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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1930)
CHEMAWA « AMERICAN Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education HMWHMIMM Vol. XXXI Wednesday, Feb. 5, 1930 No. 21 HOW TO STUDY Robert Peratrovich is now a senior in the Univers y of Washington, but for many years he was a student at Chemawa. While here he was recognized everv- where as a good student, and his achievements since leaving here for Seattle are so outstanding a> to impel (F rom the Q uiver of M arcus A urelius ) us to point to him as a model forthose Chemawa stu '»vent > Where it is possible for a man to live, there he can dents who are serious-mindecTand are really here f< r an education. In fact, we are presenting rule" <> i live nobly. “How to Study” as written by Robert himself. We He who does wo/act, often commits as great a wrong regret that we are compelled by lack of spac*1 to “prune” the article to a limited extent, but we have as he who acts. eliminated none of the essentials. We shall be happy To the wise man the dictates of Reason seem the later to learn that our students have given this article a serious reading and have adopted the plans set forth instincts of Nature. as their own. The article follows: —— > 1. Learn to concentrate your mind. The wrong that another has done—let alone! Add In order to study properly you must concentrate not to it thine own. upon what you are doing and not allow other thoughts Write no more, Antonius, about what a good man is to divide your attention. This is very difficult, as even the best student must constantly fight his great or what he ought to do. Be a good man. est enemy—Mind Wandering. He finds no difficulty Men are created that they may live for each other. in concentrating his mind upon a novel, because he is Teach them to be better or bear with them as they are. interested in it and it requires no exertion to under stand it. But let him take an essay or a treatise and My true self—the philosophic mind—Lath but one he will find that he will do some thinking to follow dread; the dread that I do something unworthy of a the argument. Therefore, at the first snag he strikes his mind will involintarily run away from the task in man. hand and wander to all sorts of topics—the weather, This is the law of the indwelling Reason—to be self football, the dance, latest news, his best friend, and content and to abide in peace when what is right ana so forth. He will wake up and put forth some effort again, and—allow his mind to wander. Thus it goes, just has been done. say for three hours, and he deludes himself with the Forget not that every man’s real life is but the present thought that he has “studied for three hours.” Con At first moment—an indivisible point of time—and that all the centration is the only thing in such a case. rest of his life has either passed away or is uncertain. it will be hard but after a while periods of sustained attention will grow longer and easier. w— * 2. Form a Study-Time Habit. To him who hath true insight into the real nature There is a real advantage in doing mental work on of the Universe, every change in everything therein a schedule, in setting aside given periods for study, that is a part thereof seems appropriate and delightful. and in following this schedule very closely. For one thing, you will not likely get behind in your work, Be not unmindful of the graces of life. Let thy and a tendency appears to be developed in the nervous body be stalwart, yet not ungainly either in motion or system of turning to mental work at times ingrained by repose. Let not thy face alone, but thy whole body, habit. I find the best time to study is just as soon as make manifest the alertness of thy mind. And yet I reach home from school, while the assignment and let all this be without affectation. (Continued on page 2)
