Freshman Academy

2021-03-02 10:04:41 You are wrong! Now what?

YouTube recommended me this satirical video by The Onion. The video features a “senior political reporter” telling the viewers that they are wrong about virtually everything. Ironically, part of the reason why this video is so hilarious lies in the fact that it is very true. By virtue of our imperfect brains, whose whole purpose is to preserve our biological resources and help us survive, our thinking processes are often deeply flawed and extremely biased. Holding this assertion as true, then, what implications does this fact entail?

Well, firstly, in our discussions with other people - especially polemical ones, we should be very humble in sharing our ideas. The logic is very simple: because nobody is safeguarded against uttering a profoundly erroneous statement, advice, or argument, we should be very cautious before saying them. This is part of the reason why true academic discussions usually flow on very friendly terms. In a way, experienced professors and researchers do understand, to put it bluntly, how stupid they are, even despite tens of years of working in the field. Socrates’ alleged assertion, “I know that I know nothing” summarizes it pretty well.

After realizing that you are wrong about most of the things and most of the time, you start recognizing that others are wrong too. From your favorite politicians to famous actors to prominent thinkers, everyone’s statements – regardless of the prestige and power that back them – should be taken with a grain of salt. Here, it is very important to distinguish between healthy skepticism and cynicism that may follow. It is one thing to be skeptical about things that seem somewhat wrong while engaging in fact-checking when necessary. It is a completely different story when you start questioning every authority, moral guideline, law, or expert opinion. Pervasive cynicism is certainly dangerous to society as we know it.

However, there is another pitfall that people may fall into: even if you may be wrong, it does not mean that you should stop sharing your ideas altogether. Here lies the very beauty of social interactions, discussions, and debates because only through healthy polemic, people historically arrived at more correct conclusions. Even though perfection is unattainable, we should still risk being wrong to approach it as close as possible.



Open / Comment

2021-02-28 17:32:21 Next Meet-up

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who showed up today. We had really good time talking about a range of different topics. To keep up our good work, I will arrange another meeting that will happen next Sunday at 12 (midday) Tashkent time.

We will spend 30-40 minutes analyzing and commenting on some of your essays in a live format on Zoom. You can start sending your essays, but make sure that you are comfortable sharing them with the public.

Mark this day and time in your calendars as this would really be a good experience for you all when it comes to improving your writing skills.

Best,
Valera Open / Comment

2021-02-28 09:56:54 Join our informal hangout session!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85176798503 Open / Comment

2021-02-27 20:25:33 Hello everyone,

Sharing some good news with you! I have passed the first stage in the application for Leonid Gozman's course, titled The Psychology of Politics as a part of @freemoscowuniversity project. Out 120 applicants, about 50 were admitted to the first round. I peeked at the emails of my future classmates, whose resumes are super impressive: there is everyone from a reporter of Russian Kommersant paper to students from top Russian and international universities. After attending the first class, a group of 20 students will be chosen based on their knowledge of English and academic abilities. Overall, I am super excited about the course because I will have a chance to gain an interesting perspective on politics from a person who was deeply involved in Russian governance under Yeltsin, which is a period that I am extremely interested in.

Anyways, do check out Free University and their unique courses. It is not only a great chance to practice your motivational essay writing but also an opportunity to learn from Russia's most prominent professors. Also, do not forget about out meet-up session tomorrow at 12:00 Tashkent time on Zoom. Whether you have questions or want to hangout, do join!

Best,
Valera

Relevant Links:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Гозман,_Леонид_Яковлевич
https://freemoscow.university/ Open / Comment

2021-02-26 16:54:30 Informal Online Meet-up

We are really proud to attract the region’s brightest and most promising students.

Tapping on such an amazing community, we are organising an informal meet-up where you can get to know others and talk about your educational journey.

You can join our Zoom meet-up on Sunday at 12:00 (midday) Tashkent Time. Valera will join for about 30-40 minutes, but you can stay longer.

Everyone is welcome! Do come and invite your friends

#Community #EnglishPractice Open / Comment

2021-02-26 16:23:38 Freshman Blog pinned «As promised, sending you guys the list of 5 awesome YouTube videos with some of my commentary. Link: https://telegra.ph/Five-YouTube-Videos-That-Will-Teach-You-Something--a-Bonus-02-19 Midway into compiling this list, I realized that I have many more videos…» Open / Comment

2021-02-26 16:23:07 Part 1: The Best English Study Plan (Valera’s Guide)

This is, perhaps, one of the most popular questions that I receive from you, guys. As you may know, I am a big fan of personalized planning. However, there are still a few general points that will be helpful to consider before creating a study plan. I will split all the insights collected in many years of studying and teaching in several parts, so you can better digest it all.

• Overestimating your abilities
Numerous studies in psychology have shown that people tend to underestimate the amount of time necessary to complete a task. Similarly, students tend to create overambitious plans that they are highly unlikely to follow. The result is, sadly, very predictable: you cannot keep up with the pace and give up on your plan, while getting really frustrated with your abilities. Remember that consistency is the key here, so make plans that are – first and foremost – achievable.

• Writing skills
Writing, at least in the Post-Soviet region, is one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to learning English. Improving your writing usually comes down to two main activities: (a) writing as much as possible, and (b) getting professional feedback so that you can sharpen your skills. Writing more will not only advance your speaking skills but will also help you organize your thoughts better. So, I strongly recommend you focus more on it.

• Vocabulary
I know that some teachers oppose the idea of having a notebook where you write down your new words. Honestly, I do understand their concern: a good intuition for vocabulary is usually very contextual. Therefore, I suggest you include both a translation and a few examples of word usage, so you develop more of that contextual intuition. Learn as much vocab as you can! Ask your friends and family to test you on your vocabulary knowledge.

Stay tuned for more insights on study planning!

Best,
Valera Open / Comment

2021-02-22 18:04:46 New Challenge

Okay, so here is the deal: if we get 1000 subscribers by the end of February, I will be producing content on the daily for the first half of March.

This would include book recommendations, Q&A sessions, informal meetings on Zoom, takeaways from my Yale-NUS classes and many more.

Who is down to help us achieve this goal?

Best,
Valera Open / Comment

2021-02-22 17:56:34 Freshman Blog pinned «As promised, sending you guys the list of 5 awesome YouTube videos with some of my commentary. Link: https://telegra.ph/Five-YouTube-Videos-That-Will-Teach-You-Something--a-Bonus-02-19 Midway into compiling this list, I realized that I have many more videos…» Open / Comment

2021-02-22 17:56:23 Freshman Blog pinned a photo Open / Comment