Biology instructor teaches grit

By Hailey Creighton/reporter

A NW Campus biology instructor told students at a workshop Sept. 21 that one of the things that can help students succeed is grit.

“Grit can be created,” Daiju Hoshino said to open his speech before delving into steps and tips on how anyone can become gritty.

It all starts with “Do you have a personal philosophy?” This question is important, Hoshino said, because it feeds the energy that drives one to attempt to be successful. Without a philosophy, it is possible to lose stamina in reaching a goal because it is not clearly defined. After a philosophy is set, it must be broken down into smaller, more manageable goals.

After a roadmap is created on the way to a goal, it is time to train one’s grit, Hoshino said. Training grit simply means making better choices slowly every day. Instead of watching Netflix for an hour, he recommended studying a topic that will support the goal.

The actual work of sitting down and achieving the small goals can also be simplified if people know the right way to study. How most people study does not work in converting information into long-term memory. Instead, use a varied practice where questions are not all focused on one type of problem or style of problem so the mind must switch from using one type of thinking to the other. This, he said, dramatically increases long-term memory recall.

“Are you starving?” Hoshino said. “Are you eating and eating something, but it is not filling? Or are you eating something that satisfies your hunger?”