food and sugary stuff you eat? I’d hardly classify it as “food.” Just because you like it doesn’t mean I like it. I need food that’s nutritious. I’d feel a lot better if you’d eat a healthy breakfast in the morning. PRODUCT PREVIEW While I’m on the subject, do you realize how often I’m thirsty? My neurons, dendrites, axons and synapses need water to work efficiently so you can learn. What the heck! Why so stingy with the water? Six to eight glasses a day, please. Soda and caffeine drinks don’t count. Just a warning: don’t even think of using alcohol, drugs or tobacco, or I’m talking a serious s-l-o-w-d-o-w-n in the work I do for you. I promise you will not like it. I’d also appreciate 8-9 hours of sleep every night. While you’re off snoozing like a princess, I get to all of my chores, like restoring your mental and physical energy. You know how you get all cranky when you’re tired? That’s me (my hypothalamus to be exact) telling you to sleep so I can work! By the way, to learn something new, you have to review it more than once. When you study and review, I form new synapses and strengthen synaptic patterns and connections. That creates strong neural pathways which make it easier for you to recall the information. If you study or review something only once, I will have a hard time remembering it.
One more thing. Here’s what I like: I like fresh air. I like exercise. I like reading. I like stuff like chess and puzzles. I’m no whimp. I like challenge. We’re in this together.
help me out, ok?
Sincerely, Brainy
23
THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO STUDY SKILLS
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software