Show CONSISTENCY IN UNIVERSITY WORK It has been asserted by some really great thinkers that a woman is the most inconsistent thing in the world This assertion should be modified to read that women and men students and instructors in universities are the most inconsistent inconsistent inconsistent in in- in consistent people in the world Of course cours our our- University is an exception to this rule but since it forms so small a part of the universal educational educational system we may disregard it and discuss discuss- conditions existing in the majority of schools In many universities the professors who bythe bythe by bythe the way are supposed to be logical beings with all their experience have not learned how much work either they or their students can do The majority of instructors think that a student can do thoroughly only from twenty to thirty hours hours- of class work and that he should give at least three hours of preparation to each class period They think too that students need more than two days' days time to do a thousand or so pages of outside reading They award two whole credits for nine hours of laboratory work which takes only hours to perform They assign the definite subjects for theses often more than two weeks before the theses are due Some instructors instruct instruct- ors even go so far as to advise students who are carrying or that is who are registered for only twenty-five twenty hours of work to drop part of it A few students are unwise enough to do this but the majority of them who naturally naturally- know their own abilities better than the professors refuse I to petition for less work and consequently most of them receive the splendid advantage o of a vacation vacation vacation va va- cation on the coast or in a hospital in their home towns Some students know by experience that they can register for and succeed in passing twenty- twenty five hours of work Of course under such conditions conditions conditions condi condi- they do not learn all that there is in their subjects they do not enjoy their work in the least they never have any time for recreation even though intellectually they are a bore to themselves and to their companions and yet they succeed in procuring passing marks marrs in ten tenor tenor tenor or twelve subjects Why in the name of consistency consistency consist consist- enc ency then do not all students follow these sterling sterling sterling ster ster- ling examples Is it worth while for students student to waste their time on only eighteen hours of work when they might get the credit if not knowledge for twenty-five twenty or thirty The peculiar feat feature re however of the American Ameri Ameri- can educational system is that the professors themselves do not realize their capacities It is natural that students should not fully appreciate their own abilities but why should instructors underrate themselves ves And yet they are constantly constantly con COIl trying to take fewer classes so that they may give more time to their students Only tenths eleven-tenths of the time is a professor too busy to stop and chat with a student never has stress of work prevented his holding a class seldom has he burned the midnight oil or fasted for want of time to eat never has he tried to hold four conferences at a time or two classes at the same time in different places Even though this shocking state of idleness exists throughout our colleges some educational leaders are pleading for even less work especially especial especial- ly for the students Perhaps the weary half sick faces of some students who are not doing a abit abit abit bit more than they can appeal to them perhaps the they think students should go to bed early should attend splendid lectures and the theatres tres oven though such entertainments do not come comei comein i in hi l any course should go occasionally to class meetings and chapel services Perhaps these men would like students to take first as many subjects and no more than they can master thor thor- In short they argue that nervous prostration prostration prostration pros pros- and superficial educations are on the whole detrimental Such a viewpoint however is too absurd for consideration Our great consolation consolation consolation con con- lies in the fact that the instructors and the majority of students in our University are too consistent and far sighted to adopt any such supposed improvements in our educational tem |