JOYFUL STUDYING

A key to enjoying studies

             Students are always under pressure to perform better.

When asked whether they have any problems, they don't answer at all. But to the question of why their performance is not up to the mark, they give plenty of reasons and excuses.

They are right because irrespective of how they score in their exams, students continue to have a lot of problems.

For the last twenty years, I have been administering to thousands of students a checklist with 100 common problems related to studying.

On average, they identify around 40 problems out of 100. Out of these 40 problems, around 25 problems stand out and 14 of these problems are directly related to studying.

The following graph summarizes the percentage of students who have identified each problem.

            Students who identified more problems also scored low on study involvement. Their performance in the class was also found to be much lower than students with fewer problems.

Dimension	Average of the Group	Minimum Score	Maximum Score
Study Orientation	19.88	11	27
Study Habits	35.32	25	45
Attitude towards Study	3.96	1	5
Career Orientation	7.92	0	18
Classroom Behaviour	24.08	17	31
Library Work	3.36	1	5
Speed Reading	4.00	2	5
Hobbies and Interests	19.76	12	26
Emotional Balance	34.36	22	50
Memory Problems	-30.60	-60	-5
Study Involvement	122.04	75	187

Why are students having such problems?

Let me give a simple example. Someone who knows swimming can enjoy getting into the water. However, those who have not learned to swim, suffer in the water.

Similarly, to enjoy studying, we must learn how to study. Many students think studying is difficult but difficulties are part of life.

Swimming is difficult but drowning is also difficult

So, we have to decide which difficulty we will opt

Students tend to accumulate more problems as they progress from the lower class to the higher class.

So, what is the solution? Let me give another example.

Let’s say I purchase a car but I refuse to learn how to drive. I will suffer because I always have to depend on someone else. I can only see others driving and enjoying. I am not only refusing to learn to drive but also refusing to enjoy it.

Let’s say I decide to learn but I say that I will do it my way because it is my car. True! But I have only bought the car and not the system that tells me how to drive the car. Though it is my car, I have to learn how the system works.

For instance, the car's manual says that I should first start the engine before I do anything else. I will say that it is my car and I will not start the engine, but I want to drive.

I refuse to use the clutch when applying gear and I prefer to always go in the top gear. The speedometer says zero to 180 Km per hour. In case I keep insisting that I will always drive at 180, I will never start the car in the first place.

I have to learn the way the system works so that I can make the system work for me.

This way, I will not only be able to drive the car but also enjoy driving.

Hence, the solution is very simple. If I have to drive a car, then I should know how the car functions. If I have to work on a computer, I should know how the computer functions. Similarly, if I have to study, I should know how memory functions.

We should work in such a way that we can record information rather than in a way that is comfortable for us.

First, we have to learn how to learn so that we can continue to learn. This learning to learn is a major requirement that we somehow miss in the complexities of the education system.

Rather than training the student in how to process information, how to store information, and how to retrieve information, the current education system gives too much importance to the syllabi.

If you know any student, try to see if you can find out at least 40 problems in him/her. When you ask them if they have any problem, they usually deny it. However, when given a checklist of 101 problems, they start getting insight into what is ailing them, and they willingly tick as many problems as they can!

The most important question to ask ourselves is, should we allow the problems to continue? Should we pressurize the students to score better? Should they do so with a lot of suffering?

Or should we allow them to enjoy studying by helping them overcome these problems?

Let me know what you think!

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1.       Facing Exams Comfortably
2.       How to study a difficult subject?
3.       Intent Focusing
4.       Subconscious Tuning
5.       Study Involvement among College Students
6.       Facing Challenges through Life Skills

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