STUDY IN THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM 577 



six days a week would mean that each lecture and class of a fourteen- 

 hour-per-week schedule would be accompanied by one hour and a half 

 of preparation; college teaching would be paradise if two thirds of that 

 time were regularly given to study by every student. Should we not, 

 then, ponder a little before we glibly sacrifice to " college life " this 

 wonderful, but really easy, opportunity to introduce young men to the 

 world's wisdom, to create a habit of thoughtfulness, and to teach the 

 secret of work? A moment ago we were admitting the possibility of 

 benefit from the better sort of non-intellectual college activities, but 

 the unvarnished truth is that a large proportion of our college shirks 

 do not spend their time in such commendable ways; most of them 

 devote it to aimless idleness and not a few to downright vice. One of 

 the greatest reasons, therefore, why these young fellows should be kept 

 steadily at their studies, regardless of the nature of the knowledge 

 acquired, is that those four precious years between the a*ges of eighteen 

 and twenty-two are, for many, life's last obvious opportunity to conquer 

 the demon of laziness. And it may be true, too, that a little more 

 study will act as a deterrent to other vices. 



The pity of it all is that the delightful accessories should crowd out 

 what was once thought the chief business of educational institutions. 

 But a renaissance of the old belief in the worth of intellectual endeavor 

 and in the power of wisdom seems to be coming; there would appear 

 to be a revival of the antiquated tendency to admire the college admin- 

 inistration which declares roundly that the young man who has no 

 taste for knowledge and no desire for intellectual power will not be 

 allowed to waste four years of their time and his — a recrudescence of 

 the old doubt about the wisdom of retaining in college those who will 

 not respond to the demands of a severe intellectual standard, since it 

 is quite uncertain whether such an experience does the trifler a world 

 of good, and altogether likely that his presence does his comrades con- 

 siderable harm. 



At any rate, those who take the honest view of the intellectual life 

 of a college need hardly worry at present about the defense of their 

 position; they need only to proclaim their faith and await results. 

 If they are not rewarded by a distinct increase in the respect felt for 

 them by the community, they may then begin to doubt the wisdom of 

 their choice. Meantime it is important for them to seek to impress 

 more clearly upon their students the value and charm of hard mental 

 labor. Some youngsters may have to take this value on faith for a 

 time; but, even so, we need not wait for these lofty young gentlemen 

 to begin hard work of their own spontaneous choice. Diligence and 

 interest, however, are likely to come hand in hand; where there is a 

 high standard set there is apt to be developed sufficient comprehension 

 of the subject to make it interesting, and interest spurs to effort. After 



