Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ffiffiHtWffir
MARHABAENTERPRISE
_.__T
Especiallyaddressed
to The young collegiates - the
future hope of Pakistan
Edition 1993
Publishers MarhabaEnterprises
Civil Lines,JhelumPh:7494
prescribedcurricula.
Dedicated
To
students.
JLn ,7oungpnop/n to *eating
"o**ittnJ
/rno*/nJgn in one for* o, tln otln, ;o
tln iotnrnrt P./,utr*.
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PREFACE
l.argc vacant areas are still there waiting for others to join the
elfbrt and build up a comprehensivepicture of a mature and a well
Dear Young Reader,
rounded personality for the guidance of the youth of the country.
God blessyou!
If educationistsfail to provide suitable channels for personal
growth, the spirit of adventure runs the risk of leading the
Now you are on your marks. A marathonracg for a career.
inquisitive minds into the dark alleys of social and moral
is going to start. The stakesare so high that win you must. There
degradation. We owe it to our youth to guide them to the proper
is no other option. Just none! And I may remind you, this race is
path. Mr. SaeedRashidhas put up in this book a large number of
ruthlessly competitive. There is no room for indifferent running.
pointers in. the right direction.
You have to run and run fast enough to touch the tape stretched
acrossthe finish-point first. Besides,this is entirely your own race.
You have to do all the running, from the start to the end all by
yourself. Nobody else, however near and dear, can do the runnins
Laeeq Mirza Ph. D
for you.
National Institute of SpecialEducation
Islamabad
This book 'From School to College' is just a sign post
along the route, a light-houseon top of a rock, to say, "Th1sway,
lslamabad please", and warn you here and there, of the possibleperils of the
February 14, 1988 perilous course.
Yours Sincerely,
The one who takesyou as the
futurehopeof Pakistan.
5 6
At the end, I am obligedto put in a word of thanks. CONTENTS
PART II
PART IV
31 . Thinking 106
PART V
33.
4. The College Teacher - as a Scholar r39
b. The College Teacher - as a Leader l 4l
=v'l
10 11
FROM SCHOOL TO COLLEGE more interests,all competingfor your time and energy.Many a
COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS college student eventually ends up in not achieving anything
worthwhileand having totally wastedboth his precioustime and
energy.The answeris in developingthe ability to sift essential
fromthenon-essential. Inthe college,you areusuallyhardpressed
'for time becauseso many new and often conflictingdemandsare
pressingyou more or lessall the time.
***t<*
In the colrege, there is much ressspoon-feedingand The self-imase rs the golden key to successand
much
more freedom than there was in the school; but there heppiness.
are many
-*1
12
l3
COLLEGE EDUCATION
A Privilege and a Challenge Examination, especially candid self-examination requires
courage - courage to know one's strong and weak points. Ask
yourself: "What are my best points and my worst ones?What are
my personal assetsand liabilities?" Ask yourself these questions
not once, but many times and have a frank dialogue with yourself.
No student will be able to do every thing that is asked of him
equally well and must learn from the beginning to sacrifice the
lesserfor the greater good. Know your area of strengthand further
strengthenit to gain confidence and recognition. But do not despair
or blame others for your handicapsor for any mishap.
*{ <***:F* t<
Easy self-assurance
and care-freeattiturleis an indicator of
L6 17
immaturity rather than maturity. Genuine faith and confidence is l-et it be clear to you that we are as vitally concernedwith
of great value but faith, possessed
merely as a matter of habit and your achievementon tests of maturity as with your achievement
on
comfortablerationalization,hardly qualifiesas a mark of maturity. testsof academicproficiency.
4. Self-discovery:We would like to ensureif the snrdenthas We eagerly hope that you would respond by a gradual
begun to uncover lris strengths,his limitations, and what he is all adjustmentof your previous attitudes and values to meet the new
about? Remember, self-discovery is the first step towards self- challenges.
development.
For the time being,you can set yourselfsome Self-image controls our entire potential, such as
socialand
moral goalsthat are quite attainabre.
Developprop.r-u,iitudesto intelligence,capability, attitudes,performance,will-power, effort,
wgrk and disciprine.Acqr/ire proper values.' ingenuity, aptitude.
rn' int.rlpersonar
relationships
be kind, considerateund.o.pussionate.Enjoydoing
goodto othersratherthan receivingfavours
from others.Above
all, you have to developa deep s-ense of commitmentto your
family, your college, youn communityand
to your counrry.
I
28 29
THE FOUR DIMENSIONSOF KNOWLEDGE knowledge. The tree of knowledge bears the
knowledge of good and evil alike' A great
'O, Creator! give me more and more knowledge,, mathematician or physicist or chemist may use his
so
prayedthe Holy prophetto God asrevealedin the knowledge to benefit his fellow men but he can also
Holy euran and
the first word of the first revelationto the prophet use his power to harm other human beings.
tuirra-*ao
(peacebe upon him) was: "Readin the nameof
the creator who
createdyou." So knowredge cannot but be our chiefconcern.And d. Knowleclge in all its branches is of the greatest
knowingor learning.isa life-longprocess.we wantyou importance for the developmentof man, but only if
to learn
and to keep on learningfor the *nbr. of your life. he recognizes a unifying principle for his creative
But what will
you learn?what branchesof knowledgemust a ingenuity. This is the fourth dimension of human
man masterif he
is to be truly knowledgeable? Those*ho u.. knowredgeable knowledge. Its main concern is with the moral and
and
learnedhavepropoundedthe idea of four studiesfor spiritual purposesof life which alone can give true
man:
meaning to human knowledge without conflicting
with the three branches of knowledge. On the
contrary it integrates the knowledge rflztn r h&s
'through
accumulated centuries of living and
thinking. It provides an ideal for all the inventions
and discoveriesof human mind.
* * x * t< * { < * *
Life is a whole
Luck is a whole
Churchill
-q
30 31
1' Mind hasa physicalbasis.Its seatis human 9. Each period of stress, especiallyif it results from
brain. unsuccessful struggles,leavessomeirreversiblechemical
2. It is made of about 10 b'lion neurons(celrs) scars, which accumulateto cons{itutethe signs of tissue
set at birth. decay.Successfully activity,no matterhow intense.leaves
a
J. stimurating environment can crearly virtually no scars.
affect the growth of
brain cells.
10. Work wearsyou, not play. If you like your taskhowever
4. The brain's capacitycan be modified intense,it is play for you, it will not causechemicalscars
unfavourabryas welr
-)
as favourably by how we live, by our which resultin wear andtear of tissues.
life style.
5. Mind grows by exercise (use) and SOME OBSERVATIONS ON MIND
decays by disuse, a
processcalled atrophy (if you do
not use th; whote of you.
mental powers fully, intenselyand regularly, William James, the father of modern psychology, has
the .trn ., observed, "we make use but of a small part of our mental
are that they will become gradually
and- progressivety resources.". Alexander Hamilton wrote:-
weak).
6. Brain cells deprived of sufficient oxygen "All my genius lies in this when I have a subjectin hand,
do not perform I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. what people
their work efficiently and the inteil#
and the dr"".g are pleased to call the fruit of genius is the fruit of labour and
poWer fade as a result. Conversely
mental alertness thought. " Also recall to mind the famous definition of genius by
improves when larger amounts
of pure oxygen are
delivered to the brain-cells. Edison i.e. 'It is nine tenth perspirationand one tenth inspiration.'
32 a^
JJ
b Such a life can be had the hard way, for which you will
(Adapfedfrom Trends in Modern prychotogy) have to develop your mind and character to the highest
possibledegree.
w- -l1
36
37
c. To ensurethat development,you have to lay the foundation
THE PROCESSOF LEARNING
of motivated learning assiduously.
What is the processof learning?How do we learn, what
d. Rememberthat all learning is an active process.It is only
happensto your mind and in your mind engagedin solving a very
you who can do it and do it only by actively participating
complexproblem. At this stageyou need not go into the technical
in the processof education.Receivingknowledgepassively
intricaciesof the processof learning as a motor driver need not
won't do. Cramming won't help. Short-cutto knowledge
know all about the details of motor-mechanics.But he should
won't avail. You can scrapethrough the examinationsand
know its mechanismin general terms i.e. how it works, what
get promoted to the next class with the minimum pass
makesit go and go better and when it doesnot why it doesnot do
marks i.e. 33 out of 100 but having one third of knowledge
so.'Similarlyyou had betterrememberthe following points about
may cost you a battle tomorrow as a commander.So do not
the processof learning:-
take your formal educationlightly. Aim high and put your
heart and soul togetherinto this channel.By all meanskeep
a. Learning is a mental activity-a goal directed
your short-termgoals in view, but do not losesight of the
activity. It has a purpose.It aims at satisfyinga
long-term goals either. Make a habit of thinking ahead,
need. Hence you cannot learn if you are not
looking far into rhe future as far as possibleand adjustyour
motivatedi.e. if you do not want to learn.
speedand quality of work accordingly.
b. Learning is not a singleaction.It is a chain'of tiny
**x*> k*****
actionsin the brain. It is a process.
j
38 39
experiencesthe better the new learning. HOW TO LEARN BETTER
karning starts from dim impressionsof a new The capacity to learn is not found in the same measure in
thing. These impressions later change into clear all human beings. Somepeople learn more quickly, and are better
mental pictures in the light of .past learning. The in quality too i.e. they can think of new things etc. But most of us
more difficult a piece of study, the longer it takes are mediocrein this respect.We have an averagecapacityto learn.
to be understood. However difference in the actual results of learning of different
people is mostly ascribable to factors other than their inborn
g. Understandingcomesat the end of a long chain of capacityto learn:-
mental actions. You start with the collection of
information or ideas about a thing. Ideas change 1. The will to studv comes first.
into knowledgeand knowledgeas a result of mental
activity finally takes the shapeof understandingof 2. You have to build up a broad basefor advancedlearning.
some thing new, which is the completion of the Exert your mind to the utmost. Go to the sources of
processof learning. knowledgedirect. Collect relevantknowledgedrop by drop
like a honey bee.
t< t< ****
J. If you are learning a language, make extensive use of
dictionaries,referencebooks and sourcebooks. Build up an
Behaviour is entirely dependenton self_image. extensivevocabulary. If it is a secondlanguage,masterits
structural patterns (grammar) too. In studying literature,
The data in the sub-consciousmind governsthe self-image attend to its appreciation.
and the self-imagecontrols our effectiveness.
4. While studying science subjects, you have to adopt a
Self-imageis one of the greatestdiscoveriesof this cenmry. pyramidal approach. You can not make any head-way, if
we carry with us the blue print or the picture of ourselves. you have not fully understood the fundamentalsof that
subject.
So the problems of learning are really the problems of A wit once observed:"The real educationis that which
valuing. valuing sports is much easier. A direct satisfactionof remainsafter we have forgottenwhat we have learned." What is
some basic emotions is involved in it. Valuing the learning of forgottenis in,fact formal curriculumand what remainsis the
natural or social sciencesis possible only when this sort of mental patternof alteredattitudes,values,habits and loyaltieswhich
activity-learning, is as deeply satisfying to the individual as becomebuilt-in the student.This may be called generalisedor
football playing is to the ardent player. A college studentis mature residuallearning.If the qualityof what remains,is poor,it means
enough to scrutinize his values and readjust them into a new significantleaninghasnot takenplace.
pattern of priorities. It is the duty of the community, of the parents
and of the teachers to see that the young people come to value Residual learning should be the nucleus of some life
what is really valuable. outlook or philosophywhich helps to integratematerial and
spiritualsubstancein life. It shouldincludea capacityfor affection
On accountof this emotionalaspectof learning,the teacher that yields consideration and compassion to humanrelations,a
has to concern himself with how the student feels about what is senseof sharingin socialrelationsto the extentthat one assumes
offered to be learnt. If the feeling is negative, the learning will be someproductivedegreeof civic and economicresponsibility and
'negligible of an exemplaryrectitudeor nobility of characterthat
awareness
I Y
i
I
44 45
The key to human personalityand behaviour is the serf-image.If Mere reading with no intent to learn would produce
our self-image is altered, our behaviour and personality are learning after eleven times as many trials as would be required if
effectedby the change. the intent to learn was consciouslypresent.
It we chooseto make changesin our self-image,we can use The presenceof the intent to learn is a prime requisitefor
positive imagination to create a new subconsciouspicture of effective learning. Any kind of motivation that keepsus conscious
ourselves. that we are seeking to increase our efficiency is likely to be
helpful. Competition which encouragesus to compare our own
performancewith that of others is an especiallygood device for
establishingand maintaining a strong intention to learn.
***' F*
Could-not-care-less Learner: Somecollegeentrantsdevelop
negativeattitude for a variety of complex psychologicalreasons.
Low Performance They enter the lecture-hall saying to themselves:let us see who
can teachus. There is a good percentageof such studentseven in
Somethingis alwaysbotheringthem, they are hesitatingand prestigiouscolleges. Eventually they fade out but before they do
withdrawing mosr of the time. They feel that they are lacking in so they are a constantnuisanceto everyoneexcepttheir cronies'
somethingand not worthy of respect.
Utilitarian l,earning: Some students have an extremely
They do not trust themselvesnor do they trust others. narrow conceptof education,They are willing to invest their time
and energy orily on those aspectswhich promise fairly immediate
They are pessimisticpeople, they always see difficulty in practicaldividendse.g.marks,promotionsetc. Suchstudentswould
every opportunity. not let the teacher do good teaching and the quality of their
learning suffers too.
poillts rnadein it. Ilo this exerciselilr a month v;ill flncl the questionsnormally given at the end of the chapter.If you are
'tnr-l 111111
tire clilt-crence"
You will achieveflexibilitv. reading it as preparation for the next day's lecture, make a
separatenote of the points you want to concentrateon and the
T he value of cleep or intensive reaclin,gcannor bc: questionsyou would like to ask of the teacher.
questioned"But tlie habit of broad reaclinghas its orvn cbvious
advantages.Readingfiction or a newspaperrmagazine of popular" Ability to Listen Attentively: In good educationalinstitution
interestwith the same rapt attentionthat 1re11 give to a physics some effort is made for the development of three skills of
book, amounrsto wastingvaluablereadingtime and energy.There communicationviz, reading,writing and speakingthroughoral and
as a skill
arg inany occasionseven during the rearJingof a seriousbook. 'uvrittenexpression;but listening is hopelesslyneglected
when ','s1-i
shouldskip certain portioru of it arid go ol]. requiring systematicand controlled practice. Active listening in
fact calls for more concentrationand interestthan reading' It also
'I.heCiinceptof Pre-reading:T'o
studya texf book chafiter. involvesan outgoing, sympatheticregard for othersand a genuine
the techniqueof pre-readingcan be usetully empkrycrl. tlesiretclhearwhat othershaveto Say.In a lecture-room,effective
listening requires not only keen eagernessto follow the therneof
Attack a text book chapterin three successive
steps,each the lecturebut also pfoper perspective.You can only listen well
built on the precedinsone. knowinghow the chapterends. when you have done some background study earlier. Hence the
urgent necessityof preparing the topic of the lecture before it is
Instead o1'plodding laboriouslyfor two hours li-orn thc deliveredby the teacher.
56 57
SOME FACTORS OF SUCCESSFULSTUDY in life to your presentacademic
karn to link your futuresuccesses
pursuits.
1. will to work comes first. without intenseinterestin your
study, you can not make much headway.you have to take a long 4. I can I will. You mustalsohavefaith in your own ability
range view of your exerting for the present.As has beenpointed to achieveyour goals and you must have confidencethat you
out by an eminent writer, "Man's characteristicfeatureis not his would actuallydo it. As William Jamespointedout, "We are
brain power. It is his will to work. " makinguseof only a smallpart of our mentalresources".
J/
60 61,
REPRODUCTIVELEARNING VS thoughtful and thought-provoking. It stimulates the depth
CREATIVE LEARNING study of the subject. It is comprehensionorientated. The
real test of creative teaching lies in initiating creative
(From a question- answersessionat a study circle
meeting) learning.
Teacher: Oneof themainreasons for lackof creativity What is creative learning and in what respect is it different
and creative thinking, barring exceptions,even among from reproductive learning?
our
educatedelite, is that the teachingand learningdone even
at
collegelevel, is mostlyreproductive,not creative.Moreover, The difference is real. It is qualitative. In reproductive
the
conventionalexaminationsystemencourages, rathercompelsthe learning the learner rests satisfiedwith passiveacquisition
teachersandthe students to do reproductive
teachingandlearning. of minimum possible information and skills with the sole
intention of mere passingthe examinationlargely by rote.
a' Sir, what do you mean by reproductiveand creative He is not intellectually involved in the processof learning'
teachingand rearning?what is the differencebetweenthe Hence he does not understandthe conceptsinvolved' His
two processes'? information never develops into knowledge' He never
learns to learn, to think, and consequentlyhe is not able to
A. Reproductiveteachingconcentrates
on merepassingon the utilize knowledge in solving new problems, which is the
information contained in the narrow confines of the primary purpose of education.
syllabus.
How to do creative learning?
a. Isn't it the requirement?
You have to be intellectually and emotionally involved in
A. It may be urerequirement of the exambut the requirement the processof learning. Learn actively; learn to learn. Go
of educationis much more than passivedissemination or straightto the sourcesof knowledgeyourself. Use as much
assimilationof information.what is really required is source material and reference material as possible. In
knowledge,understanding, andultimately,iniight. Nothing humanitiesgroup of subjects,do as much extensiveback-
short of that. And to achievethat end, t.urting must go ground study as possible.Use divergentthinking approach.
'into the depthof the subject,mustprovoke
thinklngon tf,. Ask questions, pose question, analyse, reason, go into
part of the studentsso that they understandthe ioncept details. Ever-growing awarenessof the subjectsand the
involvedor the sociar,curtural,andpoliticaraspectsof the life. is the final test of creative learning. Of course,
piece of literature under study. creative ieachins is creative learning very much dependson creative teaching.
62 63
They are selfish, insecure, inconsiderateand unhappy Books stretch trre mind, the most erasticthing a human
people. being possesses. The studentwho forms the habit of letting this
experiencehappen to him wilr never lose it, though
he may
exerciseit less in later years. you will have to attencl
the classes
and listen to the lecruresand participatein debatesand discussions.
Theseare essentialto collegeeducition and no substitute
fbr them
has ever been founcl,yet readingbooks, whetherthe
stuclentbuys
borrows them, is just as essential.Its pecuriarfeature
'r is that it
!t
67
66
is done alone, at his own chosentime when the studentis his own
master, bent upon cultivating a mind that is uniquely his. This
mind is of course, all the time engagedin a rivalry with other
minds which their owners are cultivating at the same time and
place, for a college has many good minds in it,
PART II
*x{ < ***
to imagine
It is imPossibtP
processinvolves a degreeof mental maturity, which shouldbe the withouthonour.Whrt Presentda;
conscious focus of attention on the part of both studentsand the what is real and ultlmate securll
college. anythingoutsidehimself,whether
is. or .i", .un feel, secure'OnlY
A good definition of college is an institution where teachers contentwitH himselfis really secure'
and srudents are engaged cooperatively in a common quest for
ability to standalone'
values in the context of teaching and learning, for the gentral Cooperationis lessimportantthanthe
the sacrificeof one'Sown
purpose of education is to develop a meaningful and consistent whenthe choicem.,,t ue madi betweel
in qrolP activity of
system of values. values are mainly acquired through the integrity ,nO uO:u,i*t* to or participation bad the world may
how
intellectualprocessof comparativeassessment dubiousand dishonestkind' No matter
of values.cin you
*uny people may losetheir virnres'one
identify experiencesin your class work and outside that indicate become,no with the rest'
that your instructors are engaging you in this process?only that .u.n ii;;t p"ttot t"futtt to go along
fact remainrt-u*-ho*
believesin andis loyal to
college which involves studentssilently and intimately in value- assertshis individurii v .;o innerlight,
laden experiencesis effective in shapingagd imparting values. what his fellow to have givenup' that one-personwill
'Lt"' the most importantpart of humanity'
-"nperhaps
constitutewhat is
Can you draw up a list of your own values and that of
77
76
emotional energy through certain glands, the upper layer-the cortex
DISCIPLINE AND FREEDOM servesas the guard. Cortex is the control centre to ensure that the
nervous energy is properly used in the service of the whole
Disciplineis a much misunderstood word. ch'dren think personality.Animals do not have to carry out this sort of control,
that disciplinemeans_ not being alowed to do alr that gives hencetheir brain is without a developedcortex. A child at the age
them
f^lr^1yt" vouns.peopre
thinktrr-at
oiscipii;;;.^ i,riolr, anthat of two is unable to control his impulsesbecausehis cortex at that
rs attracrive
andbeauritulin life andsome il;; age is underdeveloped.
think
discipline means the crushing "il desires, that
of at naturar
according to them, are ev'. which
In point of fact, at these Discipline helps us organizeour personalityso that we can
interpretations of discipline ur. in
orr"ct, real disciprine standsfor then go forth to rneet the demandsof life.
none of them.
By discipline we also give qreater freedom not only to the
personalitybut also to the native impulses,for in directing them
we are not repressingthem but giving them fieedom of exertion
without conflict.
But an anxiety that turns itself into morbidity, that prompts * * t< * *
88 89
old one. we must take care to launchourselveswith as strong ancl
A third maxim is: seizethe very first possibleopportunity
decided an initiative as possible. Accumulate all the possible
to act on every resolutionyou make, and on every emotional'
prompting you may experiencein the direction of the habipsyou
aspir. to guin. It is not in the moment of their forming, but in the
mo me n t o r . t n " i ' p r o d u c i n g m o t o r e f f e c t s t h a t r e s o l v e s a n d
- aspirationscommunicate the new "set" to the brain. No matter
how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess,and no matter
h o wg o o d o n e ' s s e n t i m e n t s m a y b e , i f o n e h a s n o t t a k e n t h e
otherwise it might, and any day during which a break-down is
advantageof every concrete opportunity to act, one's character
good
may remain entir;ly unaffected for the better. With mere
intentions,hell is pioverbially paved. "A character",as J.S. Mill
says, "is a compleielyfashionedwill," and a will, in the sensein
which he means it, is an aggregateof tendenciesto act.in a firm
anclclefiniteway upon all principal emergenciesof life.
S o th e c r u x o f t h e p r o b | e m i s : h o w t o m a k e y o u r . w i l l '
strong. Power of will or will-power will make all the difference,
keeplne faculty of effort (will) alive in you by a little exercise
.u.iy clay. That is, be systematicallyasceticor heroic in little
unn...rriry points. Do every day or two somethingfor no other
reasonthan that you would rather not do it. This sort of asceticism
woulcl ensureever increasingresistanceagainstrecurrenceof old
habits.
PART III
HOW TO READ BETTERAND FASTER
3. CH^A,LLENGEYOUR COMPREHENSION. f'or that book in pagesper hour. Somebooks are slower reading
than others.The more solidly packedthe ideasare on a pagethe
Fast readersare good readers.They are fast becausethey moretime it will taketo coverthat page.
have learned to understandprint quickly and they understand
quickly becausethey give themselvesconstant'p.u.ti.. Devise personal tricks to speed up. Sharpen your
in
understanding.To this end they READ cHeimrrlGING comprehension skill. But you must practiceevery day or nearly
MATERIAL andyou mustdo the same.Doesa novelsound
deep, every day, if you wish to make high speedcomfortableand
does a book of non-fictionseemdifficurt,doesan articre in
a automatic, if you wish to become efficient in quicker
magazinelook as if it wirr requiremore thinkingthan you understanding.
feel
preparedto do? Thenthat'sthe type of readingthat wilr give
you
the most valuabletraining. Every personof normalintelligencecanconcentrate when
he reads,but slow readersput themselvesat a disadvantage.If,
4. BUDGET YOUR TIME. throughlaziness,you readat a slowerrate thanthe rate at which
you are able to comprehend,there is greattemptationfor your
Fix a definitetime by whichyou wantto finishthereading. mind to wander.
If you know that you must finish harf the book tonightand
the
otherhalf by tomorrow,you wilr speedup, because y; wilr have The brightestchild in a classis not alwaysthebeststudent.
to.Youwill develop_tricks of gettingahead,of skimmingpartsthat If the work is too easy for him, he becomesbored and stops
arelessessential, of lookingfor mainideas,of readingir^you,,op (Slow readinginducesattentionto wander).
payin-qattention,.
potentialrate.The goodreaderalwayshasa feelingoTgolng
fast,
but he is neveruncomfortable, for he hasdevelopJdfalt habits. By readingalwaysat your top comprehension speed,you
constantlychallengeyour understanding,you stimulateyour mind,
If you makeup your mind to finishan articrein two hours, you get involvedin author'sthoughtswithouthalf trying. From
you can finish it in two hours.such is the adaptability speedyreadingyou get increasedconcentrationwhich in turn
of human
mind underpressure. sharpens your understanding andenjoyment.But readingaboutthe
principlesof efficientand rapidreadingis not goingto makeyou
5. PACE YOURSELF. a faster or better reader. Only putting those principles into
practice,over a periodof time, cando that for you.
when you starta new book, readfor quickunderstanding
-
for fifteen minutes.count the numberof pagei you havefinished By doing muchmorereading,you alsogetmuchmoreout
in thattime, multiply it by four andyou traveyour potentiarspeed of reading. Eliminate faulty and inefficient habits that interfere
96 97
with total concentration,that slow up your comprehension,that interestedin the basicthinkingthat shapesan author'swriting than
keep your rate of readingdown to a much lower level than you are in minor points or backgroundinformation.
potentially capableof achieving.
TIIE INEFFICIENT READER
EFFICIENT READER VERSUS INEFFICIENT READER
1. Reads passively, sentenceafter sentence,without any
The efficient reader has a cruising rate of at least 300 to ;understanding of either the material as a whole or of the
400 words a minute. relationshipof the parts. On the other hand, the efficient reader
reads with aggressivecomprehension,thinking along with the
1. Varies his rate accordingto the type of the material.Suits author,interpretingthe purposeand functionof broadsectionsof
his speedto what he wants to get out of the material. material,and searchingalwaysfor the final and total meaningof
any pieceof writing.
2- Rea$sfbr ideas, is rarely consciousof individual words,
skims, or skips unimportantwords, paragraphs,sectionsor even 2. Concentrates imperfectly. Because he is not deeply and
whole chapters. actively involved in what he is reading, he is easily distractedby
irrelevant thoughts, by external noisesor by the happeningsaround
3. Has few, if any regressions- his perceptionis accurare, him. As a result, his retention and recall are poor whereas the
fast, dependableand so nearly unconsciousthat he can concentrate efficient reader concentratesimmediately and perfectly - [ecomes
on meaningratherthan on separatewords. so involved with the ideas on a page that he temporarily loses
contactwith thd outsideworld. He has, in consequence, excellent
4. Covers the average line of print in three to five eye_ retention and recall.
movements
3. Fatigues easily, because reading is for him a slow,
5' Readssilently in the riterarsenseof the word - his rips, unrewarding,even tediousprocess.Spendsonly as much time with
tongueand vocal cordsare motionlessancrhe is lar more awareof books as is absolutelynecessary.The efficient readsfor hours at
meaninethan of sound. a time without becomingtired. Hp can and usually does,complete
an entire novel or magazinein a single sitting.
6. A poor reader often gets bogged down in details and
suboldinateelementsat the sacriflceof a clearawareness
of salient a. Readsslowly, 200 words a minute or less.
conceptsand importantoverall ideaswhereasthe efricientreader
pushes briskly throu-ehdetails to grasp main ideas. Is more b. Reads all material of whatever type of difficulty at arr
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e. Moves his eyeseight or a dozentimes or more to cover the He does not quite trust the adequacyof his comprehension.
averageline of print. He readsmeticulously, digestingand re-digestingevery sentence,
every paragraph.Paradoxically enough,not only his speedsuffers
f. May 'vocalize'r.e. sound words out with his lips, tongue, as a reiult of such extreme care, but his comprehensionalso, for
or vocal cords, thus keepinghis speeddown to his rate of he gets so involved in details and relatively unimportant minor
oral reading and seriously interfering with smooth points that he often misses the main theme of the writing'
comprehension,or he may be excessivelydependenton
"inner speech"i.e. on hearing the soundsof the words he He strives too hard to be perfect in his grasp of every
is readins. detail. Therefore, he often regresses.Having no confidencein his
comprehensionhe goes back to check on figures, minor points,
statiitics, and bits of description and thus cuts his train of thought,
makes him over-consciousof words, ruins his concentration,
breaks the smoothnessof his absorptionof ideas, and of course,
wrecks his speed.
The goodhabitsneededfor fastand skillful readingcanbe HOW TO GET THE GIST QUICKLY
developedin a comparatively shorttime. You cantrain the speed
and accuracyof your visualperception.You can learnto attack Rushthroughmateriallookingfor total meaning.
materialwith the kind of aggressiveness that will sharpenyour
concentrationand increaseyour rate of comprehension, you can ?. Eliminatefrom your readinghabitsany excessiveregard
learnto eliminateregressions,to by-passyour vocalapparatus, to for minor details.
decreaseyour dependance on inner speech,and to avoid under
attentionto minor details. You can with proper practiceand The averageuntrainedreaderreadsat a speedmuch lower
guidance,learnto ploughaheadspeedilyabsorbing themainideas, n his innate ability to understandshould make possible. His
gettingtheover-allpicture.You canstartbuildingyour vocabulary slownessmay be caused, in part, by unnecessarilyshort
and stimulatingyour intellectualcuriosity. iecognitionspan,so thathe habituallyinterpretsprint almostword
word rather than by phrasesor by thought units of several
You can do all this if you activelywill it insteadof merely words.No only is his speedcurtailed,it obviouslytakesmoretime
wishing for it. to read three or four words in separatefixations than to read them
'all in one fixation but his comprehension
is also likely to read
The wish to learn is diffuseand general.It meansthat we them all in one fixation but his comprehensionis also likely to
repeata thing again and again hoping for something to happen. 'suffer, for his attentionis fbcussetlon individual words insteadof
The will to learn meansthat we dig down and analyse,that we try on ideas and total utcauing. He might have a psychological
to find out exactly how to put it righr. I compulsion to read every word. In tact reading is not directly
connectedwith words but only with ideas.
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SUMMING - UP
RESPONDINGTO TOTAL MEANING
EFFICIENT READING
Get into the habit of viewing materialas a whole, instead
of passivelyabsorbingit thoughtby thought,sentence by sentence Thereare differenttypesof reading.You readfor pleasure
or word by word. Purposefully seek out the answer to one i.e. fiction; you readfor informationi.e. Gk. books,newspapers,
dominatingquestion: magazinesetc. and you readfor ideasartdreflection'
"What, in total, is the author trying to say?What is the
main idea of the piece?What is the final meaningthat all the
wordsand sentences add up to"?
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paragraph structure and your ability to organize material
effectively.
PART IV
more effectively.
Reflectivethinking is possibleonly when one is willing to One means towards developmentof the critical and
enduresuspenseand undergothe trouble of searching. constructivemind is reading,not merelyroutinereadingbut close,
critical andcreativereadingwhich enablesthe studentto challenge
over-positive and dogrnatichabit of mind is inimical to the statementor main thesisof practicallyeverythinghe reads.He
critical thinking, one has to suspeidone's belief until justifying doesnOtacceptanythingon its facevalue.He questions.Isn,t this
reasonshavebeenfound. processtime consuming?It is. But so are all things which are
worth while. Life itself is not simple - susceptibleof immediate
Onehasto be sufficiently critical aboutthe ideasthat occur apprehension.Most worth-while things are preffy difficult to
to him or he comesagross. obtain. Let us hot be guilty of hasty readingind bewareof the
book which yiolds itself to casualreading.Theremay not be much
The crux of the matteris, of course,the askingof question. kernel in it.
I{ow is the initial questionto be askedand what
lun ir to be What is CrcativeThinking?
followed in seekingthe answer.The questionand answercannot
be separatedfromeachother. Any fool can ask a questionbut he
only who knows the answer can point the way to the correct An educatednian enlargeshis intellect.He doesnot merely
answer. accumulate fapts but learns to put things together
inductivelyto seeknew knowledgeand insighis.The one
How to think better ? who aspiresto be a creativethinker risesabovethe usual
intellectual plane, gradually forms free and creative
Thipking can not be done in a vacuum.It must have a imaginationthat will enablehim to think independently.
broad baseof actively acquiredknowledge.Moreovprthe ra4ge
a What is the key to CreativeThinking?
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a. Is good thinking quick or slow?
A. The urge to be original, the courageto think independently
even in the face of over-whelmingoddsto the contraryis A. It dependson the nature of the problem. Sometimes
the key to creativethinking. slownessanddepthof responses are intimatelyconnected.Time is
required in order to digest impressions,and translatethem into
a. How muchdoesa creative/ inventivemind owe to others? substantialideas.The slow but sureperson,whetherman or child
is one in whom impressionssink and accumulateso that thinking
A. Much more than is generallyassumed.Before seeingthe is doneat a deeperlevel of value.
applefall on to the groundanddiscerningthe famousLaw,
Newton had spent years together on studying Physical
Sciencesand beforeinventingthe electricbulb Edisonhad a. What aboutthe valueof quick - thinking?
filled 200 note - books covering 40,000 pages while A. Habits of speedy, but superficial judgemeht are not
studyingand readingevery possiblething on earth about
conduciveto good thinking. In fact they are inimical to it.
light down to a candleand oil lamp. The sameis true of
Darwin, Einsteinand Iqbal. The great achievementof a
geniusis that he is ableto createsomethingnew out of the a. Are somesubjectsof studymore intellectualthan others?
old snrff or startsfrom the point"wherehis predecessors A. Not at all. Thinking is specific and any subjecrmay be
had left. He is original.He creates. intellectual.It's a questionof how you tackleit.
Planesof thinking
a. How is it that a goodthinkerin onefield of mentalactivity
(gubject)is a very bad thinker out-sidehis specializedfield
We distinguishbetweenpeoplenot only upon the basisof
but also of study? Yes. Sometimesit is so. Becausethinking is
the quicknessand'varietyof their intellectualresponses,
specific the chancesare ,if thinking has not becomea
with respectto the plane upon which theseoccur - thp intrinsic
matter of attitude,that scientistmay fall a victim to fads
quality of their responses.One's thought is profound, while
and fanciesor to prejudices.
another's superficial; one goes to the roots of the matter and
anothertoucheslightly on its most externalaspects.
a. How to developa criticalr4ind,
a. What is thinking with blood. believe any thing that is suggestedunlessthere is over-
poweringevidenceto the cofltrary.
A. Many peoplethink with their blood, Both thinking
and feeling are associatedwith brain. Both are aspectsof 3. There is a tendencyto believewhat is in harmony
mental activity. No thinking is entirely free from feeling with desire. We jump to conclusions.We all fail to
and no feeling is pure feeling. It is the questionwhich examine and test our ideas becauseof our personal
elementpredominatesat the moment. attitudes.
principally by his feelings rather than by his thoughts. A. When we generalize,we tend to make sweeping
Conversely, we sometimeshear; 'He is very cold and assertionsi. c, from one or only a few facts we make a
calculating'.It amountsto sayingthat so and so is less generaluationcovering a wide field.
emotionalandmorethoughtfulin his way of life. Theseare
examplesof usingwordsloosely. a. What is a prejudice?
Whatdoesit imPlY?
For instance:
You visit a new place,a few peopleyou meetthereare not
t24 t25
very friendly. You may say 'Peoplein suchandsuchplace '?.0 What is a prejudice?
are not very good'.
2l Is it true that somepeopleneverhaveany opinion of their
Give anotherexampleof generalization. own?
9. What is rationalization? Give two examples of 22. Is it true that somepeoplefeel shy of makinga decisionof
rationalization. their own?
11. What is organiccuriosity? 24. Do you think food habits have somethingto do with the
"
character traits of a people i.e, fish, rice,
12. What is socialcuriosity? wheat,buffalo/cowmilk, beef or mutton taken as staple
food, will affect their consumers?
13. What is intellectualcuriosity?Give examples.
anybody'scharacter?
Do youbelievein 'blood' in assessing
14. What is the psychologyof gossip,of maligningothers?
Whic\ is more important,natureor nurture?Give reasons
15. Who is a rumour-mongerand why? and examples.
126 127
THE HUMAN BRAIN pounds.lt's 2% of body's weightbut requires 20%of the oxygen
we inhaleand a fifth of the blood our heartpumps.In the eventof
The wonderof wonders temporary shortage,we faint; if the supply is cut off for a few
minutes,we may suffer a grave damage-paralysis or deathmay
occur. It also demandsa steadysupply of nourishment-glucose.
Even in situationsof acutestarvation,brain appropriatesits share
first from whateveris available.
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Most researchersagree that the limbic or feeling brain
What is Memorv? plays a key role in long-term memory. Interest in learning-
notivation,intensedesireto learn - greatly improvesthe long-term
Memory is the ability not only to storebut also to nemory, the ability to recall pastlearningexperiences.The limbic
recall informationand experiences. Memory appearsto be systemis concernedwith affects.Strongemotionalexperienceswe
' delocalized'- spreadthrough-outthe cortexand perhaps
remember almost with out any effort. How to remember better
through-outthe higherbrain. Experimentsandobservations
supporta three-leveltheoryof memory:- Memory plays an importantpart in the processof learning
as new learning is built up on what you have learnt before.
a. The lowest level is short- term memory lasting nomore Moreover for purposesof examinationtoo, the ability to recall and
than a few seconds;every momentof life, hundredsof reproduceis of immensepractical value. So as a learnerand as an
sensoryimpressionsflow into the human brain and are examine rememberingis a matter of immediateconcern to you.
promptly forgotten. Before we give you somehints on how to rememberwell, you had
better keep the following findings bbout memory in mind:-
b. At the next level is the medium-termmemory whichlasts
from a few minutesto a few hours and enablesman to a. Memory means the power of retentivity - the capacity to
remembersomethinglike a telephonenumberor somedata retain the learning experiencesin the mind.
for an examination.
b. There is a specific centre of memory in the brain which
c. At the highest level, is long - term memory, which means serves as a vast systemically laid out store-houseof all
sifting out of all the sundry impressions and information experiencessince your birth.
entering the brain and processingand preservingonly the
things possessingimportance,usefulnessor vividness. Some of these experiencesyou can easily recall in vivid
detail: this is called rememberingor recall.
Long-term memory takes time to strike roots in the brain.
If rats are given an electric shock immediately after learning a new d. Someexperiencesmay fail to recall fully when you want to
skill, memory of the skill is lost. if the shock is delayedfor half do so; all the sameyou are dimly aware that it is in your
an hour, the memory is impaired but if 24 hours lapsebetweenthe mind all right. As soon as the thing is presentedor you
learning and the shock, most of the memory remains. (Hence to come across it, you at once recognize it. This is called
reinforce new learning a better approach seemsto be to revise it recognition. Recognitionhelps in new learning and makes
after some time, not immediately after the process).
the re-learningof the oldlessonsmucheasier. Some people
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134
naturally have very vivid reproductive memory, this is The Processof Mernory
How memory functions
called graphic memory.
llt'l
PART V
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THE COLLEGE TEACHER
Rarely in later life, will you find yourself in a situation like
"The teacher if he is indeed wise, does not bid you enter the one in the college, where competing ideas are sifted so that
the houseof his wisdom, but rather leadsyou to its threshold." you are free to choose what seemsmeaningful and significant to
(Khalil Jibran) you alone, to retain the kernel and throw away the chaff.
while in the college, you will remain in constantconracr It is essentialthat you should be aware of the real function
with the teachers.You should ask yourself: "what are they about? and value of your college teachersbecauseto the degree that you
What are their purposes?How best to benefit from them,?" understand and appreciate what the teacher is attempting to do,
you can respond more efficiently and gain more from the teaching-
learning situation. By the way, this process will be immensely
facilitated if teachersand studentsknow each other intimatelv.
THE COLLEGE TEACHER AS A LEADER choice. So q complete mastery of yogr chosen branch of
knowledge can not be exchangedfor any other quplity.
We dxpect a lot,of you. You should do the same.We have
a check-list,as discussedearlier, to measure':your progressin areas ' "Any teacherworth the name must have a strong senseof
of developmentother than academics.Yourcan also have one to moral values. A teacherwho does not at the same time educate,
test our mettle. We can afford an indifferent or dull sort of student fails to teach as well. karning to teach successfullyis learning to
'lead towardsthe stimulusof distant future.,Go on learningas long
becausehe may. be the only one while othets might be bright. But
the students cannot afford an indifferent teacherbecausethey have as there is life. in you. If you do not want your teaching to
none else. A bad pupil only harms himself but a bad teacherharms degenerateinto a make believe, do not make the mistake of turning
the whole lot. Surely you should demandmuch more from,your your own learning into a 4ake-believe.A zestfor learning is most
college teacher than mere possessionof a master's degree in a contagious and is bound to envelope your students, sooner or
subject. What is that much more' and what are the qualities of a later.
good college teacher?
"Moreover, some planned objective must be there before
Perhapsyou can draw up a long list of qualities yourself. you. As a teacher,have a five year study plan, a summervacation
But here is a synopsisof a most illuminating talk given to the fresh study plan, in fact a life study-and-creative-work-plan. You may
teAchersby a veteran teacher.This may also give you the idea of not quite come up to it in the end, but you would certainly have
the heights we ourselvesare expectedto touch. made much more contribution, had you been without one,
Remember the story of a genius who started as a young boy to
"To succeed.a teachermust be a leader.A teacherwill not read all the books in the world. He did not. But he ended up as
succeedin arousingthe studentto think aboutthe subjectunlesshe a great scholar all the same. The will to scholarship is a student's
thinks about it himself. Imitation remains by far the most basic most valuable asset.
transaction in the learning process. The most obvious qualities
which the teacher ought to acquire are those which the teacher "A truly educatedman respectslearning in all fields of
wants his pupils to pbssess.The learners will tend to imitate knowledge.Any scholarwho confineshis studiesto his own field
mostly unconsciouslyany good qualitieshe himself manifests.The alone hinders his progressin the field of his choice and becomes
teachershould be pretty good indeed in the art of communication, $ remote from his students.
both verbal and written. Skill of creativewriting is an adiled asset t
but the ability of critical thinking is a must, No student likes a Student'stend to be idealists.They demandperfectionfrom
teacherwho dependstoo much on text books and notes, and lacks their parentsand teachers.They will never accepta teacherwho
originality of approach. You are a leader in the field of your is anything but the best and will never forgive a teacher or a
143
parent who betrays the same weaknesswhich tlaey themselves
have.A teacher'sbattle(for survival)is won or losi mainly, but
not necessarily
in the class-room.