1.3 years of trying to gamify my learning made me lazy

Studying felt like gaming, and my brain didn’t want hard anymore

From my files

Make your study like a game.

You’ll retain it more.

We hear it everywhere.

That’s what the YouTube folks, are saying now.

Actually, that’s what I used to say often…

But after devoting 1.3 years to my critical learning assessment and 1000 hours of obsessing over effective learning while also being a uni student with other hobbies.

Here’s my opinion to Gamified learning.

While on my bed yesterday by 8pm enjoying my 15–20 mins study session break with my phone in hand, I went through my YouTube page and in one of my recent shorts I said this;

“Make it a game, see it as a game”

I thought to myself concerning the last session I had finished, thought to myself, this? fun? what then would it mean?

And in a minute I’ll explain why the idea is capped and what I do instead.

The learning process is usually never fun:

First off, I believe learning is amazing, you learned how to play the piano (like me), terrific, you’re learning how to exercise properly in 10 mins, huge.

But there’s a fine line between learning and “the learning process”… got it?

This is what I mean;

Let’s say, My uncle on a blooming Saturday morning visits you and soon sees me playing the piano he says,

Wow, Caleb it’s good you’re learning this thing, learn well.

Learning is good.

But the second time I wanted to play, it felt off, somewhat boring.

And the meaning of fun is exciting, pleasant, ecstatic…right?

When you tie all this quantities to learning, you condition your learning capacity to fun.

Which makes you brain say something like;

“And this is bad”, I can’t now learn because this isn’t fun.

Here’s what works:

No, it’s not practice more, it’s not even “find you passion” (not exactly).

It’s Meaning, yeah I know I talk about it a lot.

But this when things get interesting.

And here’s mine.

STORY TIME

About 2 years ago, I just finished my external exams after wrapping up my last class in secondary school, and after using summer to refill the jar after so much midnight burning during exams, it was then time to decide a course in the university.

And after days of glancing and imagining I carved my option on a shiny stone in my head.

But come few night before decision day, my parents told me something else entirely.

I emotional, and it wasn’t pretty, but as a man I handled it well.

And inevitably landed in a different space altogether, kinda felt like wearing VR googles for the first time finding your self in an unfamiliar place.

This all wouldn’t have happened if I knew what I wanted and started working on a project doing something I like immediately after secondary school.

I have tactic proof on what I wanted, they would have an opinion not law.

Fair to them though, what does a 16 yr/o know about the future?

Especially when most of what he does outside of school was to game, play football and eat.

POST ADMISSION

My first year was me trying to figure out what’s going on.

And now my second year is me carving my path having acquainted myself with the environment.

And after 1st year and some inconsistent writing, I found my “why”.

I’m on a mission to save both the secondary school, university and even post university students from the robotic mindset sold to us for cheap.

That’s why innovation in certain industries is uncommon, students only study for grades and come out from school unable to add to the market place.

I don’t want that for anyone.

And I choose to take on the responsibility and nuance solving that problem.

That’s my “why”.

Sorry it was this long, I’m still discovering some parts.

ACTIONABLE STEP: Ask yourself this question.

“What in this can improve my life?” “How would this look like if it was meaningful?”

Thanks for Reading.