EDUCATION With a full-time job and a girlfriend, John's schedule was pretty tightly packed. But for the sake of a better future, he enrolled in a graduate program for economics at his local university. John had already completed an undergraduate program and graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy, yet like most liberal arts degrees, it was not the greatest choice for seeking employment and starting a career. This time would be different. With much more experience and wisdom, this opportunity to further his education would not go wasted. A graduate program in economics was going to be a formidable challenge, but if he succeeded, the rewards would be great. The classes he took at community college would be a cakewalk compared to this. Intense study and perseverance would be required. The textbooks would often prove to be much more useful than the lectures. Some of the professors he had talked with such long-winded delivery that it was incredibly difficult to maintain focus in class. He could spend half the time reading chapters from the book and come away with double the information he got in the lecture hall. The teacher assistants, however, were most helpful, as they could explain complex concepts using very basic language. To make the information stick, serious work was needed to be done outside the classroom. Study groups organized by students were instrumental in providing John the motivation and drive required to do well in the course. In the groups, students shared the notes they took in class and reviewed the information they thought would appear on the exams. Not all this time was serious though, as there were multiple breaks where chit-chat was encouraged as a means to vent built-up stress and frustration. Finals for the first year were approaching, and anxiety filled the classroom during the last few lectures. On the test would be essay questions only; there would be no multiple choice. Cramming wasn't going to get you anywhere on this test. You had to know the information in order to get a good grade. John and all his classmates paid hefty tuition fees, but not all would pass the test. It would be those who attended the lectures, participated in the study groups, and read extensively that would pass with high marks. It was very much like learning a foreign language. Those who do the best are those who immerse themselves in the foreign language. They read as much as possible in the target language, and when they can no longer read, they spend all their free time listening to the target language. Immersion takes precedence over their old hobbies and lifestyles. That's how they achieve high levels of fluency. The question is not whether or not John passed the final exam. The true question is whether or not you will do what it takes in order to achieve fluency. Happy studying! And thank you for reading