First published in Dutch on the 10^th of May 2010

A curious phenomenon
My question stems from a phenomenon which I often encounter. A student may tell me they comprehend an opinion, advice, or strategy only to be unable to apply it in their studies: “I get how I should plan my work, but I fail to stick to the schedule,” or “I understand the methods of reading strategically, but I find it hard to skip over sentences,” or “I know it is stupid to think that I will get a low grade, but I cannot help it.”

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First published in Dutch on the 23rd of March 2010

A need for tangible solutions
“I understand the significance of your narrative but I had expected things to be a little more concrete.” This was an anticipated reaction from someone in the audience during my presentation about study drives. I often encounter a similar reaction from students, tutors, teachers and other interested people. It is the logical result of my particular approach to the topic. People often expect a collection of practical strategies, techniques, and general profundities; however, they are never as effective as they would seem, since they hardly ever offer the desired solutions.

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First published in Dutch on the 28^th of January 2010

A future filled with cybernetic beings

On the fourth of January 2010 Ray Kurzweil was Raoul Heertje’s guest in the television show Wintergasten. Kurzweil is known for his work as a futurologist and was interviewed by Heertje about his vision of the future. He believes that humankind will rapidly develop into cybernetic beings, part human and part computer. He predicts a symbiosis between man and machine which is more profound than our relationship with pacemakers or computer controlled arm prostheses today. Our brain will have immediate access to the internet; we will be able to ‘see’ the computer screen in our minds and control it, too.

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By André Baars, psychologist/coach at the Radboud University; published by 16 Dec. 2009

We are all familiar with fear and stress. They are not unnatural feelings. Stress used to ensure the survival of our ancestors confronted with bears and Sabre-toothed cats. The feeling is part of our survival mechanism. It helps us recognize danger and it tells us when to fight it off or when to run and hide.

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