When I first realized that the taking the Graduate Record Exam © was on my horizons, I trembled a good bit. As my friends burned, sold, and threw away their textbooks after finals, I ordered two test preparation books and settled down for two months of math, reading, and writing prep. It was in the midst of my math study doldrums that Tom Grosh IV [Associate Director of the Emerging Scholars Network] asked me to consider writing a post about preparing to take the exam. I told him I would brainstorm some ideas, but I honestly couldn’t think of anything I’d have to talk about. My draft post would have consisted of a lengthy stream of consciousness about what it feels like to look out at a beautiful summer’s day, to see children flocking to the river, and to stare a math problem in the face. (No worries, I’ll spare you the pain of reading that!) But the Lord re-fined my understanding of faithfulness in the midst of preparing for my standardized test. What was most important through all of this, I realized, was that this process was about remaining faithful to the Lord, and His remaining faithful to me. [Read more…] about Faithfulness In the Preparation
studying
Quote: Simone Weil on Studying
The Week in Review is taking a vacation during the month of August, so that Tom and Mike can focus on preparing for the upcoming academic year. In its place, we’ll be posting good quotes on the connection between faith, life, and learning. If you have a good quote, share it with us in the comments or by emailing it to Mike. Thanks!
Simone Weil on school studies, from Waiting for God (HT: Academic Faithfulness blog)
Students must therefore work without any wish to gain good marks, to pass examinations, to win school successes; without any reference to their natural abilities and tastes; applying themselves equally to all their tasks, with the idea that each one will help to form in them the habit of that attention which is the substance of prayer… To make this the sole and exclusive purpose of our studies is the first condition to be observed if we are to put them to the right use.
The second condition it to take great pains to examine squarely and to contemplate attentively and slowly each school task in which we have failed, seeing how unpleasing and second rate it is, without seeking any excuse or overlooking any mistake or any of our tutor’s corrections, trying to get down to the origin of each fault. There is a great temptation to do the opposite… Most of us do this nearly always. We have to withstand this temptation.