I feel like I’m constantly attempting to put into words how grateful I am to have my brother. Having someone that’s seven years older than me who has been through all the hoops and struggles of Business School, and then the pressure of finding a job out in the real business world, is both indescribable and priceless. However, I’m going to attempt to live up to his standards by sharing the greatest lesson that he’s ever taught me. This lesson is greater than all the newspaper articles he’s ever explained to me, greater than the countless calculus lessons he’s offered me. The greatest thing he’s ever taught me is a way of life: there’s no quick fix.
Throughout the years, I’ve gone to my brother for my fair share of homework help and advice, and everytime, it boils down to him telling me, “you just have to put in time and work at it. Sit down and just figure it out.” At first I found it frustrating; I just wanted to get my assignment in! However, over the years I’ve realized that it’s one thing to finish an assignment by stringing together bits and pieces of help, but it’s much more satisfying (and leads to greater success) if you sit down and make sure that you completely understand what you’re doing. If you solve problems by yourself, you’ll learn the strategies you need to succeed when the challenges get tougher, instead of just the processes that work in specific situations.
I hated hearing him say this to me everytime my Calculus homework didn’t make sense within 15 minutes, but I’ve finally come to terms with it. You simply have to put in the time; life has no shortcuts.