Learning how to read

Sounds strange but I've gotten infinitely more better at reading research papers because of this class. Now that I know what the usual lay-out of a paper is, I know exactly where I need to scroll to for specific information. I understand what kind of information I'll find in figure captions and usually what a graph is trying to show.

The other day I helped a friend of mine do her p-set in some random course 7 class by just skimming through the paper she had to read for her p-set and finding answers based on where I would expect them to be. She complimented me generously (a rarity indeed) so I know this tangible skill-set I've obtained is very real and very useful.

Even in terms of reading and understanding protocols, I've found myself able to digest information a lot faster (or maybe Mod2 just has a lesser amount of experimental protocols?). I'm looking forward to seeing myself translate the things I'm learning in this class to real life and surprise myself every time I do!


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