Make up your mind to start on small streams rather than to plunge into the sea;
for one should progress from easier matters to those that are more difficult…
Be slow to speak and slow to take the speaker’s stand.
Embrace purity of mind; do not neglect prayer; cherish your cell most of the time, if you wish to be admitted to the vintage room of knowledge.
Be friendly to all men, do not be curious about the private activities of other people; do not try to be over familiar with anyone, for much familiarity breeds contempt and provides an opportunity for neglecting one’s studies.”
– “On how to study” by St. Thomas Aquinas
DECADES ago, a student would be confined in his private cell and read his lessons by candlelight. Away from all distractions, he would diligently pore over several books to learn everything he could possibly know.
Of course, studying in self-confinement for long hours would be practically unheard of these days. Most students of this age could always find “something better to do” other than studying – playing Counterstrike or billiards, chatting on the net, malling, shopping, bar-hopping, and texting to name a few.
Studying now is commonly limited to a day, a couple of hours, or a few minutes before the graded recitation or dreaded exam.
Still, any one who aspires for academic excellence would know better than to study haphazardly. A student would do well to learn from the University’s patron St. Thomas Aquinas, a brilliant student and an excellent educator.
Although he was called a “dumb ox” during his time, St. Thomas had certainly proven that he is anything but a half-wit. One of his many writings, “On how to study” is the Angelic Doctor’s timeless piece of advice on learning and on life.
Make up your mind to start on small streams rather than to plunge into the sea;
1.Start small.
Perhaps, anyone who is considered a success in his field knew the meaning of humble beginnings. Rare is the brilliant genius who gets to the top in an instant.
Indeed, hard work is essential to success. And this begins within the halls of learning. Although it is true that practical knowledge can best be gained when you’re actually out in the field, there are also some things which only the school can provide. Some people I know who are now out in the real world, actually told me that things would have been better and easier if only they had taken their studies seriously.
But, starting small does not mean aiming small. Although there is no border for human aspirations, we set our own limitations. We can only go as far as we think we can. Even as we aim for the clouds, we should also learn how to fly high enough to reach the sky.
…for one should progress from easier matters to those that are more difficult…
2. Take it easy.
This piece of advice actually comes in handy when studying several lessons and during exams.
When confronted with several subjects with varying levels of difficulty, it is best to start with the easier subjects because they take less time to study. In this way, you can arrange you study schedule and allot longer time for the harder subjects. This also helps to condition your brain as it progresses from easy to difficult lessons.
The same is through with exams. Easy questions first, hard questions later. When you tackle the difficult questions first, chances are you’ll be spending most of your time answering them that you wouldn’t have timeleft to answer the easy questions.
Be slow to speak and slow to take the speaker’s stand.
3. Think before you talk.
Words can actually be a measure of what you know. It was once said that fools tend to talk more and think less, while the wise think more and talk less. Sometimes, people tend to talk more to cover for their ignorance when in fact, what they say only shows how little they know.
Try to develop tact, know what to say and when not to say it. Most of the time, you can learn more just by observing and listening to those people who do all the talking.
Words are fleeting and once you say something, good or bad, you can never take it back. This brings back to memory a lesson my mom reminded me time and again, “when you’ve got nothing good to say, better to keep quiet.”
Embrace purity of mind; do not neglect prayer;
4. Focus and pray.
We live in lustful times. Sex and eroticism are flaunted in every possible means. Songs with lyrics suggestive of sex raid the airwaves and actually land in the top charts. Movies that invoke the depiction of sex for art’s sake rake in audiences who will never look at a pineapple, an eggplant, or a pail the same way again. Not to mention the countless uncensored sex websites in the internet which are accessible to practically anybody who knows how to click a mouse.
As with everything else, battling all that overwhelming temptation is easier said than done. But faced with all that distraction, you need to focus on keeping “purity of mind.” This is, of course, a matter of choice. Even if you are surrounded with lasciviousness, it is still up to you if you will allow yourself to be influenced by it or not.
Prayer is always a powerful guide to keep you from going adrift. Remember to pray, not only to ask for instant wisdom before a major exam, but to ask for the discipline to study and the self-control to avoid any possible diversion.
Cherish your cell most of the time, if you wish to be admitted to the vintage room of knowledge.
5. Spend some time in silence.
Although it was said that certain sounds actually stimulate the brain, it would also be good to study in a quiet place. This could help enhance your concentration. It would also be beneficial to set up your own quiet corner where you can retreat from the deafening noises of your environs.
Sometimes, it is hard to keep yourself sane when you get caught up in all of the things you have to do. Extreme pressure can take its toll both on your mind and body to the point of breakdown. In this case, it would be helpful to spend some moments of solitude every now and then.
Being alone with your thoughts allows you to think more clearly and to sort out a confusion of ideas.
An effective method I learned to battle stress was to retreat to the chapel every time I felt like exploding into a million pieces. I would sit on the last pew and just talk to God as though he was beside me. Sometimes, I would simply sit there and stare at the cross. Each time, I would feel an overpowering sense of peace come over me. And then, I just know that everything would be alright.
Be friendly to all men
6. Build bridges.
Don’t burn them, as a quote once said. Ideally, you should always look for the goodness in human nature and treat everybody as a friend. But of course, in reality, not all people are easy to like. So this also goes without saying that you should try to at least be civil, if not friendly, with people whom you don’t consider as a friend.
Choose your friends. By choose, I mean to be discerning of who to consider as a friend. Guard against people who lure you away from your “boring studies” to “teach” you how to have fun. Beware also of the user-friendly species who conveniently become close to you during assignments, projects, deadlines, and examinations.
At the same time, don’t discriminate people who can’t fit in your group because they seem to be “different” from you. Sometimes, the people whom you least expect to succeed do make it. Remember, popularity is not the gauge of success, a good personality is.
do not be curious about the private activities of other people;
7. Don’t gossip.
In a culture which tolerates and cultivates gossip, this is another thing which is easier said than done. Indeed, it is always more interesting to talk about that guy who was debarred for getting a five for the nth time in Statistics, than to talk about how you cheated to pass the exam.
It’s really about the “put-yourself-in-their-shoes” rule. What if you were the one being gossiped about? So when you see gossip coming up, just think that your time is worth more than useless chatter.
I remember this story I read once about stopping gossip. On his way home, a scholar met this man who was known to be a newsmonger. Upon seeing another opportunity to spread his latest gossip, the newsmonger hurriedly approached the scholar telling him that he had the most interesting bit of news. But even before the newsmonger could tell his story, the scholar stopped him and asked him three questions: “Would it do you good to tell me this so-called story? Would I learn anything valuable if I hear your story? Would it do good to the person you are going to talk about? If your answer to any of these questions is no, then we better part ways.” And so the scholar went on his way.
do not try to be over familiar with anyone, for much familiarity breeds contempt and provides an opportunity for neglecting one’s studies.”
8. Strike a balance.
In this passage, it seems that St. Thomas was hinting at avoiding any relationship which may cause one to be overfamiliar with another. However, neither love nor attraction can be abolished from human nature.
The key lies in striking a balance. As they say, these special people should serve as inspirations, not distractions. Thus, set your priorities and budget your time so as not to neglect your studies and your relationship.
The same goes through with extra-curricular activities. Although these activities do help in applying theories to practical situations, they should not hinder or impair your academic performance. As our adviser would always remind us, “you are a student first, before a V staffer.”
St. Thomas has exemplified what it takes to succeed – to possess hard work and commitment. Above this is faith in God and faith in yourself. If you have both, then anything is possible.
