Advice on how to get the most out of education
This is part of a series called Focal Point, in which we ask a range of Harvard faculty members to answer the same question. Focal Point Jacob Barandes Question: If you were to write a letter to your students, what would you want them to know? I mainly teach students in the physical sciences, but I have some advice to share with those who are studying subjects centered more broadly around problem-solving. First and foremost, remember that there are many ways to be extraordinary. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that ability in a particular discipline lies along a single axis, and that any two people in that discipline can be lined up and compared. But getting stuck in this mindset discourages cooperation and leads to a sense of competition, a feeling that we have to demonstrate that we’re better or more capable than those around us, and a constant fear of not...