I Thought I Knew Geology — Until My MSc Proved Me Wrong

There’s a kind of silence that happens in class that I don’t think we talk about enough.

A lecturer asks a question about something that’s not even supposed to be hard and suddenly everywhere is quiet. People are looking down, flipping through notes, avoiding eye contact.

And me?

I’m thinking, “I should know this, right?… so why don’t I?”

The Moment It Hit Me

This has happened to me more times than I’d like to admit since I started my MSc in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology.

Simple questions. Basic concepts. Things I definitely covered during my undergraduate years.

But when it’s time to explain it, apply it, or even just speak confidently about it… there’s a gap.

And that gap feel very uncomfortable.

Because deep down, I know the truth:

I didn’t really learn geology to know it. I learned how to pass geology.

Passing Is Not the Same as Knowing

Looking back now, I can see the pattern clearly.

I read for exams. I crammed definitions. I practiced past questions.

And it worked.

I got the grades. I moved forward. On paper, I knew geology.

But understanding? Real understanding, the kind that lets you think, connect ideas, and actually use the knowledge, that’s where are still shaky for me.

And now that I’m here, doing an MSc, it’s showing.

In class discussions. In assignments. Even in the way I think through problems.

My foundation is not as strong as I thought it was.

Feeling Lost… Even When You “Shouldn’t”

The hardest part is not even the workload.

It’s that feeling of being lost in moments where you feel like you have no right to be.

When a concept is described as “basic” but you’re struggling to follow. When others seem to get it quickly and you’re still trying to piece things together. When you hesitate to speak because you’re not even sure your understanding is correct.

It messes with your confidence.

But I’m starting to realize something important:

Ignoring it won’t fix it.

So I’m Starting Again

Not from zero, but from honesty.

I’m going back to the fundamentals. The things I rushed through. The concepts I memorized but didn’t truly understand.

This time, I’m not studying to pass.

I’m studying to know my onions when it comes to geology.

To actually understand:

• Why minerals occur where they do
• How geological processes connect
• What the data is really telling me in an exploration context

Not just to recognize it in an exam — but to own it.

What This Platform Is Really About

This space is not about pretending I have everything figured out.

It’s about learning in public.

Breaking things down as I understand them. Revisiting “basic” topics without shame. Connecting theory to real-world geology, especially in mineral exploration.

Some posts will be simple. Some will be me figuring things out as I go. Some might even start with “I didn’t understand this at first…”

And that’s fine.

Because this time, the goal is different.

If You Feel This Way Too

If you’ve ever sat in a class and felt like you were the only one not getting it — you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever realized that passing exams didn’t mean you truly understood the subject, you’re not alone.

And if you’re ready to actually learn, properly this time?

Then you’re in the right place.

This is me starting again.

But this time, I’m not just studying geology.

I’m learning it.

…GeologywithMarian