As some of you may already know, I attended LeWeb conference at Paris, France. Probably you have already read about LeWeb’s main issues, food, WiFi and maybe the broken-down heating in the first day. Ok, I was dissapointed but I was kinda waiting them, especially food and WiFi. I mean, I had the same problems also in NextWeb, so I didn’t have my hopes up for LeWeb.

However, this conference was not about food neither about WiFi. It was about listening to inspiring people sharing their experience and ideas. It was about meeting new people who are willing to help you in your projects. It was about hearing about new startups. It was about finding out how YOU can help web move forward. It was about asking successful people how they managed to be successful. And at all those parts, LeWeb was a huge success.

As I am going through my notes from the conference, I realize that I have so many things to blog about. So many things that I found really interesting and I want to give my point of view. And I strongly believe that all those conferences are about motivating. Making you think about what your potential and try to actually reach it. It was 2 full days of web2.0 mode for me. I had nothing else to do. I didn’t work, I didn’t study, I didn’t do anything else besides networking and thinking of what I can do and build.

In fact, it was a great experience although I didn’t find it as fascinating as it was NextWeb back in April. However, it was one more experience, that made me think and put me back into a brainstorming mode. Hopefully, an idea that I had during LeWeb will be online in January.. Because LeWeb was about me and changing my way of thinking…

[photo via Robert Scoble @ flickr.com]

Or at least, that’s what a professor told us the other day. I twitted about it and, as I promised, I am blogging right now about it. But let’s start from square 1.

I am a Computer Science student and my department allows its students to follow some courses from other departments.  By making use of that allowance, I chose to follow “Education and social inequities”. I went to the fifth lecture and I was expecting to listen about.. education and social inequities. However, what the professor told is that “all people are equally stupid” (or smart, doesn’t really matter). According to sociologists IQ doesn’t exist and what makes someone more capable from someone else is his enviroment. In addition to that, every single person is capable of doing everything and what has stopped him is only his enviroment. She also gave as an example where 2 twin brothers were given to different parents after their birth and they grew up with completely different ways. One of them happened to be smarter than the other one.

I have a counter example.. Michael and Ralf Schumacher. They are brothers, they grew up together, in the same enviroment, same moral support from their parents, etc etc. They also happened to love the same thing, car driving. Both of them, made it to Formula 1 world. However, one of them is the most successfull driver in F1’s history while the other one has never won a title. By that, I am not proving that IQ or talents exist but I simply prove that there are many many many more things that play certain role in developing an ability.

I accept that IQ is not something that we know where it comes from. We don’t have proved that it really exists but there are effects that we suspect that have something to do with “brain superiority”. However, we don’t have fully understand how our brain works so saying that “IQ does not exist, skills do not exist, talents do not exist” is at least immature. Especially when it comes from a professor in a room fully packed with students..

[photo via flickr.com, user: Kyle Jones]

The last two weeks have been extremely busy and with millions of things to do. I wake up at 9:00 in the morning (without using an alarm) and I can’t manage sleeping before 3:00. I don’t feel tired. Having so many things to do, keeps me happy and motivated.

Every night, just before going to bed, I check my next day’s schedule in iCal. It’s the last brainstorming session of the day. And the most creative. How to get “this” task done, what to do in my 1-hour break between classes, etc. Also, that’s the time I am trying to sum-up the day and realize what I did wrong, what I should improve in the future and where I should have spent less from my *extremely valuable* time.

However, I can’t wait for Saturday. I try to keep my weekend free of “to-dos”. Quality time is my first priority. Probably some coffee with friends, maybe a lunch but sure there will be time for my favorite things to do. Watch all the new episodes of TV series that I had no time during the week, cook my favorite food, maybe some shopping.. Everything that does not allow my mind to think of next week’s obligations.

Don’t get me wrong, I love having an extra busy schedule during the week with things that I love, but I also love having enough personal time in the weekend! That’s the only way I can really appreciate both busy weeks and free time. Having only free time or everyday a busy schedule doesn’t make you productive, it just doesn’t let you see the difference and the pros and cons of each situation.. So, try keeping some days for yourself, it will only help you.

[photo via flickr.com, user: Lisa Brewster]