Saturday, February 3, 2024

Can We "Enjoy" Our Studies?

You know me. You know that I love to run, as I did today. Running can be one of the most important forms of physical exercise. 

Now maybe we can apply this to the mind as well. You see, studying is one of the most important forms of mental exercise. Sadly, school often kills the desire to learn by making learning painfully boring. Instead of learning just to memorize something, try to learn the "why." That's why in my Monday Greek classes, we'll always have a "devotional" or brief word study so that we can see the value of studying the language. Then, as the semester progresses, students will begin to fall into a pattern of behavior governed unconsciously by the repeated practices that have become part of their lives. Going to the gym or going on a run now is different than two years ago when I had to motivate myself to do the work. Now it's not even a conscious process. It's easy because I don't even think about it. It's not overwhelming because it's familiar and routine.

Are you a student? The key to enjoying it is to at first not enjoy it but consistently do it until some results show, which then provide yet another source of motivation to continue. You'll also have less distractions!