I am a visual learner.
In the days when there was no spell-check, or auto-correct, I was an excellent speller and an excellent “spell-checker.” I can so easily spot misspelled words. It bothers me when I read, “Your welcome.” (If you don’t see how it would bother me, you’re likely not a visual learner.) During my college years at New York University, I did summer jobs as a clerk-typist and my skills were well appreciated. When I was ending my part-time job for a professor who was a department chair at NYU, she called me the “best secretary” she’s ever had. It was all due to my neat and well organized personality, thanks to being a visual learner.
I usually don’t get lost when I’m driving somewhere. Give me a map and I’ll find the place. Oftentimes, I will drive myself somewhere for the first time, for example, to someone’s house. Then, many years later, I visit the same house but without a guide, like a map. Then, I drive unsure of myself and guess the directions. I will almost always get to the correct place, usually to my own surprise. These days, there are GPS and Google Map, so no need for maps when you’re going to unfamiliar places. However, I always study the map first (these days, from Google), then, write down the directions on a piece of paper before I leave the house. I look at my notes as I navigate, rather than listen and follow GPS directions.
When people come to our house, we frequently get compliments that our house is nice and clean. This is more the reflection of my visual learning style. First, I arrange the furniture and put decorations up in the most aesthetic appearance. Then, I have the need to put things in its original order or place after use. I hate mess and if things are scattered or in disarray, it bothers me. A long time ago, when I was single and working on my doctoral degree, I moved from one apartment to another one in the same building. Furniture found their new places, including several bookshelves. The books that go into the bookshelves were piled on the floor waiting to be put back in the shelves. However, I had a paper due the next day and I didn’t have much time. I needed every minute I had to write this paper. But as I was moving about in the new apartment, I was bothered by the mess on the floor. I kept telling myself “this can wait,” but after telling myself this a few times, I couldn’t stand it. I spent the next several hours putting the books into the bookshelves. I was mad at myself for being so obsessively meticulous in the new apartment. However, I was able to concentrate on my work better after the mess was off the floor.
Oh. For those friends on Facebook who post, “Find_____” in the given seemingly confusing picture, it’s always a piece of cake. I always find the answer in less than 30 seconds. It’s easy for visual learners.