OASIS BLOG

Your Brain is a Muscle: Why Intelligence Isn’t Fixed and How to Flex Your Learning Style Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I’m just not a math person” or “I’ll never be good at writing”? You’re not alone—but here’s the truth: that kind of thinking is a myth. Intelligence isn’t fixed. It’s flexible, it’s malleable, and just like any other…

In the hustle of college life, students are constantly told to “manage their time better.” But what does that really mean? The term time management can be misleading—it implies that if you just organize your calendar or make to-do lists, everything will fall into place. Yet, managing time poorly is still managing time. The real key to academic and…

When we think about student success, we often focus on grades, test scores, and academic achievements. But what about the skills that aren’t listed on the syllabus—those unspoken, yet essential tools that help students thrive in and beyond the classroom? This is the realm of the “hidden curriculum.”   Time management, self-advocacy, critical thinking, resilience,…

In the realm of undergraduate research, developing a strong talent pipeline requires more than simply identifying students with high GPAs. It demands a deeper, more inclusive understanding of potential—one that goes beyond numerical thresholds to recognize the full spectrum of student ability, motivation, and growth. The overreliance on GPA, particularly a 3.5 cutoff, as a…

I still remember the first time I was asked to conduct research outside the classroom. I was excited—energized by the idea of diving deep into a topic I cared about. But that excitement was quickly followed by a wave of uncertainty. Where do I start? What even counts as “research”? I didn’t know how to…

One of the most important—yet often overlooked—predictors of student success is the ability to learn independently. And I’m not just talking about studying solo. Independent learning is about helping students build the mindset, habits, and confidence to take charge of their own growth, both inside and outside the classroom. The truth is, many students enter…