EDUCATION AND HEIGHER LEARNING

Education & Higher Learning

Education encompasses our lives; it is the foundation of our society. It stimulates our mind and further molds inquisitive minds into intellectuals. Higher learning takes the intellect to the next level, providing a deeper understanding of the world around us. Use the resources below to learn more about your world, its education systems, and the benefits of these. Get useful information about career planning and training programs, higher education, distance learning and the various career opportunities you can benefit from.

How to Start an Essay to Grab a Reader's Attention
Let's cut the chase and get straight down to it - it's called a 'hook' - the means to get a reader 'hook'-ed on to your writing. This Buzzle article tells you all you need to know to create that perfect beginning for your essay.

And there's your very first tip―make a slightly believable, yet over-the-top statement right at the beginning of your essay. It may spark a bit of outrage, but then, that is the underlying point of this exercise. With a confident start like this one, you're bound to arouse a significant amount of curiosity, making the reader want to know if you actually end up living up to the initial hype.

It goes without saying that the rest of your write-up MUST live up to expectation, with each following paragraph being more enriching and insightful than the previous one.

The purpose we're trying to serve here is to make your essay read-worthy, be it for an examination or an application. Your writing needs to be impressive enough to make a willing reader, rather than an obligated one. The very first step towards doing that would be to make a sufficiently striking start, termed in literary parlance as 'the hook'. The hook manifests in various forms, as explained below, but it never shifts from its original purpose of gripping the attention of the readers.

A Striking Fact/Definition

Nothing screams 'impact' quite like the truth, especially if it possesses the much-coveted shock value. A striking fact may come in the form of a statistic or a news headline, as long as it stays absolutely relevant to the topic at hand. A random fact used to merely shock the reader will not serve the purpose, and turn into a damp squib instead.

The advantage of using this tactic is that it works for all kinds of essays, be it formal or informal, introspective or argumentative. All you need to ensure is that the fact stays as close to the topic of discussion as possible. Also, do not forget to mention the (correct and verified) source, as it will only lend credibility to your research.

A Deep Question

Anything thought-provoking will more often than not, strike a chord with the reader. Also, it will prod them to think, and thus become more involved in your content. They will have the urge to compare their response with yours, and before you know it―they will be hooked.

Always keep one thing in mind―which is, not to use questions that have simple, straightforward answers. A person reads the question, answers it, matter closed and tossed aside―which is not how you'd like your essay to be reviewed. Remember, the key here is to cajole the reader to go through the entire write-up in search for the answer.

A Unique Observation

Aren't we all aiming for a hook that is unlike anyone else's? Without a shred of doubt―however, that's easier said than done. But yes, let's say you're writing on something that's relevant to the times we're living in, it would be nice to begin by presenting your point of view. In other words, use your perspective, and write an observation you've made about the issue at hand. It need not be extraordinarily brilliant or completely earth-shattering (great if it is!), but 'unique' is what we're primarily looking for.

You can keep this quip staid, philosophical, or even humorous, but ensure that it belongs to you and does not appear "borrowed" in the slightest.

Something Borrowed...

Inspiration is a finicky old bugger, and it may not necessarily strike at the opportune moment. And when the creative wells run dry, you have no other option but to look around you for that much-needed hook. This is when you turn to others to provide you with those precious pearls of wisdom which have eluded you.

Books are the most reliable go-to source for quotes, but the Internet admittedly has a vast array of quotes to suit all situations and topics you're dealing with. Mind you, though, that it is upon you to determine whether the quotation is worded as it is meant to be and that the attribution is authentic. In case of any doubts, go for another one, instead of being sloppy with the words or its author/personality.

Spin a Yarn

Using an anecdote or a story to begin your essay is not always a good idea, and here's why. Firstly, your story/anecdote needs to be believable and absolutely relevant to the topic. Next, it is very easy to sound absolutely juvenile with a beginning like this, especially in case of formal essays. And thirdly, not everyone can actually pull this off. So, why use a story at all?

Because if, and we stress, if you get it right, it can be the most smashingly impactful beginning you can dream of. It can perfectly set the tone for what's about to come, and it eliminates the need of writing a labored introduction that may or may not create the desired impact.

There can possibly be another thousand unique ways in which to commence your essay, but all of it is inconsequential if it is not backed up by an equally formidable body and conclusion. As we are close to concluding this write-up, there's just one thing left―wish you all the luck in snapping that elusive, all-conquering hook. 

Famous Quotes by Sigmund Freud
In this Buzzle article, we will provide a comprehensive list of some of the most famous quotes by Sigmund Freud that delve into varied topics of psychology. 

Sigmund Freud―the founding father of psychoanalysis, and the propagator of several other theories, has provided a ground-breaking (and sometimes controversial) insight into the psychology of the human mind with his varied theories. While many criticize Freud for these very theories, a majority respect him for revolutionizing the world of psychology.

Some of his most famous theories include the use of free association, the interpretation of dreams that lead to an insight into subconscious human desires, the theory of transference, and his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary force of motivation in human life.

In this following Buzzle article, we will look into some of the most famous quotes by Freud that delve into varied subjects like motivation, dreams, human psychology, personality, and love.

Quotes on Love

Sigmund Freud quote about love

"How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved."

"We are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love, never so forlornly unhappy as when we have lost our love object or its love."

"Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak , pawned a part of their narcissism."

"Human beings are funny. They long to be with the person they love but refuse to admit openly. Some are afraid to show even the slightest sign of affection because of fear. Fear that their feelings may not be recognized, or even worst, returned. But one thing about human beings puzzles me the most is their conscious effort to be connected with the object of their affection even if it kills them slowly within."

"Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness."

"Love in the form of longing and deprivation lowers the self regard."

"I do not in the least underestimate bisexuality. . . I expect it to provide all further enlightenment."

"It is always possible to bind together a considerable number of people in love, so long as there are other people left over to receive the manifestations of their aggression."

"Sexual love is undoubtedly one of the chief things in life, and the union of mental and bodily satisfaction in the enjoyment of love is one of its culminating peaks. Apart from a few queer fanatics, all the world knows this and conducts its life accordingly; science alone is too delicate to admit it."

"When a love-relationship is at its height there is no room left for any interest in the environment; a pair of lovers are sufficient to themselves."

Quotes on Human Personality and Nature

Sigmund Freud quote about father

"It is a predisposition of human nature to consider an unpleasant idea untrue, and then it is easy to find arguments against it."

"Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility."

"Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength."

"Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways."

"He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore."

"It is impossible to escape the impression that people commonly use false standards of measurement―that they seek power, success and wealth for themselves and admire them in others, and that they underestimate what is of true value in life."

"He does not believe that does not live according to his belief."

"The behavior of a human being in sexual matters is often a prototype for the whole of his other modes of reaction in life."

"The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is 'what does a woman want?'"

"Neurotics complain of their illness, but they make the most of it, and when it comes to taking it away from them they will defend it like a lioness her young."

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."

"Beauty has no obvious use; nor is there any clear cultural necessity for it. Yet civilization could not do without it."

"Men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine."

"The first request of civilization ... is that of justice."

"From error to error, one discovers the entire truth."

"The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water."

"Children are completely egoistic; they feel their needs intensely and strive ruthlessly to satisfy them."

"A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world."

"We must reckon with the possibility that something in the nature of the sexual instinct itself is unfavorable to the realization of complete satisfaction."

"The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises."

"Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate in their object-relations."

"What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult."

"Every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. His ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent."

"Look into the depths of your own soul and learn first to know yourself, then you will understand why this illness was bound to come upon you and perhaps you will thenceforth avoid falling ill."

"We hate the criminal and deal severely with him, because we view in his deeds as in a distorting mirror our own criminal tendencies."

"A man who has been the indisputable favorite of his mother keeps for life the feeling of a conqueror."

"I have found little that is ''good'' about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or to none at all. That is something that you cannot say aloud, or perhaps even think."

"Only a good-for-nothing is not interested in his past."

"Analysis does not set out to make pathological reactions impossible, but to give the patient's ego freedom to decide one way or another."

"If there are quarrels between the parents or if their marriage is unhappy, the ground will be prepared in their children for the severest predisposition to a disturbance of sexual development or to neurotic illness."

"The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing."

"The tendency of aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man... it constitutes the most powerful obstacle to culture."

"Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity."

"Civilized society is perpetually menaced with disintegration through this primary hostility of men towards one another."

Quotes about Dreams

Sigmund Freud quote on dream

"The virtuous man contents himself with dreaming that which the wicked man does in actual life."

"The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind."

"Where does a thought go when it's forgotten?"

"Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy."

"Obviously one must hold oneself responsible for the evil impulses of one's dreams. In what other way can one deal with them? Unless the content of the dream rightly understood is inspired by alien spirits, it is part of my own being."

"Happiness is a result of fulfilled dreams."

"What is common in all these dreams is obvious. They completely satisfy wishes excited during the day which remain unrealized. They are simply and undisguisedly realizations of wishes."

"The madman is a dreamer awake."

Motivational Quotes

Sigmund Freud quote about motivation

"One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful."

"When inspiration does not come to me, I go halfway to meet it."

"Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise."

Quotes on Religion

Sigmund Freud quote on religion

"The more the fruits of knowledge become accessible to men, the more widespread is the decline of religious belief."

"Immorality, no less than morality, has at all times found support in religion."

"Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires."

"Religious ideas have sprung from the same need as all the other achievements of culture: from the necessity for defending itself against the crushing supremacy of nature."

"If one attempts to assign to religion its place in man's evolution, it seems not so much to be a lasting acquisition, as a parallel to the neurosis which the civilized individual must pass through on his way from childhood to maturity."

"A religion, even if it calls itself a religion of love, must be hard and unloving to those who do not belong to it."

"Religious doctrines ... are all illusions, they do not admit of proof, and no one can be compelled to consider them as true or to believe in them."

"Religion is a system of wishful illusions together with a disavowal of reality, such as we find nowhere else but in a state of blissful hallucinatory confusion. Religion's eleventh commandment is "Thou shalt not question."

"Where the questions of religion are concerned people are guilty of every possible kind of insincerity and intellectual misdemeanor."

"Demons do not exist any more than gods do, being only the products of the psychic activity of man."

General Quotes

Sigmund Freud quote about cats

"Where id is, there shall ego be."

"There are no mistakes."

"Time spent with cats is never wasted."

"In the depths of my heart I can't help being convinced that my dear fellow-men, with a few exceptions, are worthless."

"Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts."

"The goal of all life is death."

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

"America is a mistake, a giant mistake."

"Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me."

"It goes without saying that a civilization which leaves so large a number of its participants unsatisfied and drives them into revolt neither has nor deserves the prospect of a lasting existence."

What Does Functional Fixedness Mean in Psychology?

Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias, limiting the person to use an object only in the traditional manner. In this following Buzzle piece, we will understand the nuances of the same and how to overcome it.

 

Functional fixedness is the inability to view an object as being able to fulfill any other function than what it is originally intended for. This approach is said to be a cognitive bias and can hamper the problem-solving abilities of a person.

The concept originated in a form of psychology known as Gestalt Psychology. Karl Duncker (a Gestalt psychologist) came up with the term and defined functional fixedness as "(the) mental block against using an object in a new way that is required to solve a problem." Duncker said that this block that a person develops, limits his ability to use the components that are provided to him to complete a task because he cannot look beyond the original purpose of those components.

To illustrate this concept better, here's an example: While walking to class with a stack of books in hand, it suddenly starts drizzling. Since you have no umbrella for protection, you continue to get drenched. You fail to realize that the books that you're carrying could be used to cover your head. This is functional fixedness―where you view the books only as material to be written on or read and not something else (here, as protection from rain).

The Characteristics

Being able to overcome functional fixedness is, in a way, related to creative and 'out-of-the-box' thinking. In today's times, the ability to think beyond the expected is an encouraged trait, especially in the professional world. Thus, overcoming functional fixedness is considered a good thing.

However, there is a different way of looking at this. It is important to have fixed functions for things to a certain point, the failure of which can lead to a lot of confusion, and, at times, cause more harm than good. For example, if you wanted to cut a fruit and there was no fixed tool to do the same, imagine you would start sifting through the contents of your kitchen cabinet, testing spatula after ladle after spoon to determine which tool could be best used to cut a fruit. This is not only time-consuming but also weird.

It has been noticed that children till the age of 5 are not prone to functional fixedness. They do not fix a singular function to an object and stick with it. They are more open to experimenting with the roles of different objects and using them in different situations for different functions. This ability is seen to diminish by the time they are 7, usually because they are corrected by their parents

Example

Here's another functional fixedness example, let's say, that you're answering an exam, and you've been handed a supplement sheet that has not been punched―the sheet needs to be tied to the main answer sheet. Since you have no punching machine, you look around for a pin or a geometry compass to punch the hole. And when you find that you have neither, it suddenly strikes you that the nib of the pen can be used for the same purpose. This is an example of functional fixedness, and overcoming the same.

Here, a pin, a geometry compass, or a pen have not been invented to punch holes in paper, but that does not mean that they cannot be used for the same. Their function is not fixed―they can be used for other things as well.

Overcoming Functional Fixedness

Functional fixedness can be prevented by opening up one's mind to newer scenarios when faced with a challenging situation. This can be done by undertaking certain effective exercises which force one to think of things that are beyond the obvious and help develop excellent problem-solving abilities.

Exercise 1
The simplest way of preventing the onset of functional fixedness is to view things not as a whole, a final product, but in its most basic form―as different components that make a whole. For example, if there is a plastic bottle that is placed before you, do not think of it as a bottle alone. Separate all its components―which would bring to you the cap and the body. This, then, opens up a whole world of options of how the parts can be used.

Exercise 2
Place 4 - 5 objects before you, like a pen, book, cup, etc. Next, take a notepad and a pen and taking each individual object, jot down the different and unique ways in which it can be used other than its intended use. This will clear your mind of the fixed function you've set for the objects, and you will be surprised at how easily you are able to think of the different ways in which the object can be used. For example, a book can be used for fanning yourself, or to fix a rickety table.

Functional fixedness can be limiting in many ways, and that is why, there is a need to make an effort to overcome this one-track way of thinking. Make a deliberate effort to include the exercises provided above to open up your mind.

Difference Between Online Classes and Traditional Classes

Demanding jobs leave little room for pursuing higher studies. But what if you could take classes while on your way to office? Sounds incredible, doesn't it? But then, the question arises whether this kind of an education is better than the traditional method of going to college and learning? Read this Buzzle article to find out what are the differences between online and traditional classes, to make an informed choice.

 

 

Progressing and climbing the career ladder demands value addition to your skills in the form of acquiring or upgrading your knowledge. However, as a full-time working adult, taking a course or choosing a college that gives you enough time to juggle both work and education has become increasingly difficult. Here is where the dilemma of choosing between online classes and traditional classes arises. It then boils down to a simple question, are you willing to trade your handsomely paying job for a college degree that could give you an even better pay?. But, coming to an objective answer to this question is easier said than done.

A lot of factors have to be considered before you invest time, effort, and money in gaining education. In the following article, we take a look at some of the very important aspects of online classes and traditional classes, and what each setup has to offer.

Online Classes
Vs.
Traditional Classes

Classrooms

Virtual or online classrooms give you the freedom to attend or access them from any place. You can simply login to your classroom from your home, from a coffee shop, or while commuting to work. This arrangement ensures optimum utilization of time as it allows you to work during the demanding office hours, and study at your leisure. The only drawback of this situation is that it is a solitary activity unlike a traditional classroom. This reduces your chances of meeting new people and being exposed to a certain environment that could have been.
The first important point to be noted about traditional classes is that they are bound by geography. They are always conducted within the confines of a classroom, putting a limitation on the number of seats, and thus reducing its reach to aspiring students. This may also demand staying on a campus, as classes conducted by visiting faculty could be scheduled at odd hours. On the plus side, conventional classes allow one-on-one interaction with professors and fellow students, fostering long-term relationships and building networks.

Commute

Online classrooms do not require students to commute, as they can be attended from anywhere. The expense these classes demand is that of good Internet speed. Given this, virtual classrooms can be attended without any disturbance from the comforts of your own home.
Unless you are staying on campus, pursuing a conventional type of education demands that you compulsorily commute everyday. This means you have to commute at a given hour and for a given time period. This means that one has to incur an additional expense for the necessary commute.

Scheduling

The best part about virtual classes is that you can attend these classes anytime you want. On days when a guest faculty/teacher will be hosting a class, you can record the same and listen to it at your convenience. The freedom in scheduling classes works in favor of every student as it gives one enough leeway in making time to study in a tight schedule.
A traditional class setup demands that you attend classes and be present for each lecture at a designated time. This may push you to quit your job, hire a babysitter, or simply make attending impossible if the given time seems too inconvenient. The greater drawback of this arrangement is that the classes cannot be rescheduled either. This means that once you miss out on a class, the only way of catching up with the curriculum is through other students' notes.

Cost

Online classes only charge a tuition fee. This makes the cost of studying extremely affordable. Sometimes, the fees can be covered over a couple of months paycheck. This is beneficial for those who do not have the option of quitting a job and taking up a full-time course. It also works in favor of those who cannot spend too much but are seeking a worthy opportunity to study.
Without a shadow of a doubt, traditional classes are an expensive choice. The costs can be massively high, which means, sometimes aspiring students have to borrow a loan and then repay it along with interest. The fees charged by traditional schools and colleges includes their recovery of infrastructure, electricity, building rent, maintenance, besides the tuition fees.

Despite these differences what should remain the same is the quality of education both the methods of classes provide. The option that provides the best education should be the logical choice, as a small compromise can truly work in your favor for a long-term goal. While many would prefer one of the two options, there are a few students who opt for both to get better perspectives on subjects and to invest their full-time in learning the subjects, its techniques and applications thoroughly. Thus, picking the right method of learning will absolutely depend on your priorities and circumstances.