But there is at least one point on which students and faculty differ. For most students there are stressful tests and examinations where they are expected to indicate how much they have learned. For faculty there are fewer stress times in their lives because of their prior experience and learning. This has a significant effect on whether VARK can be used for the development of new skills. While some students seek opportunities to learn new strategies at every opportunity that is not general. Many students in higher education are at critical points in their search for employment or partners or self-esteem and they often cling to the strengths and preferences that they have, rather than extending themselves into unknown areas. For them it is often a matter of staying with what they know despite the professors urging them, to expand their repertoire.

You may have some distrust of graphs and diagrams and anything that relies on symbolism. You don't always share the same meaning of these symbols as others do. An arrow representing a ëflow› may mean something quite different to you. The placement of words on a page has little added meaning and things like layout and style are not as important as they are to some others. You may have difficulty understanding why others place so much importance on trivial things like fonts and formats and layouts. You probably get lost trying to find your way to other places and you may have little memory for the surroundings in a room, an auditorium or a house. You might prefer not to use a map to find your way. Remembering what people wear or what they look like is probably not a strong point for you. Who cares about merely pictures!