File Folders

I have been studying all the days of my life. I have been learning a lot though, and not just micro and anatomy.

Last night, when I couldn’t sleep at 2:30 in the morning, I was thinking about how much information that I had put in my brain yesterday. And I started to think (granted this was in the middle of the night) that my brain was like a shelf. A shelf that was longer than I could see and stuffed full of file folders. Each time that I learn something new I either create a new folder or place new information in an existing folder.

Then I got to thinking that from the moment you are born you start to store information in folders. Like the “how to eat” folder. Then as you grow up you start to have more folders, such as the “language” folder. Then when you learn how to read you put that information into the “language” folder in a subfolder that would be labeled “reading.” Another example would be the “math” folder. I remember being shocked when I realized that subtracting was actually adding negative numbers. Who knew? But I wouldn’t have been able to understand this concept if I didn’t already have addition and subtraction in my “math” folder. I would not have been able to just create a new folder for “addition of negative numbers” if I didn’t already have a “math” folder with “addition” and “subtraction” subfolders. Is this making sense because in my “sense” folder it is but it may not make sense in your “sense” folder. Which leads me to my next point.

Everyone files their folders differently. Studying with a buddy isn’t really my style, but yesterday I gave it a try and I am glad I did. Alyssa and I studied all afternoon for micro and then Genevieve and I studied all evening for anatomy. Talking things over with each of them showed me that everyone learns material differently. I believe Genevieve is a very organized filer because she is able to locate information very quickly. Where I have the information in my head but much less organized and thus it takes me longer to process the question and locate the answer. Alyssa is just a smarty pants. I am not sure how she organizes, but I want that system.

PS. I wrote this blog faster than any other I have ever written. I am on my third cup of coffee this morning and I am jittery beyond belief. I just want to take my test this second but I need to calmly wait for another…hour, are you kidding me? I thought it had to be at least 1:00. So if this blog made no sense it is either because a) it really didn’t make any sense like the concept was just ridiculous or b) I am caffeinated out of my mind. I think both are likely.