how the growth mindset changed my schooling experience

For those of you who stay updated with my blog, you know I read the book Mindset over Christmas break and have been raving about it ever since. I guess it's just not very often that you read a book that truly has an affect on you and changes the way you think and act. I'm not going to pretend this was an overnight transformation, but I will say that this book has stayed with me far longer than most books do. And in the moments where I'm feeling glum, I always return back to the principles that are so beautifully explained in Mindset. Perhaps the only principles that I use more often than the mindset principles are those I've learned from the gospel and have been trying to implement my whole life.

In a post where I vaguely mentioned that having a growth mindset helped in my schooling this semester, a friend asked me to explain more in depth what I meant by that. So here's what was different for me:

1. I started out the semester with an enthusiasm for learning I hadn't had since my first semester of my freshman year. The growth mindset puts the focus on learning and growing, and I was really excited to approach my classes with that outlook, and just try to learn all I possibly could.

2. I pushed myself harder to do everything, especially the first few weeks. In my first semester here at BYU, I did the readings for maybe a week (if that), and then gave up, and ever since then I've done very few readings for my classes. But with the new approach to the semester I realized I had to try my very best in all aspects of the class, and I had to try reading again. And it worked! ...For a few weeks. As soon as midterms and papers started piling up, I will admit the reading was shoved to the side. And honestly, I think that's okay. Because I was still learning, and yes I wasn't perfect my first time. But I was better than I had been before, and that's what matters.

3. I studied to learn, not to pass a test. This is the biggest one for me, hands down. While there was, of course, a fair amount of cramming before tests, I honestly tried to study just to learn and retain information, and not to check it off a list. I used to be someone who would study to retain the information until after I passed a test, then forget it all and never think about it again. I think it's safe to say this is how a vast majority of people approach schooling, to be honest. But what a difference it made when I was reading and paying attention in class just to learn! I fell back in love with learning. A lot of this difference was made because I was in classes I truly enjoyed, and this was much harder to apply to those I wasn't as naturally drawn to. So obviously I still have things to work on. I had the same love of learning when I studied AP US History in high school, and can still to this day spout of way more random history facts than the average person. And now, after this semester, I can spout of a great deal of Human Development, Living Prophets, and Marriage Prep facts. So ask away my friends!

4. I remained more positive throughout the whole semester. By applying the growth mindset to my life, I was able to be confident and happy independent of hard things happening. My attitude was so much more consistent and stable than it had been in years (maybe I was just finally growing out of some teen hormones or something?) because it didn't fluctuate according to every circumstance in my life. My happiness was something independent of anything else, and that was refreshing. Obviously from my last post I've been sort of off in this regard as of late, and have had a harder time maintaining a positive attitude. Maybe it's time I read Mindset again.

And that's that. Those are the fundamental differences, and I feel like I covered the rest in my elaboration. Any more questions though, ask away! I obviously really enjoy talking about this. Or talking at all. I obviously really enjoy talking.