I don’t remember his exact words, but R.Xia was the first among my friends to point out this notion. He had read many articles on the different learning methods/attitudes vs their outcomes and he singled one one key factor — the really effective students are not always the smartest, but they keep learning, well into adulthood. This is an informed view, rather than an unbiased perceptionOfReality. Through this tainted glass, I see numerous facts and evidence that reinforce my opinion.

Similarly, I tell my son “learning is 积累” .. 日积月累.

— NUS website says

“Graduates are expected to be agile and adaptable in the post-pandemic world order. In training students to connect the dots across diverse disciplines, NUS has embarked on educational innovations centered on interdisciplinarity and experiential learning. The establishment of the College of Humanities and Sciences and the College of Design and Engineering has allowed NUS to deliver future-focused interdisciplinary education at scale, while offering students flexibility to pursue multiple pathways and specializations. The result: an education that offers both breadth and depth.”

I think this basically means a student can take modules from (far) outside his department and his major. In NUS, I took elective modules in business management, sociology etc. There is no depth in my learning, even though the courses included lots of group assignments, real world case studies, long reports, presentations,,,

I think this breadth can affect depth. In my opinion, depth (more important than the “breadth”) and real insights usually /grows/ from lots of self-directed reading and active, deep thinking (blogg). If you read enough about a subject, and ask some tough questions, attempt to form your opinions, validate them with data and observations, get some peer review, then [1] you have a chance to develop some depth. But it won’t happen during the 4 years in college. I believe lifelong learning is a must.

[1] For STEM subjects or language, you also need lots of practice.

My economics learning is perhaps one example. My math learning might be another example.

— recreation, retirement ikigai.. lifelong learning in an academic subject or a skill [arts, sports,,,] could provide an ikigai