‘Follow your curiosity’: Geoffrey Hinton offers three tips for incoming students

Be curious. Don’t worry if your studies take a winding path. And know that learning never stops – not even when you earn a Nobel Prize.

Those were some of the nuggets of wisdom imparted by Geoffrey Hinton – a University Professor emeritus at the University of Toronto who was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for his foundational contributions to artificial intelligence – during a recent livestreamed event for prospective U of T students. 

He reflected on his academic journey and answered questions submitted by an online audience of more than 1,400 participants who tuned in from 87 countries.

Broadcast from Hart House on the St. George campus, the conversation between Hinton and U of T President-designate Melanie Woodin, who is on leave as dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, touched on the joys and challenges of academic life.

Erin Hui, a fourth-year student from Singapore who is double-majoring in drama and linguistics, moderated the talk and posed questions submitted by the students – many of whom later shared their favourite moments and takeaways via a post-event survey.

Here are three key themes that emerged from the conversation and virtual Q-and-A:

Let your curiosity lead the way

It can be daunting for incoming students to figure out which academic path they want to take, given the myriad opportunities, conflicting advice from family and friends, and an ever-changing job market.

Hinton recommends following your curiosity – and asking questions. 

“You have to have something you’re really curious about,” he said. “A lot of undergraduates decide what subject they want to do, but for me, there was a particular problem I was interested in – which is, how does the brain work?

Hinton added that the problem fascinated him when he was 16 – and still drives him today. “It’s still the thing – we still don’t understand how the brain works. We know a lot more than we did, but we still don’t really know.”

Hinton’s advice resonated with students. “I learned that you have to follow your curiosity,” said one after the event. Another noted that “that although his path … may look like it went all over the place, it’s because he was driven by his curiosity about how the mind worked and wasn’t afraid to change paths if he felt he could learn more about what he was interested in somewhere else.”

Woodin, for her part, noted that U of T's vast array of courses offer plenty of opportunities for students to follow their current interests and discover new ones. “I really encourage students to look at the course calendar and take a wide variety of courses in your first year – because chances are you're going to find your passion for something.”

It’s rarely a straight line to success

Feeling intimidated by classmates. Questioning if you’re on the right academic path. Switching up courses and programs. All are common student experiences – and Hinton was no exception. 

“It was the first time I’d lived away from home. It was the first time I’d been in a place where I wasn’t one of the more intelligent ones – everybody was smart there,” Hinton said of his first year at the University of Cambridge. “I found it very difficult and I left after a month.”

While he eventually returned to campus, Hinton said his interest in the workings of the brain led him to switch programs several times. In fact, he said it wasn’t until grad school that he began focusing on AI – the field which he would ultimately help revolutionize.

“Retrospectively, although it seemed completely chaotic at the time, doing physics and physiology and philosophy and psychology was all good background for what I did. But at the time, it just seemed like chaos,” said Hinton, who even took up carpentry at one point. “If your start at university is chaotic, don’t worry.”

Hinton also urged students not to be discouraged when they encounter setbacks. “It's not the end of the world. When you're young, you can recover from big setbacks ... I think as long as you follow your curiosity, you're going to be fine.”

Students, once again, took the advice to heart.

“It was nice to hear that even a Nobel laureate such as Professor Hinton had made so many erratic decisions for undergrad in terms of picking and dropping multiple courses," said one. “It helps me realize that it is OK to be messy and things eventually clear themselves up if you follow your curiosity.”

Find a study style that works for you

Hinton urged students to let their personal learning styles determine how they study.

In an admission that will surprise many, Hinton revealed that he struggles to read academic papers because he gets easily distracted and that his approach is to solve problems first and read the academic literature afterwards – in contradiction to common advice and practice.

“I think both [approaches] are correct because it depends on who you are,” Hinton said. “Some people like reading a lot and acquiring lots of knowledge and others are puzzle-solvers like me – they don’t like reading lots of stuff, they like a puzzle to solve. So, I think there’s huge variation in how you should study.”

Hinton also revealed that he struggled with absorbing math – a source of encouragement for some members of the audience. 

“I’m someone who isn’t good at math and doesn’t enjoy reading,” said one student, “but I’ve always been curious about things and have a strong desire to pursue academia. I wasn’t sure if I was a good fit until Professor Hinton shared his personal experience, which made me realize that ... learning methods and pathways can vary depending on the person.”

Woodin – a U of T alumna and renowned neuroscientist who is a professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department of cell and systems biology – added that one of the keys to a fulfilling university experience lies in finding community, whether through study groups, extracurricular activities or student clubs.

“Coming to university, you’re outside of the smaller cohort of students that you had in high school classrooms. You’re going to meet a lot of other people, and you’re going to learn things together,” she said.

“It’s probably going to be more fun if you do it together.”

Watch the full conversation on YouTube