STUDENT GUIDE: How To Develop Interest In Studies

Studying for longer durations with due interest and motivation is key to success. Some students are found to be alert and active in their studies from the very beginning. They take due interest in their studies and participate in all the activities being carried out in the school. Besides regular studies, there are co-curricular activities like sport and games, exhibitions, debates, dramas, song or dance competitions, etc. There are some other students who are somewhat slow and lazy in their approach. They are often found to be lost in day-dreaming, wandering uselessly in the school premises as well as outside after the school hours.

There are many factors which influence students in adopting a dedicated and hard working approach towards their studies. It enables them in becoming meritorious in their exams and competitions. Socio- economic background of students and psychological understanding of their parents with regard to studies are the major differentiating factors found amongst students. Other general factors are with regard to their upbringing and atmosphere in the family, worries and tensions in the family, mutual relationships of the parents, financial and emotional support to the students, etc.

The way of upbringing and inspiration, values and fundamentals taught to children since early ages by their parents, elders and teachers play another key role in their success. This is how they adopt a positive and a respecting attitude towards their parents, their families, their teachers and their society. And they also start to value the importance of their education, hard work, discipline, honesty and success in life.

Learning is a slow and continuous process. Sound knowledge can be gained when it is studied, understood, learnt and remembered in small parts everyday. Hence, studying and learning during exam days without understanding much is in fact deceit yourself only. Many students even pass the exams with good marks also. But even in all such achievements the proper understanding of the subject matter has not taken place

Studying for a few days only just before the examination is also very injurious to health. Students go through intense mental and physical pressure during these days. It badly affects their nervous and digestive systems. Nervousness, confusion, headache, migraine, irritation, weariness in the eyes, examination fever, indigestion, acidity, ulcers, etc. are some of the common problems faced by the students. Some of the problems persist even after the exams and may also continue for the rest of their lives. So, not paying attention to studies from the very beginning can lead to a devastating and ruined future, both in terms of career as well as health aspects.

Moreover, the time once lost is lost forever. Once a class is passed, you cannot go back, restart and relearn. You have to move ahead only with whatever you have gained in the previous classes. And in the next upper class, you will find yourself in a more pitiable situation. It will now become more difficult for you to understand and learn the advanced topics and chapters. Previously, you had missed out on learning the techniques methodologies and ideas behind problem solving and their solutions. So, the emphasis should be more on learning your syllabus properly besides on scoring maximum marks and achieving higher grades.

Studying from the very beginning enables students to go through the same topics several times before attempting them in the exams. It exerts negligible pressure during the preparation days. Secondly, the succoeding chapters are based on the previous ones. Hence, they make more sense and result into better understanding as well as better performance in the exams. All the subjects are revised with a cool and relaxed state of mind during the whole year. Now, you can easily visualise your success and train your mind to feel confident about it. This technique of positive attitude is called 'Latent Learning'. In this way, your mind becomes alert and active and never feels any kind of fatigue which further enables it to give optimum performance throughout your life.

During the 20th century only, there has been an outburst of inventions researches and discoveries in every field of human existence. Its number has far exceeded all the previous inventions and it is also increasing rapidly with each passing day. For students, it means that they now have to devote extra time and efforts in their studies as compared to students some years back because they have to learn an increased number of inventions, discoveries and their techniques applicable till date. But, since limited with everyone, hence, speed for reading, writing and understanding will have to be increased tremendously.

Every student has their own capacity of reading, writing and learning. 'Rapid Reading' can give excellent results only when the mind is relaxed, and fresh to absorb new information. Otherwise, it would result into a mere simple reading without any analysis or grasping by the mind. To keep pace with the fast running world you will have to train your mind for reading and writing at an increased pace.

Rapid reading also alerts and sharpens the mind. Students become more active and aware in their daily routine activities also. Training of the mind should never be done according to any statistics available. But, it is more important to make a slow and steady start to it as per the current capacity of your own mind. The learning process will get better in this way only. Otherwise, the mind will again feel pressurised and tensions will surface.