HOW TO LEARN EASILY

CHAPTER I

ECONOMY IN STUDY

We must frankly face the fact that it is possible that some students in every class would be more useful to themselves and to the world in a "job", either on the front or back end of a street car; or in a good, substantial position in a machine shop, in a laundry, or in a confectionery store, or something like that. For it is possible, if not probable, that a certain percentage of a class are not at all of a scholarly "make-up", so that they can never be a success at any learned pursuit. The place to discover this is early in school, lest otherwise they waste precious time.

Interest in a Subject. If students are naturally of a scholarly disposition it is much easier for them to study effectively than otherwise it could be. But whether scholarly or not they must first have a real interest in that which they wish to study.

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If they have grown up without the "natural scholarly interest", it is their duty to acquire it. But when a real interest has been really acquired, they will learn almost reflexly and without any great effort, because it will be a pleasure to them. So this matter is truly worth while. Furthermore, students must have a continually changing and a continually developing interest. In every case, if they wish to economize time and energy and to learn adequately, they will, as a preliminary, develop an interest in the subject they are studying.

Some, in fact millions, never go far enough or deep enough to develop an interest never deep enough to realize how unimaginably marvellous is their world of matter and life and mind. This may be “fate" or it may be just laziness.

The best way to develop an interest in any subject is by collateral reading. We should read broadly on subjects allied more or less closely to what we are studying. When it is physiology, for example, we should read about related sciences -physics, psychology, and the enticing histology of the nervous system. There are all sorts of exceedingly interesting material to be obtained from the libraries, which is related to this particular subject, complex and fascinating in itself.

Another way to develop interest is by thinking for ourselves of those relations. A third method is to associate with people who already have an interest. Fortunate is the student who can have the advantage of association with masters of the subject in hand! Whatever be the means, we must have interest.

Whatever we have an interest in, we enjoy doing, and that is the reason why well-adapted work, in the long run, is the most certain, if not the greatest, of human delights. Many people think of work as a necessary something, disagreeable rather than agreeable, but, on the contrary, it is certainly one of life's most permanent and substantial satisfactions and delights. Work (more properly called drudgery) that is not adapted to the individual is undeniably unpleasant. Professors in our colleges and universities, for example, rarely grumble about their work, and this is not primarily because their work on the whole is pleasant, but more because it is well adapted to them; for otherwise they give it up. It is the vast body of men who do not as yet have work which is adapted to them, who do not like to work. All great, useful, and original work ordinarily is done under such conditions that the work is enjoyable,