What a week! The new semester has really started rolling and for the first time in quite a while, I am taking a class that is way out of my comfort zone. The class is called graduate research methods and it is tough! It essentially deals with a lot of model building and statistics. Why did I take this when I could have taken some other class that I could just breeze through? To learn!
Getting out of your comfort zone often times is exactly what it takes to push you to the next level. Political science has become a fairly data heavy practice and therefore I figured if I wanted to up my game I needed to understand the research side of things better.
Another good benefit of understanding data packages is that once you understand how to use them, you can apply this knowledge to other fields. As long as your fundamental theory is strong you can begin to explore other fields. Think of Nate Silver and how he has transitioned from sports statistics to political statistics. I am really excited about learning more about this.
The only downside is the amount of time it takes to learn something fairly difficult from scratch. This means many more hours locked up in a room making myself feel stupid (that is until I get it). It also means less time to write, brainstorm new ideas, and tweak my site. Oh well, the semester is over in May and will be here before I know it.
On another note I am super excited to talk about a new friend I have made through a program I entered called Bloggers helping Bloggers. Jana from Daily Money Shot started the program and J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy came onboard shortly after. It pairs experienced bloggers with not so experienced bloggers in a mentor mentee relationship. This is truly a unique experience and when I heard about it I signed up immediately. This is like trying to learn the drums and having Josh Freese teach you for free! It’s really awesome!
The mentor I have been paired with is John from Mighty Bargain Hunter. He is a really great guy and already within the first week of the program I have learned a lot.
John and I have had some discussion on how I should go forward with the 30ss and talked about some ideas I had been thinking about for quite some time. I am truly excited about this learning experience and as well as some upcoming changes to the site. There is a lot of positive things going on around me as of now and I want to keep the momentum going.
If you are interested in the program I suggest you check out when the program will be opened up again. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Ian
The 30ss
That’s awesome with the bloggers helping bloggers I might have to look into that further. I agree that sometimes we tend to go for the tried and true, the stuff we know that will be easy. Reality is, if we are spending all this money on school why on earth would one want to learn something they already know or something that is dead easy. Makes no sense to me… I think you are on the right track Ian… Keep at it mate.
Canadian Budget Binder recently posted..Mr.CBB’s Spinach and Ricotta Fettuccine
Yeah its a pretty cool program. I get to ask those questions that I am always thinking about and I would think the mentors get to learn a little bit about teaching and explaining things.
I could really feel myself begin to just kind of coast. I have been studying the stuff for quite a few years and have a pretty solid grasp on the content. The methods class definitely is getting me out of my comfort zone but those seem to be the times where I learn the most.
Thanks Mr. CBB!
I honestly had no idea that a program like this even existed. It makes so much sense though! I’ll have to go check it out. There are a lot of people that I look to for blogging advice, but no specific mentors. I imagine having a blogging mentor would really fast-forward my blogging growth!
Thanks!
Alex recently posted..Life Lessons from Flo Rida
Yeah definitely check it out Alex. It may not start up again for a bit but by then you can get a long list of questions ready! HA! I was lucky enough to stumble across the program and signed up. Getting real feedback is awesome, as you know, you can Google most questions but sometimes you just need discussion and I think this is where the value lies. Like I mentioned in the post, John has already reinforced some ideas I was batting around but didn’t really know if they would be smart to do. Someone with more experience can give you a little more confidence in your decisions if they agree with you.
I also think that it’s important to step outside of your comfort zone. As an accounting major I wasn’t really sure why I had to take a second speech class. However, it focused on the business side of presentations and really helped pushed me out of my comfort zone and be a better presenter. Good luck with the class.
Justin@TheFrugalPath recently posted..The Benefits of a Mortgage Free Retirement
Justin, I think you hit the nail on the head. Most folks would cringe at the thought of taking another speech class but I bet your glad you did. I definitely thought it over quite a few times before I decided to take this class but I already know it was a good decision. If you never try something new and be ready to fail, learning new things is going to be pretty difficult.
Thanks for the kind words, and I’m very glad that you’re finding BHB helpful! Keep up the great work!
Thanks John!
Thanks so much for the props about BHB! I’m glad you’re having such a great experience and we are so happy to have you in the program!
And without meaning to hijack anything, for anyone that’s interested, there are still 7 spots available for the April session. After that, we’ll be filling up the waiting list for June. And we’re always welcoming new mentors to the program as well.
Jana @ Daily Money Shot recently posted..Dollar store shopping: My top 5
Thank you Jana. I know I have already recommended it. Getting advice from a veteran blogger when you are a beginner is really invaluable.
Hey, I’m enjoying the blog. I too am a soon to be 30 something student (and will be for many years). I like the practical advice. The bloggers helping bloggers is pretty neat. I’ll have to spend some more time with that. Thanks for all the post; I’m looking forward to going through all the ones you have so far. Keep up the good work.
Simple Economist recently posted..I Don’t Have Enough Time Syndrome
Yeah the bloggers helping bloggers program is pretty cool. You get some awesome insight from individuals who know what they are doing. Maybe one day I can lend a hand to someone. Good luck with school! I’m assuming your an economics major. That stuff can be pretty interesting.