KtyL's blog

This semester, I took a course called "Pre-PBL". PBL, standing for Problem Based Learning, is an active learning style which medical colleges in Taiwan are trying to introduce to students. It encourages students to take the initiative to solve problem, not to ask the teacher for direct "standard answer". (You can find out more about PBL here.) And this course, Pre-PBL, introduces us what PBL exactly is, and how to use it in our future learning.

This week, after filling out a questionnaire about last week's class, we read the best-selling book, Who Moved My Cheese? together. And we are going to have a discussion about what we get from it next week. Here's what I wrote down right after I have finished reading it:

When I was in my second or third year of high school, I already knew that there must be something wrong with my learning style, as my grades dropped sharply. That's when my Cheese was gone.

I thought I know what could be the key point of my problem. But I just didn't want to change my way of doing things. I persuaded myself that I didn't have the ability to adapt to the new method. I was just like Hem, the Littlepeople that insist not to change from the beginning to the end.

Later, I no longer thought it's a good idea to stick to my old ways, as things went from bad to worse. So I started to try those new methods that I guessed would probably work. I grew to be more like Haw, and I started my own journey. But unlike Haw, who holds on and finally finds the New Cheese, every time I encounter situations that I never met before, I grew frightened, uncertain of myself, and went back to my old ways—my old empty Cheese station C in the end.

After a while I would start off to try another way, but no matter how I would be back to the old place after a short time. This cycle just keeps on revolving, and eventually I never change my studying styles, which means I never find the New Cheese of mine.

Now after reading this book, I realize that the reason to my failure is that I never let go of my fear of unknown. So if those new methods don't seem to work immediately, I will just give up. But in fact, like one of Haw's saying goes, "It is safer to search in the maze than remain in a Cheeseless situation." The fear building up in my mind is often worse than the actual situation.

So what should I do from now on? Well, I think everytime I feel discouraged, I'll remind myself of this saying by Haw:

What Would You do If You Weren't Afraid?

Forget about my fear; give it a try. Courage, that's what I need.