Comments on: A For Effort http://thusagricola.com/2009/02/19/a-for-effort/ Perspective From A Jaundiced Eye Wed, 02 May 2012 11:55:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Becky http://thusagricola.com/2009/02/19/a-for-effort/comment-page-1/#comment-417 Becky Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:30:08 +0000 http://thusagricola.com/?p=541#comment-417 I couldn't agree with you more! There are a whole lot of things I think we are inadvertently teaching people in college and the idea of effort being good enough because they can get good grades just for trying is one of them. good post! I couldn’t agree with you more! There are a whole lot of things I think we are inadvertently teaching people in college and the idea of effort being good enough because they can get good grades just for trying is one of them. good post!

]]> By: Agricola http://thusagricola.com/2009/02/19/a-for-effort/comment-page-1/#comment-415 Agricola Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:04:59 +0000 http://thusagricola.com/?p=541#comment-415 Yep, plenty of sense. It's like they have things figured out before anyone/everyone else, and know how to get things done. Not always the best student, or best worker, but deadly when motivated. Yep, plenty of sense. It’s like they have things figured out before anyone/everyone else, and know how to get things done. Not always the best student, or best worker, but deadly when motivated.

]]> By: Pam http://thusagricola.com/2009/02/19/a-for-effort/comment-page-1/#comment-414 Pam Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:54:37 +0000 http://thusagricola.com/?p=541#comment-414 Perhaps. But I've also noticed that passion is what keeps them in a specific field of study (and still in research) - my more effective students have always been the ones less attached to a particular field of study or career direction. So while I've considered it a good thing, I've also thought that it was a fundamental character trait - so, in other words, they would be effective at whatever they did - but that it didn't mean they would be driven enough or patient enough or, yes, passionate enough - to dedicate themselves...to whatever. It's like the student that gets straight A's that can memorize things well, even things they don't care about - for graduate school and research, it's not always those students that do the best. Am I making just a little sense here? Perhaps. But I’ve also noticed that passion is what keeps them in a specific field of study (and still in research) – my more effective students have always been the ones less attached to a particular field of study or career direction. So while I’ve considered it a good thing, I’ve also thought that it was a fundamental character trait – so, in other words, they would be effective at whatever they did – but that it didn’t mean they would be driven enough or patient enough or, yes, passionate enough – to dedicate themselves…to whatever. It’s like the student that gets straight A’s that can memorize things well, even things they don’t care about – for graduate school and research, it’s not always those students that do the best.

Am I making just a little sense here?

]]> By: Agricola http://thusagricola.com/2009/02/19/a-for-effort/comment-page-1/#comment-413 Agricola Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:17:31 +0000 http://thusagricola.com/?p=541#comment-413 The thing is, passion is easy to see and to appreciate. We like passion for the job. Effectiveness is an ephemeral quality that often lies hidden until needed. It may be, too, that effective people do not present as passionately as their less gifted compatriots. The thing is, passion is easy to see and to appreciate. We like passion for the job. Effectiveness is an ephemeral quality that often lies hidden until needed. It may be, too, that effective people do not present as passionately as their less gifted compatriots.

]]> By: Pam http://thusagricola.com/2009/02/19/a-for-effort/comment-page-1/#comment-412 Pam Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:12:23 +0000 http://thusagricola.com/?p=541#comment-412 I always think about this with respect to my graduate students - it's a different scenario, but sometimes I have a student that works long hard hours in the lab - a smart student, focused on an interesting question - who comes up empty. Then there will be a student who is more of a 9-5'er who is just for effective - I used to think this was mostly related to the project (and question) the student was focused on - but there's something remarkable about genuine effectiveness. I definitely feel for the student who has worked so hard on a problem, who shows that level of dedication - but now, years into this whole research lab mess, I hate that I often look for effectiveness as much or more than passion. I always think about this with respect to my graduate students – it’s a different scenario, but sometimes I have a student that works long hard hours in the lab – a smart student, focused on an interesting question – who comes up empty. Then there will be a student who is more of a 9-5′er who is just for effective – I used to think this was mostly related to the project (and question) the student was focused on – but there’s something remarkable about genuine effectiveness. I definitely feel for the student who has worked so hard on a problem, who shows that level of dedication – but now, years into this whole research lab mess, I hate that I often look for effectiveness as much or more than passion.

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