if i were a freshman again 1

1、IfIWereaFreshmanagainThomasArkleClarkItisthehabitofagetogivesageadvicetoyouth.Oneofthepastimesinwhicheveryoneperiodicallyindulgesisthepleasanthallucinationthatifheweregiventheopptunitytolivehisyouthoveragainhewoulddoitdi

2、fferentlymesuccessfully.Weareallofuseventhoughwehavenomethanreacheddleagegiventoregrettingourneglectedopptunitiesourlostyouth.Itgivesoneavirtuousfeelinginimaginationtododgeallerrbutitisextremelydoubtfulifmanyofusevenifwe

3、hadasecondchancewouldavoidmanyofthepitfallsintowhichwestumbledfollowastraighterpaththanthatbywhichwehavesofarcome.Ifitismerelypleasantfustoconjecturewhatweshoulddoifwehadasecondtryatititmaybeprofitablefthosewhoareyounger

4、tolisten.Ifonlyfesightcouldbeasaccurateasthebackwardview!WkFewerHoursIfIwereafreshmanagainIshouldnotwksomanyhoursasIdid.IputinenoughhourswithmybooksinmyhsbutIdidnotaccomplishmuch.Ihadlittleconcentration.ManystudentswhomI

5、knewIwasoneofthisstspentagreatdealoftimeingettingreadytowk.Withabookinhtheylookoutofthewindowatthecloudsattheprettygirlspassingalongthestreetallthetimetheydeceivethemselveswiththeideathattheyarewking.Manyaneveningwhenthe

6、wkwasheavyIwoulddeterminetobeginearlygetitoverwithbutIcouldspendhalfanhourinarrangingmybooksgettingmyselfseatedinacomftablechair.AllthistimeIimaginedIwaswking.IspentasmuchtimeingoadingmyselfontodutiesthatIshouldhaveliked

7、toshirkingettingreadytowkasIdidinactuallab.IfIwereafreshmanIshouldplanmywkIshouldtrytodevelopconcentration―Ishouldwkharderbutnotsolong.LearntoWkwithPeopleaboutMeIshouldlearntowkwithpeopleaboutme.AsitwasIlivedasomewhatiso

8、latedlife.Ididmyreadingmystudyingalonethoughthereweresomeadvantagesinthismethodtherewereseriousobjections.NowImustoftenwkunderdifferentconditionsthanthosebywhichIwassurroundedincollegethereiswktobedonewherethereisnoquiet

9、Idoitwithdifficulty.AsItriedonacrowdedoceansteamertoputtheseweringthoughtsonpaperIwasconstantlyannoyedbytheconfusionaboutmebythespasmodicattemptsatconversationmadebyawellintentionedbutmisguidedyoungmanatmyside.IfIhadlear

10、nedtowkunderdifferentconversationsImighthaveturnedtheconversationasideasasteeproofshedstherain.Ibelieveitisagreatadvantagefayoungmantodohiswkhimselfbutheshouldnotsubjecthimselftotheslaveryofdoingitalone.TakeMeDifficultWk

11、IshouldtakeasafreshmanifIhadmywktodooveragainmewkthatIhavenospecialfondnessfthatIfinddifficult.IlikeaneasytimeaswellasanyoneIdonotwishtogivetheimpressionthatIthinkitanerrfastudenttofollowtheprofessionheenjoystodothewkhel

12、ikes.InpointoffactIbelievethatastudentshouldchoosethoselinesofwkalongwhichhistastesleadhim.IthinkitverylikelythatthosethingswedomosteasilyweshalldobestbutIhavefoundthattrainingcomesthroughstrugglethatthosepeoplearedevelo

13、pedmostwhoresistmostwhostruggleagainstdifficultyoppositionovercome.Ihadknownagoodmanygeniusesbuttheygenerallyhadthemostcommonplacecareersbecausetheyneverlearnedtododifficultdisagreeablethings.Studentscomeintomyofficeever

14、ydaywhowanttogetoutofwktoasubjecttocutaclassexercisefnobetterreasonthanthattheyfindthedutydifficulttheinstructthesubjectdull.Muchofthewkoflifeisnotpleasant.HalfthethingsIamfcedtododuringthebusydaysofthecollegeyearareunpl

15、easantthingsthingsIdislikedoing.IhavebeenfcedtolearntogivethesethingsmybestattentionwhetherIlikethemnot.IwishIhadlearnedinmyfreshmanyeartodomesuchthings.JustyesterdayasIwassittingatthebreakfasttabletalkingtoayoungfreshma

16、ninwhomIhavearathervitalinterestastonextyearscourseIsuggestedasubjectwhichIthoughtgoodfhimtotake.“Isiteasy“washisfirstquestionwhenIansweredinthenegativehisinterestwaned.Inthewldinwhichwemustintimewktherearefeweasyroadsfe

17、wsnapcourses.Weshallbefcedtodoagreatmanyhardthings.IfIwereafreshmanIshouldlearntodosuchthingsearly.BecomeAReadySpeakerLikeagreatmanypeopleIsupposeIamnotnowdoingthewkthatasacollegestudentIplannedtodo.Iaminnosenseafatalist

18、butIamconvincedthatmenhavetheirwkchosenfthemquiteasoftenastheythemselveschooseit.IfIhadsupposedthatIshouldbecalledupontospeakonthemostunfeseenoccasionsuponthemostunfamiliartopicsIshouldhavegivenmyselfwhileincollegethepra

19、cticewhichIbelieveisthemethodeveryonemustemployifheistobecomeareadyspeaker.Ihavelearnedthatsoonerlatereveryintelligentmaniscalleduponpubliclytoexpresshisideasnomatterhowabundantthesethoughtsmaybehewillsuffermuchpainhavel

20、ittlesuccessunlesshehashadprettyregularpersistentpractice.IranacrossanoldclassmatelastspringanengineerofnolittlereputewhomIhadnotmetsincethedayofourgraduation.“Howwouldyouchangeyourcourse“Isaidtohimexpectingthathewouldlo

21、ngfmemathematics“ifyouhaditalltodooveragain““IshouldlearntowriteIshouldlearntospeak“heanswered“Ishouldbeginasafreshman.AsitwasIavoidedeveryopptunitytodoeitherwiththeideathatonlyministerslawyershaveneedofsuchpracticeIsuff

22、erfiteveryday.MyboyistobeanengineerbutIamgoingtoseethathedoesnotmakethemistakethatImade.“WhenIamcalleduponunexpectedlytospeakmykneesshakemyvoicefaltersthewdthatIlongfcomeswithdifficultyfailstocomeatallIagreewithmyclassma