Remember when you were little and no explanation was good enough?
“Why?” you’d ask. And then again-
“Why?”
“But… why?”
And maybe your mom or your dad conceded finally, a little exasperated,
saying, “Well that’s just how it is!”
Little ones are curious about the world and are learning to see that most
things have logical relationships and reasons. And then we fast-forward to maybe
a more “adult” world, when asking questions sometimes becomes… harder somehow.
“Why?” you’d get the guts to ask.
And maybe a colleague or authority would say, “Well that’s just the way
we’ve always done it.”
Then it’s up to you if you keep asking “Why?” or “How?” or “What if?”
Questions are powerful!
Questions challenge the status quo. They open doors to discussions that haven’t
been explored yet. They inspire
innovation, they get you to the depth of a problem, and they determine your
direction. In fact, there is even an
industry technique known as “5 Whys” that is used to determine the root cause
of a problem.
There are situations at school or work when I sometimes feel perplexed,
lost, or just kind of quiet when the one tool I have, the one ally I can carry
with me, is the strength to ask questions. In fact, I admire the innocence and
pointedness of a toddler’s asking a seemingly simple question! Sometimes these questions aren’t as simple as
we think. What if no one asks the
questions that need to be asked? You can
be the person to change the conversation, to make an impact beginning with a
simple observation, or to discover something for yourself!
Questions build relationships!
There have been a bajillion times when I couldn’t figure out the answer
to a question in one of my classes, I didn’t know where to begin, or sometimes
I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. This happens a lot as an engineering student,
and sometimes it can be hard to ask for help or admit that I’m just not getting
it. Know that you are not alone. The more you ask questions, whether you’re
asking classmates, professors at office hours, or TAs, the more you begin to
develop a relationship with those people who become invested in your learning
because they appreciate your persistence to understand. I can guarantee you that a question you have
is one that at least one other person also has – so be the difference and ask!
I know this is easier said than done, because I received this advice in
one form or another when I was starting my freshman year...and did not ask for
help as often as I should have. During
my freshman year, I too infrequently set foot in a professor’s office hours,
and I almost felt as if I was going against some kind of academic conscience
telling me that was what I should have been doing. I was consciously beginning to understand the
importance of asking just last year, and I am still trying to understand it. Maybe
it just takes time to see what you need the most. This journey that you are beginning is unique
for everyone, but the one thing that does stay constant is the fact that we are
here to help! There are so many
questions to be asked as you begin your first year at Penn State, and I know
that all of us are so excited to answer them or point you in the direction of
someone who can.
Jasmine Bowen is a junior majoring in Industrial Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!
No comments:
Post a Comment