Learning what preparation do you do?

[Lark]

If you are going to learn or do something new, like go to dance class, go to sketch class, learn a language or commence a complete course of study, what do you do?

Just go as you are?

Do some preparation reading or learning before hand, develop some skills in dance or art or use a languages CD to get a rudimentary knowledge?

Or do you attempt to empty your mind some how, remove all knowledge of the topic or anything associated with it to try and go for beginners mind?

Also what has influenced you to think this way? Has it been experience, has one approach proven better at one time in your life or have you tried one just to find out it was totally the wrong idea at the time?

 

[Salomé]

Preparation? Pfft. Js.

 

[gromit]

Oh wow. Usually I just show up, unless there is some kind of an assignment. Why? Lazy.

I guess for things like dance, art, boxing, I do practice on my own after or between classes, if it is something I enjoy, which it usually is, because why else would I take the class?

 

[Orangey]

Most of the time I just go, especially if it's not an academic class (like drawing, art, sports, etc.,.)

If it's academic, it depends on the atmosphere of the school and what I want out of the class. If it's purely to learn, then I just go without any preparation. If it's to impress and play status wars with the other students (grad school), then I read like hell beforehand. I'll honestly read the entire semester's worth of books and articles before the class even starts. I'm not the only one, either...those fuckers honestly froth at the mouth over the reading lists.

 

[acronach]

i wouldnt even go to a class, if i can learn it from google in less than 15 minutes then just stay home, make it simple and easy

 

[sprinkles]

See what I'm in for and then decide if I need to throw out what I know, or keep it.

I know when I learned to solve puzzle cubes, I had to throw out a lot of old ways of thinking that were holding me back from actually solving it.