15
STUDY WITH THOSE WHO KNOW BETTER THAN YOU DO
When I was at high school, studying was quite difficult for me. The reason like you may know is the position factor. Students were less likely to share their knowledge because they assumed you’d be a threat to the position they were seeking. There is this selfish nature around students at high school. But I observed students too who studied together and I noticed that they did far better than independently. I noticed that the best students in class then often hanged around themselves.
I never had a reading partner at high school so I did not know how beneficial this was. I had studied all by myself and struggled with my deficiencies. My high-end classmates wouldn’t share their knowledge with those at the lower half of the class so it only took the very determined student at the bottom half to compete against the top. I was determined enough to face the challenge.
When I admitted into the university, I thought the university was more like the high school where the number one spot was for a limited one person. I made a couple of friends but these persons were actually more dependent on me. Sincerely, they were a drag. I shared the little I knew with them but I never got anything in return. They took from me but never gave. My result was disastrous. The saddening truth was that they had better results than I did. They didn’t keep me as their only friend, they had other students in class who they also tapped knowledge from. They ended up getting more and knowing more than I did in my little corner.
After going through a difficult first year, I decided I was going to look out for the better students in class. At least after the first year, students began to note the more serious and brilliant students in class. I noted them too. I began to court them. They were far better than me at how they studied. I wasn’t even a good student.
I began to look out for ways to associate with them. I would often go visiting their apartments and ask questions about one or two sums even when I knew the solution. That initial time, they’d say Eke not you, you should know this. I’d feel ashamed but I’d accept it anyway. I observed that each of them that I ran too had a special way they solved mathematical problems. They each studied differently and each had their set of students they influenced. They’d influence me too I agreed with my spirit.
Every time assignments was given, I’d first try my hands on them and then run around each of these better students to see how they go about the problem which they did in a much different way than myself. They’d put me through their way but I never copied their work. By the time I’ve ran around 3 or 4 persons, I’d turn to my private study and look through the work of these grade A students. These Students were considered too good to make mistakes but I needed to be an original too.
I combined procedures and with personal study, I got my own original solutions which I thought was better. I often assumed that there was chance they could make mistakes which they sometimes made. My result transformed. From hardly scoring Bs to making straight As, it was astounding. Those friends thought I was like them because they see my original work. They never knew I had taken ideas from them.
Why I’m sharing this personal experience is to let you know that those who want to fly like the eagle first learn to flock with the eagles. While there could be lone stars, stars don’t shine brightly alone. They shine brighter in combination with other stars. Most students are shy to share their academic problems with their peers. They keep their challenges bottled up inside them and regret afterwards that they never asked for help when they should have.
I knew a couple of mates who were not even average students but because they associated with those who knew better than they did, they got through the university. Those who thought they were too big to mingle had their wings broken and many of them had a year or two extras.
I discovered the power of association with an acquaintance of mine who kept to himself and never engaged any meaningful academic interaction with our mates. He never mingled and he was singled out for bad grades. He never asked questions and answers never arrived. Yes, he might have had confidence about his own ability but iron has to sharpen iron. No iron becomes sharp by itself.
I learnt from his mistakes and you too can learn. Don’t try to sharpen yourself by yourself. It won’t work. You will need another sharp object to sharpen a blunt you. A major quality that must be associated with this process is humility and patience. Its tough having your mate put you through something you should know by yourself and your mate could even decide to put you on wait. It happens and has happened to me a lot of times. You know what you want and that person carries it, just be patient to get it from that person.
The kind of person you associate with at school have the capacity to either make you into a high flying student or make you into a low going chap. All those I looked up to made the top cadre of the class and I joined them. I wasn’t the best but I learnt to associate with them and I joined their ranks. If you roam with mediocre, you’d certainly end up as one.