“In learning something new, a man improves himself. He either acquires a new skill or becomes more proficient at an old one. In studying, a man acquires new knowledge but this new knowledge need not make any difference to him as a practical man.” – D.C. Lau

It’s that time of the year again. No, I’m not talking about the holiday season, even though dancing Santas are already wiggling about in windows everywhere. I’m talking about final exams! The plazas are empty, the libraries are full, and a sense of tension seems to be making its way through the student body.

Every year is the same. Some spend hours “cramming” well into the night in an attempt to make sense of material that was never actually understood in the first place. It’s all about doing the least amount of work required just to scrape through. And then there are the others. Some simply want to be the best they can be. That means doing all it takes to be number one. It also means throwing tantrums and fits whenever assignments are graded unfairly or when the effort doesn’t pay off.

I really don’t get the obsession with good grades. Yes, it’s important to work hard and strive to do well academically, especially if you’re facing the prospect of not graduating. But focusing on “A’s” as the ultimate end goal is not such a good idea. Fact is, they don’t really matter all that much. Being an honour student won’t necessarily make you happy or successful. It might not even make you rich. Focusing on something else entirely just might.

Studying is not about learning actual material. It’s about learning how to learn. There’s a reason nobody remembers the skeletal system from high school biology or exactly how to work with quadratic equations from calculus class. Those were designed to exercise our minds, not to equip up with conversational titbits. They were designed to help us solve problems and think laterally; skills we can actually use going forward.

Unfortunately, many institutions don’t feel the same way. They spend tons of time and money in an attempt to boost scores; sometimes in ways that raise an eyebrow or two. And even though their intentions may be noble, they’re not doing us any favours by spewing out silly acronyms, supplying us with cram notes, or dishing out tips and tricks to boost our reading speed. What they should be doing is teaching. We pay to learn and that’s what they should help us do.

In The World is Flat (also available in South Africa), Thomas Friedman brings this home by talking about “Globalisation 3.0”. We live in a digital age and technology is rendering careers obsolete every single day. Physical and intellectual capital move freely across our borders, work is outsourced, and millions of people all over the world are competing for your job. The only way to stay relevant is by constantly keeping our minds sharp.

My advice to those facing the prospect of final exams (whenever they may be) would be to stop obsessing over the material and the marks. They don’t matter. What you know will probably become irrelevant any minute now. Instead, spend some time focusing on the learning process. Spend some time “teaching yourself to fish” so you don’t go hungry somewhere down the line. You’ll thank yourself later.

(For more resources and tips, download your free copy of “Work in Progress” exclusively from www.varsityblah.com/about)

“That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.” – Paul Valery

Facebook is everywhere. You’d have to be a cryogenically frozen amoeba living under a rock on Mars not to have heard of it. So, what’s the big deal? Does Facebook really deserve to be hailed as the greatest product of Web 2.0 or is it only a matter of time before all the hoopla becomes a thing of the past?

Many joined Facebook hoping it would bring them closer to the people in their lives, especially those they hadn’t seen since the good old days of school. But then the reality set in. For some, getting in touch with said blasts from the past made them realise why they weren’t that chummy to begin with. For others, it’s now gotten to the point where they’re dealing with an actual Facebook addiction; staying up into the wee hours of the morning, showing up late for work, and messaging colleagues in adjacent cubicles (assuming access hasn’t been entirely blocked).

I received many requests to join Facebook, some from people I’d only ever said “hi” to once or twice. That didn’t make much sense. Why was I being hassled by people I either saw in class everyday or who weren’t even that fond of me in the first place? Why could they not take the hint (i.e. my express “no thanks”) and move on? And why couldn’t anyone come up with a valid reason that didn’t involve some degree of peer pressure? This definitely went beyond the desire to get a little closer.

The social networking craze seems to be more about reaffirming ourselves than about connecting with other people. Our entire sense of self is now based on how many “friends” we have on our profiles. Whether or not we know (or like) these people in the real world doesn’t matter. As long as we can claim to be popular, that’s all that matters. As long as we’re connected, we exist. The world will have no choice but to acknowledge that.

To those of who are happy with Facebook, what I have to say shouldn’t bother you. If it does, maybe that’s something you need to think about. In any case, all I can do is offer some advice. Be reasonable about how much you share online because the last thing you want is to have your identity stolen (or wind up being stalked). And now that companies are using Facebook to investigate prospective employees, a little common sense (and possible censorship) will come in handy.

To those of you have managed to stay strong up to now, congratulations are in order. Your willpower is admirable! Technology may profess to be bringing us closer together, but all it seems to be doing (other than creating an entire generation who can’t spell) is moving us further apart. We’re forgetting what it’s like to interact with each other on an organic level. Nowadays, it’s damn near impossible to have a conversation without whoever you’re trying to talk to keeping at least one earphone still plugged in and/or constantly reaching for their phone. What ever happened to undivided attention and good old-fashioned eye contact?

Fact is, you really don’t need a website to stay in touch with your family and friends. Why not write them an actual letter, give them an actual phone call, or (insert gasp here) meet them in person? We’re not meant to spend our lives sitting in front of computer screens, thinking we’re connecting with others when we’re not. We’re meant to be out living our lives. Even though the online experience may seem real, it can never come close to the interactions in the flesh. So, what are you waiting for?

(Eugene Yiga is the editor of Varsity Blah and his latest book is available free, exclusive from www.varsityblah.com/about)