Pick up a new language at BBC

Feeling as if life has begun to taste as tasteless as stale water? That doing one thing or another doesn't bring new excitement? Well, I think you are in need of new challenges. How about picking about a new language? Unless you have a natural flair for languages, this is likely one challenge that will keep you occupied. Learning a new language isn't really easy; mastering it is even harder. I have been of the opinion that it is extremely hard to master a foreign language without decent interaction with competent speakers. Even if you have the "best" textbook and "best" audio guide, it is still a far cry from the immersion in the foreign environment itself. If you have the opportunity to set up camp and be as one with the foreigners there, then the odds are in your favor that you may learn to speak fluently with time. And with effort and determination on your part, of course. Otherwise, the next best thing is to enroll in a class where you have limited interaction with your teacher and classmates. Books and audio just don't cut. That said, for those who do not have access to the above 2 solutions, beggars can't be choosers. :P You may wish to check out www.bbc.co.uk/languages where lessons on 7 main languages are offered. If you do not already know French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese and Greek, this may be a place worth lingering. There are several other choices there too but the content available is not as substantial. So if you feel up to the task, choose a language and make a new goal out of it. I would suggest that you take your time deciding exactly which language you want to learn. As the ancient saying goes, "More haste, less speed". To ensure your enthusiasm does not wane the next day or week, understand why you want to learn a particular language. Your motivation must be crystal clear or you will fail at the next turn of the tides. Enjoy. =)

10 Lessons of an MIT Education

I came across this article titled "10 Lessons of an MIT Education" written by Gian-Carlo Rota. I thought it is pretty interesting. Lesson One: You can and will work at a desk for seven hours straight, routinely. Lesson Two: You learn what you don't know you are learning. Lesson Three: By and large, "knowing how" matters more than "knowing what." Lesson Four: In science and engineering, you can fool very little of the time. Lesson Five: You don't have to be a genius to do creative work. Lesson Six: You must measure up to a very high level of performance. Lesson seven: The world and your career are unpredictable, so you are better off learning subjects of permanent value. Lesson Eight: You are never going to catch up, and neither is anyone else. Lesson Nine: The future belongs to the computer-literate-squared. Lesson Ten: Mathematics is still the queen of the sciences. Of course, by just looking at the listed lessons, you are not going to understand much. You will need the elaboration, and the full article is available at http://www.math.tamu.edu/~cyan/Rota/mitless.html .