be of little
value to him. If, relying upon the judgment of those who prescribe the
curriculum as necessary or desirable for the object which he has in
view, he cannot persuade himself that they have value for him or make
himself take an interest in them, it would probably be better for him
to drop them even though he may thereby become a special student in the
school or lose his degree. A degree which simply means slipshod,
unintelligent and uninterested study of a considerable number of
subjects embraced in the curriculum, is verily a "scrap of paper" not
worth having. If you wish to concentrate your entire attention upon
certain subjects in which {49} you take an active interest you may
become proficient in those, but you may become very narrow minded and
altogether lacking in that all-around breadth of view which comes from
the cultivation of other subjects which well informed men consider
necessary.

(_b_) INSIST UPON FIRST CLEARLY FORMULATING THE PROBLEM, IF ONE IS
BEFORE YOU.--Many students literally do not know what they are doing,
because they neglect this injunction, which is a necessary corollary of
the necessity of forming definite ideas. Do not proceed to endeavor to
solve the problem until it is clearly formulated, no matter how long it
may take. See what the data of the problem are, whether definite or
not, and what is required. See also how variations of the data, if
indefinite, would affect the result.

(_c_) WORK INDEPENDENTLY OF OTHERS.--Solve your own difficulties and
welcome them. Do not expect things to be easy. You will never gain
strength by being shown, but only by the exercise of your own unaided
powers. Therefore, do everything for yourself, so far as possible.
Seek only _suggestions_ from your teacher, when you need help, except
in regard to mere matters of fact, which you could not be expected to
{50} reason out. Let the suggestions be as slight as possible.

If you have problems assigned, solve them entirely by yourself, even if
you make mistakes. Then, when those mistakes are pointed out, consider
them with great care and discover the causes for them, and _remedy
them_, so that you will not again make the same mistake or one
analogous to it. You should delight in discovering difficulties which
give you an opportunity to test and increase your strength and so avoid
future errors. In the same way, examinations should be welcomed, not
dreaded. The teacher does not mark yo