The humanities in tourism

Globalisation has made the world smaller, much to the delight of those in the tourism and hospitality industry. However, the opportunities for cultural dilution make it all the more important for us to maintain culture and heritage in any tourist destination. In designing tourist attractions or adapting current natural attractions to lure tourists, we would need to consider both the geography and history of a country.

Take, for example, Vietnam. Geographically speaking, one of Vietnam鈥檚 biggest assets is the Mekong River. Tourists in Vietnam will be astounded by its beauty but Geography students will be more likely to fully understand the dual functions of the river. Beyond just a source of food, the 14th largest river in the world is also a source of income to many who live along it. In visiting Vietnam鈥檚 War Remnants museum, History students, having studied about the Vietnam war in school, would not only be more engaged with the material in the museum, they would understand the significance of preserving history as well. Without History, we would not be able to learn from the mistakes of our predecessors and in Vietnam鈥檚 case, it gives us an idea of how much the country has been through and how far they have come since then.

The intermingling of History and Geography is an important element of tourism planning and students in hospitality and tourism would greatly benefit from the study of these two subjects and would be able to better respond to the socioemotional needs of both tourists and hosts of travel destinations.

The humanities in psychology

Speaking of socioemotional needs, the study of Literature would do wonders in helping any aspiring Psychology undergraduate. Did you know that studies have suggested that readers of the Harry Potter series (can we agree that the books were better than the movies?) have grown up to be more empathetic individuals. This speaks volumes about how reading shapes one鈥檚 identity and personality. Students who delving in to the inner workings of the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, for instance, might become insightful counselors or psychologists who understand how a lack of communication and trust between married couples (or any couple, for that matter) would end up in disastrous consequences. Aspiring social psychologists will have a lot to learn about how being in a different setting, amongst different people, can affect an individual鈥檚 behavior from the analysis of literary works like Lord of the Flies, Atonement or The Great Gatsby.

The humanities in fashion

While the above also reflects why Literature might be of use to aspiring fashion designers, studying Geography would be of great help as well. In understanding the dangers of climate change, Geography also pushes us to make ethical decisions as consumers. Fashion designers in the 21st century grapple with how to create ethical fashion as well. Emma Watson, whilst not a designer, has moved beyond her role as an actress and now speaks out for gender equality and ethical fashion. Her Instagram account, @the_press_tour, showcases her red carpet pictures, in which she wears outfits from recycled or sustainable materials. H&M, a leading fashion brand from the UK, also encourages ethical consumer behavior. In 2013, they launched an international initiative, encouraging customers to bring in old and unwanted clothes, regardless of its condition or brand. These unwanted clothes would then be sorted out into three categories 鈥� rewear, reuse, recycle. Since 2013, they have collected more than 270 million T-shirts worth of fabric, showing us just how much we can do, with just our clothes, to save the planet. Designers in the fashion industry must then figure out how to use such materials to create sustainable fashion.

Awed by the power of the humanities? There鈥檚 more! Stay tuned for next month鈥檚 edition of Beyond the Classroom in which we will explore mass media, engineering and technology through the lens of the humanities!

Be specific

As a rule, study plans should be specific. In this case, the more specific a goal is, the higher the chances of us following through. Instead of planning to revise English for an hour and Mathematics for two, it would be advisable to note down what EXACTLY would constitute revision. Specify that the hour of English would constitute constructing an essay plan and that the two hours of Mathematics would involve practicing 8-10 questions from a particular chapter. This would undoubtedly heighten motivation as it ensures that we know what successful revision for the day would look like. When we set specific goals, we are defining success, which is critical to achieving success.

Set appropriate cognitive loads

Secondly, it is also essential to take into account the cognitive load required for each revision or study task. Based on official study and work schedules, it would not be advisable to schedule revision tasks that would require immense brainpower. If revising for a subject requires one to compile notes, memorise notes, construct essay plans and write essays, it would be wise to examine how much mental effort (aka cognitive load) is required for each of those tasks. Scheduling the tasks with lower cognitive load on busy and potentially tiring days and vice-versa would go a long way in enhancing productivity.

Monotask

The previous two tips will help with this next one. While multitasking might be fun in some circumstances (like when we watch a movie while having popcorn), it would be unwise to complete revision and a movie marathon simultaneously. For some of us, finding the motivation to power through a revision session, knowing that entertainment is a click away, can be difficult. In this day and age, pulling away from our phones is never an easy endeavour. But we must remind ourselves that frequent interruptions would only impede our thought processes affecting our productivity and motivation in the long run. This would be made easier if we have already defined success and have planned to reward ourselves after the achievement of success.

Keep moving

Regardless of what we do to try and stay on track, we sometimes fall off the wagon and end up accumulating backlog, rendering our previously perfected schedule useless. What we decide to do at this point will truly make or break our revision. We must choose to get back up, recalibrate our schedules and push on. We might take baby steps while those around us take superhuman leaps 鈥� but the most important thing is to keep moving forward.

This thought is often accompanied by avoidant behavior that might cause students to put in less effort into subjects they might not like. The decreased effort results in fewer chances for practices which eventually lead to lowered grades. When students receive the low grades, they perceive the grades as a reliable indicator of their chances at future success with the subject and in their minds, the notion that they were always going to fail at that subject is cemented.

While it might seem like this self-fulfilling prophecy is borne out of disinterest on the student鈥檚 part, it is important to understand the other emotion that possibly underlines this disinterest 鈥� fear.

What is fear?

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm. An intriguing aspect of fear is that we do not even need to experience said danger, pain or harm in order to feel scared – a mere prospect of pain would suffice.

Yet, fear is also debilitating. On a physical level, it activates our biological fight-or-flight responses – elevating our heart rate and making fearful memories more vivid. On a psychological level, fear affects how we think and make decisions. Rational thought gets thrown out the window, causing us to make snap decisions that we might later regret. What鈥檚 more, memories that evoke fear stay in our minds, more vivid than other memories, eliciting the same emotion when we remember them at a later date. One day, we have a fear-inducing encounter with a spider. The next time we see, or even think about, a spider, we are likely to experience fear again. This would stop us from ever going near a spider again and we become entirely disinterested in ever learning more about spiders. When asked why, we say we simply do not have an affinity with them. How, then, does this relate to students and examinations?

How fear leads to disinterest at school

Take for instance, a student who put in all his effort into studying for a Math test but has received bad results. He might feel fearful about investing as much effort for the subsequent Math test. The pain or threat of failure is, at the very least, unpleasant, because it implies that the student鈥檚 efforts are useless. As time passes, the amount of effort invested is reduced and his 鈥榠nability鈥� to do well at Math becomes a part of his self-concept. Years later, the student sits in a Mathematics classroom, entirely disinterested. On a subconscious level, his vivid memories of previous failed attempts at Math and the stinging notion of his perceived incompetence contribute to his fear, leading him to mask it with disinterest. Just like with the spiders, it seems easier to simply choose the path of least resistance.

The challenges in fighting fear

In an academic setting, the biggest problem with this is that it is entirely counterproductive. Avoiding one鈥檚 inner fears only means that these fears will never be addressed and might be exacerbated. In a sense, its abstract nature makes it all the more difficult to eliminate. After all, it鈥檚 not like we could get an emotional transplant and replace fear with a positive emotion of our choice. What鈥檚 more, fear manifests in concrete consequences that affects learning and progress. Taking a leap of faith to test our own abilities can be terrifying.

Fighting fear and disinterest

Luckily, the intangible nature of fear is also its weakness for it can be defeated with tangible actions. The only real way to fight fear is not to eliminate it, but to push through it regardless of its existence. In school, the best way to combat disinterest borne out of fear is to simply try. Try and try again, and after each try, approach teachers for constructive feedback so that every attempt is better than the previous.

Fighting against fear is arguably scary, intense and risky. However, to remain in a state of emotional and academic stasis would be unfair to our future selves, who are relying on our current selves to be brave and courage, as Nelson Mandela once said, is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

Hoping to get into one of our prestigious local universities, he explains that 51爆料鈥� 16-month A Level preparatory course provides a good foundation and prepares students well for the GCE A Level Examinations. Besides good facilities, such as, air-conditioned classrooms, dance studios, science laboratories and a gym, the teachers are knowledgeable, patient and willing to coach and mentor students who need assistance.

鈥淭he facilities at 51爆料 are top-notch and in some cases, superior to what is being offered at government institutes,鈥� shared Redha.

51爆料 College provides the tools and support for success. Ultimately, the success depends on the individual as there is no substitute for hard work.

Recently 51爆料 College has commenced the 16-month O and A level preparatory course for the new batch of students. On orientation day, students were introduced to the programme and briefed on what to expect during the 16-month journey. Students and teachers shared their thoughts and experience and everyone started off on a good note.

In addition, a Parent-Teacher meeting was organised recently for the graduating batch of students. During the session, parents got to know of their progress. Both, parents and teachers shared their views and affirmed their commitment to help students achieve their dreams.