The CHEM AWA AMERICAN
Page 2
CHEMAWA^)AMERICAN
»
... LU..I» HUiimiMIMMiMIlMlMM^^
HHiUHIIIUMWWilWmNHMIMIIfflllMIMmMR^^
Published Weekly at the U. S. Indian School, Chexnawa
Oregon. Address all communications to
Ruthyn Turney, Manager
ah iiiiiiimi Mill
mil
ml 11 il II it. it fl I ititf f<lil
Subscription
I IM II UM IM4 miii u h , ujmuuuiu tminii him twin um umi iimj mhimmmmii Main a Hitt himimiihmiimmimimimm
FW Wif Ivvlt Fl MIA WIFW W FW • > WW< FFWFt^to of <f I MW1WW* 11I.1 WWl Fi to m
< Will
F^Tl IAM* H ir
.......
60 Cts per Annum
HOW TO STUDY
(Continued from page 1)
classroom discussion is still fresh in my memory. I
find, too, that lean master the most difficult subjects
easier at this time than by waiting until later in the
evening when I am mentally tired.
3. Alternate your periods of study with periods of
relaxation.
It is just as hard to concentrate the attention on one
topic without wandering off to another as it is to keep
the eyes fixed upon one point for any length of time
If the eyes have become tired of gazing at one thing,
the proper rest for them is not necessarily to close the
eyes. Letting the gaze shift to other objects is just as
restful. Periods of work must be succeeded by inter
vals of rest and recreation, because mind wandering is
merely Nature’s protest against continued effort.
Therefore, take a hint from Nature and allow for
these periods of inactivity; decide for yourself that
you need a period of rest and don’t let Nature decide
it for you by throwing you involuntarily into a state
of inattention. Spend your period of rest in one of
these ways: (a) relaxing completely for a while and
letting the mind wander; (b) pacing about the room;
(c) looking at a paper or a magazine; (d) reviewing
some familiar topic, or taking up some other work.
I warn you not to use these short rest periods to
read a novel, because it is apt to engross your interest
so as to make your mind unfit to return to its serious
tasks.
4. Don’t try to do more than one thing at the same
time.
This rule does not contradict what I said before about
shifting occasionally from one piece of work to some
thing else in order to rest the mind. I mean that the
thing you are attending to for the time being should
occupy your mind until you are familiar with it. Not
only is it inadvisable to think of anything else at the
same time, but it is absolutely disastrous to attention
to do so.
5. Eliminate all extraneous conditions which are
apt to distract your attention.
The purpose of this rule is to prevent “mind wan
dering” as the result of conditions which are within
our control. Some of these distracting elements are
noise in the room, heat or cold, lack of ventilation,
strained posture, physical fatigue and sluggishness.
Sluggishness comes after a heavy meal. When your
head begins to nod and your eyes to blink as you sit at
your studies in the evening, you may not be sleepy,
you may simply be sitting in a warm and stuffy room.
It is fresh air that you need and not sleep. It is
always a good rule to keep windows open. In study
ing under artificial light beware of eye-strain. It
inflicts a continuous strain on the brain and on the
whole nervous system, which depresses the vigor and
the mental action. Always read or study with the
light falling over the left shoulder onto the book or
paper. As for study after physical exercise, it maybe
said that when the body is tired the mind is tired and
study is futile. But light physical exercise improves
circulation and is a good means of relaxation after a
period of concentration.
6. Learn to organize what you are studying.
You have undoubtedly found in the course of your
work that a multitude of facts are presented to you,
both essential and non-essential—facts varying in de
grees of importance. Some text-books make it a prac
tice by indicating some of the essential facts with
capitals, heavy type, italics, etc., but this is not
always done, and in that case you must decide
for yourself.
Try to pick out the important points
in your assignment.
It is difficult, so think it
out! Grasp its meaning and its relation to the fact
to which it applies.
When you concentrate your
mind upon a topic and think about it, you are putting
all your mental might on it and you are learning and
remembering its meaning. But when you can come
to class and recite briefly upon a topic, you have
learned to organize what you have been studying; that
is, you have learned to pick the essential facts of your
assignment. Then, subordinate the non-essential facts
to it.
7. Give more time to the more difficult points.
It is human nature to be always looking for what
seems to be the easiest task, because there is a good
deal more pleasure in doing what is easy. Don’t get
into the habit of trying to learn the easy points first,
and leaving the more difficult ones to be taken up at
the end. You may be too tired after going over the
easier sections to be in the condition necessary to ap
prehend what you have left for the end. If Ancient
History, or Botany, or Algebra, or English, or what
ever your hardest subject is, you will do yourself
justice if you will spend a little extra time on it.
8. Be enthusiastic about your work.
Without enthusiasm your study is forced and un
pleasant, and your efforts wasted. Study with a view
of making use of your knowledge, or your mental
training in post school days, for the attainment of
wealth, position, or fame. Know that in thinking out
problems and questions, you are equipping yourself
with driving power that can be transferred to other
active spheres. With this object in view, your studies
will become more vital and interesting, and above all,
you will be surprised at the results of your work.
Study that is pleasant becomes reflexive and can be
assimilated much faster.