In a modern parable of perseverance, Cha Sa-Soon, a 68 year old Korean woman, finally earned her driver's license last year after 791 hours of examinations and 949 failures. She is now a Korean national heroine for her cheerful determination in her pursuit of a driver's license. She took the written test daily from April 13, 2005 until she passed on her 950th attempt in November, 2009. Once Ms. Cha got her license, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group started an online campaign asking people to post messages of congratulations. Thousands of well wishers responded. And now, Hyundai has recently made Ms. Cha both the proud new owner of a car but also the star of a commercial for the auto manufacturer.
Ms. Cha's determination is legendary. A recent profile of Ms. Cha detailed her study routine:
"Early in the morning (she wakes up 4 a.m.) and before going to bed, she put on her reading glasses and pored over her well-worn test-preparation books. She first tried, unsuccessfully, an audio test for illiterate people where questions were read to test-takers. Later, she switched to the normal test... Choi Young-chul, an official at the regional driving license agency, said: 'What she was essentially doing while studying alone was memorizing as many questions — with their answers — as possible without always knowing what they were all about. It’s not easy to pass the test that way.'"
It wasn't a lack of effort that prevented Ms. Cha from passing her test earlier. It may be that she needed to learn how to study smarter, not harder. Conventional wisdom for effective study techniques includes a clear desktop in a quiet space, a homework schedule, and a routine. That seems to be the method Ms. Cha used.
Turns out, these tried and true techniques from folk wisdom are in many cases the exact opposite of what science would recommend.
Research findings summarized in a recent New York Times article can help everyone from a third grader learning multiplication tables, to a retiree learning to speak Dutch, to a 65 year old trying to get her first driver's license.
Here are a few techniques for smarter studying that have science to back them up:
1) Study in varied settings-- A change of background can lead your brain to form more complex associations and in turn, stronger memories.
2) Cross-train your brain-- instead of memorizing the same set of ideas over and over, study related but different material in a study session. By allowing the brain to compare and contrast rather than simply focusing on one concept, the associations formed appear to be stronger. This is similar to physical benefits of the cross-training athletes do.
3) Study often and repeat; don't cram. Cramming may help with immediate recall, but does a poor job with later retention.
4) Don't be afraid of a challenge. Difficult subjects or tests will actually help your brain to learn. This is a concept called "desirable difficulty," which essentially means that the harder it is to remember something, the harder it is to later forget.
#4 is a rule that I am sure Ms. Cha would agree with.
_______________________________
Sources:
The Sunday Times , November 9, 2009.
The New York Times, September 3, 2010.
Well Blog, The New York Times, September 6, 2010.
Image source: Google images
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Kim Gamble
kmbearden
Spectrum Voice
Susie Lindau
Lauren B. Davis
racheld
Salon.com
Comments
Duane- thanks for the inside information. I have had many similar near-accidents as a pedestrian in Taiwan, where red and green lights do not appear to have meaning.
Felicia- that's an interesting question. She had very little formal education, but still, 3 yrs of retaking the same test seems excessive.
my mom always warned against number 3.
Bernadine, yes, shiny objects and OS.
Kathy, these tips were news to me. I could have used them as well!
Scarlett, fantastic.
rita, that is a very good question!
Sheila, thanks for coming by.
Grace, very philosophical view, and I agree.
Mallory, I doubt there are many others would be as persistent as this woman!
Fred, I know!
Füsun, I thought you'd like this tale, as a former teacher.
rated.
Such a wonderful story!
Poppi, those tests are not easy!
Linda, thanks for stopping by. I think a lot of people fail and look around at everyone else at DMV, thinking everyone else passed the first time.
Leon, driving in NY would be a disaster for me!