In previous e-mails, I talked about myself mostly on the “professional” way… I showed you about my previous jobs as an engineer and as an online tutor…
Now, the most obvious question is: How did I achieved this?
I really think that education is the answer. Every single choice I made in life pushed me towards each project.
Let me tell you about the most relevant things I’ve found whenever talking about educations & academics
Kumon
Do you know this program? It is in charge of creating confidence in students. Most people think it is all about being good at math… IT IS NOT! Math is just the medium.
What the Kumon program does is create a discipline, a culture, an understanding of one self.
It allows the low self-esteem student to understand that EVERYTHING can be achieved by setting goals, hard work, discipline and never surrendering.
Math is just the medium, though it is a very important medium. Math, as any other language, can be taught. Some can be good at it, other are not that good, eventually ALL people talk right? The same is true for mathematics… You can OWN them!
The interesting part on Kumon that changed me for ever was this:
- Created a high confident student, high self-esteem. If I could do complex Math that I haven’t even seen in school, what else can I do? What can’t I do? The world is mine!
- Creates a discipline culture. Nowadays I see people having problems with their goals and dreams, even in their professional lives! This is mostly due to the fact that people do NOT have discipline. No discipline to do sport, no discipline to eat healthy, no discipline to have a proper hobby, no discipline to avoid using the mobile & social networks 24/7!
It also gave me strong foundations on Math, which were required for Chemistry, which were required for Engineering…
IBO - High School
IBO or the International Baccalaureate Organization, is, as the name implies, an international organization in charge of standardizing and offering high quality High School Programs.
One of the best things of this Program is that you get the SAME study program as any other member in the world, that is, you study the same topics in Chemistry than any other student, let say, in USA, in Germany, or in India.
It’s great, it allows you to feel the quality of the program. Being able to say “I study the same stuff in my Public High School here in Mexico as a student in a Private High School in the USA, UK, or Canada” is great!
As stated before, this also creates a confidence in the student. He is literally able to compete against any other student in the world.
In my own experience, I really loved it for the following:
- Philosophy & Theory of Knowledge
- Advanced Maths
- Cool Biology & Chemistry Labs
- Meet and get together with cool-intelligent people
Remember guys, You Are The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With!
Tec de Monterrey
I forgot to tell, but IBO also allowed me to transfer some courses to my university, Tec de Monterrey.
This gave me some time to get to the “core” subjects in my bachelor: Chemical Engineering with a minor in Industrial Engineering.
Here, I was able to get with the very best talent in the region: Mexico mostly, some students from central america and very few from south america.
I was competing once again with the finest students in Mexico.
This really pumped me up!
Once again, I really think that Tec de Monterrey does a really job at creating a confident student!
This is what I learnt:
- Tec de Monterrey is actually pretty cool ranked (about top 200 worldwide)
- Pioneer in Science and Technologies
- It is now pushing the Entrepreneur lifestyle! That’s great!
Tec de Monterrey is probably the main reason I was able to land those cool jobs AND that I got the BALLS to open my own business 🙂
TU Dresden
I went 6 months to an exchange program in Germany to the TU Dresden. This is were I got my Epiphany of life… so many tings happen when you are abroad that you really change and get a more mature view of life
If you can or are thinking in going abroad: DO IT!
Toastmasters
Toastmasters International is technically not an “academic” activity, but will definitively add it as it has helped me a lot with my confidence when public speaking AND when interacting with group of people either in a team or with friends.
It has forged my leadership style and I really loved what it has become!
If you are having problems with confidence, public speaking or simply want to network with interesting people, Find a CLUB near you!
Saxophone
I am not a great fan of Music… This might be because of my brother who used to play the accordion day and night in my teens!
Anyways, I always respected people who could play any instrument, from flute, piano, violin, guitar, etc..
I always knew that music connects real cool parts of the brain and helps it develop and maintain new neuron connections as well
I always “wanted” an instrument but never actually took the time to buy one.
This all finished when I went to the NAMM Show with my brother.
He got two passes to check out the show and it was… GREAT!
I really felt the passion and love for music there!
This was the best time to select my favorite instrument… I did some research and based on what I liked, what I heard, and what I felt it was “my style”.
I selected the Saxophone because of these reasons:
- It looks cool
- People that have it looks cool
- Sounds great
- It is a metallic alloy
- You can play alone
So! that is my short story on Sax!
Very important to note that I have been enjoying it and it RELAXES me!
There is something special in paying attention to the little details that none care (such as your rhythm, pace, pitch, keys, etc…) This relaxes you, you are no longer thinking in stressful things of the day or future tasks…
Definitively a MUST TRY!
Those are my educational & academic activities…
I hope you can get to meet at least 1 of those in your lifetime!
What about you? Please let me know what are your preferred activities…
If you play an instrument, do not hesitate to leave a comment below!