Have you read severely with little or nothing to show for it? Are you now wondering whether reading is meant for you or just for some bright chaps out there? Have you once wondered like me, why some students always struggle with reading while few others unremittingly excel at it? If you are in this category, I sincerely bless God for you dear. At least you are able to recognize your job as a student.

Some students are "ghost workers"! They fail to do their job as students forgetting that they are paid to be students! I will say it again: the primary job of the student is to study and make good grades. All others are secondary. Please dear friend, know that it is your responsibility to study as a student. You are paid to study as a student! It is your job. You should not be reminded or compelled or threatened or even supervised to do so. Most high-flying students know this and do it. Anytime you fail to do this job, you become a ghost worker; getting paid without doing your job.

I'd like to begin by saying that you have no problem dear friend. Now there are two sides to this matter; it is either that you didn't read at all or that you actually assimilated what you read but it was very little. Now listen to this: reading is different from looking. You can look at your book without reading it, but you can't read without assimilating something from all you have read. It is simply like eating, you can't say you ate without swallowing something. And just like reading is different from looking, eating is also different from chewing. Here’s my clear argument: most times when students say they read without assimilating, they were only looking (chewing) and not reading (eating); for just as you can't eat without swallowing; it is also not possible to read without assimilating.
So I ask: were you reading or merely looking? To read, you have to look with your eyes and interpret with your mind. If your mind is absent in reading, you are just looking. Reading is a game of the mind; if your mind is not present you will lose the game.

At other times, you actually read and assimilated little owing to some factors I will briefly expose. The temptation is usually to conclude that you didn't assimilate anything at all, than admitting that you assimilated very little. Now, there are certain factors that affect assimilation or impede understanding. When you know these factors and respect them, you may never complain of reading and not assimilating again. Here are some of them...
1. Environment. The place where you stay to read can pose a challenge to your understanding the material. Noisy, rowdy, stuffy and hot environments are not favourable for reading. Use places that are cool, well ventilated and quiet when you want to read. Most academic texts require a quiet place and a 'friendly' time to understand it well. The environment can either make or mar your reading. Always be mindful of the environment you stay to read so that you don’t waste your time unnecessarily.

2. Level of assimilation. Listen to this: every student has a peculiar level of assimilation depending on his I.Q, memory and reading duration. So you have a particular level of assimilation that determines how much you can understand after reading. Your level of assimilation can be poor, average or high. When it is poor, it will slow your rate of assimilation and make you understand so little after spending much time. Are you like this? Don't worry so much! The good news is that it can increase. Your level of assimilation grows as your reading duration grows. Engage more in reading and it will increase. You can improve your level of assimilation by tasking your brain.

3. Content material. Every book you read has a content material. By content material, I mean “the kind, nature, level and quality of information available and accessible in a book”. The content material can be simple, technical, figurative or even esoteric. When the content material is not simple, it will take you more effort and concentration to be able to understand the text. That is not a problem, it's only a principle. Some materials require patience and time to assimilate. Note: it is neither a curse nor a crime to read a book more than once! Most students think the other way. Some books may not be easily understood when you read it just for the first time. Be patient enough to read it again. It does not mean you are a dullard. Always find out the content material of the book you are reading...
4. State of your body. Another factor that affects your assimilation is your body condition. When your body is weak, over stressed or tired, your rate of assimilation will be greatly reduced. When you are hungry or feeling sleepy, in short whenever your body is not comfortable for reading, assimilation is jeopardized. Ensure that your body condition is normal and appropriate for reading. Ensure that your body is alert and active whenever you want to read. Try to do some exercise before you begin reading, especially in the midnight when you wake up to read or at evenings when you have grown weak by virtue of the day’s activities.


5. Memory. Your memory can also affect your assimilation when you read. There are two kinds of memory (long term and short term memories), and according to my personal classification, four types of memories (weak, normal, strong and super strong memories). Your ‘type’ of memory determines the rate of assimilation and the ‘kind’ of memory where it is sent to will determine how well you remember it after reading. How often you read the material determines the kind of memory where it enters.
So let me ask you: when you complain that you easily forget after reading, like how many times do you read it and still forget? When your ‘type’ of memory is weak or normal, your assimilation process will be slow. So check your memory also. Memory can also be improved and upgraded as it is used frequently. Can give you more points on this later…

6. Timing. A lot of students are yet to understand and appreciate the place of timing in their reading. The truth is: not every time is a good time for reading. There is time for everything under the heavens says the Holy Writ. Every student has a time that is most suitable for reading and it varies from student to student. Identify your time and use it. When you study at the wrong time, you will assimilate very little. Know the time your brain is most active and ready for studies and use that period of the day. Have you not wondered why some students study only late at nights and still make excellent results? It's because they have discovered themselves. You too must discover yourself academically!

Please permit me to stop here. But remember that your resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing! You can break free from all these reading limitations and soar high in your academics if you can become tenacious in your will to succeed. Those challenges will definitely bow when you persevere in your efforts. The test to reading and not understanding is to read more. You can never solve your reading challenges by avoiding or shying away from reading. Give yourself a little break and return again with greater zeal and passion to know.
Remember, it is an error to say that you read but did not understand anything at all, except you were only looking like me…

P:S. Do you think I have not addressed your personal challenge about reading in this article? Then poke me and let’s get talking… You are the only one who can limit your academic greatness by your laziness and reluctance to reading. Let me help you break off…

Yours truly motivational,
The Academic Coach

[color=#990000][/color]But sincerely ASUU HAS BITTEN MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW!

I think the Federal Government has shown them enough respect!

It's time to face the music...

"Part of the agreement dwelt on funding of universities where both parties agreed that each federal university should get at least N1.5trillion between 2009 and 2011 while state universities, within the same period, should receive N3.6 million per student."

This is outrageously ridiculous!
ASUU MUST BE OUT OF THEIR MINDS....[b][/b]

shortgun: So what are they saying

This write-up is supposedly coming from professors, doctors,phd holders e.t.c, yet one cannot make sense of the article.

I've always said, the problems of Education in Nigeria is with the Lecturers and managers of our Universities.

How come the road side mechanics,bricklayers,carpenters are able to train their apprentices to become experts and in turn train others, yet our lecturers with their doctorate degrees n ph.ds cannot produce a graduate who can create job for himself not to talk of creating employment for others.

This is really pathetic if what you claim is true! If you can't get anything from this post, then you're in utter jeopardy!
Are you sincerely saying the truth about yourself or are you just beefing?
I can help you explain it but not in the exam hall oh!

The university is writing through the deputy registrar to formally and official separate herself from, declare that she is not in support of, and disconnect herself from the publication of one of her post graduate students. She states that the publication [owing to the attentions it is generating on such a sensitive and controversial issue as gay marriage] has no connection with the student's academic program and thus not part of his academic research. They wish to inform the general public that the student is not writing for them nor expressing their position on the issue; therefore the university is withdrawing her reputed image from such unfounded publication.

I'm sorry I don't know how long I can do this for you! I think you'll need special lessons to improve on this deficiency.
Well, there's hope for you cos all is not lost, at least you could recognise that it's post, only that you couldn't make anything out of it.
But from your comment, you seem to be literate? I'm just wondering and pondering on so many things about you now!


Anyway, I wish you luck!

[quote author=Beey][/quote]


"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2).


"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," (Hebrews 10:26).

[b][/b]"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4).

Case closed!

Let's keep our fingers crossed...


This seasonal film is getting preposterous!

To me,

THIS IS A CAPITAL DIPLOMATIC CONDOLENCE TO OUR COMATOSE GOVERNMENT!

I rest my case...

eddiebruk:

I hope someday you will get a Government Job and be underpaid so that you will know what it means to get the standard of education that gave you the Job without getting the necessary salary, compared to what the senators share annually who should earn more...?

What exactly do you mean by being underpaid? Pls state facts, how much is a senior university lecturer paid? ASUU is not even contesting their basic salary but one selfish 'earned allowance' of N87 billion. They still want govt to implement the N400 billion NEEDS proposal. Let's all be rational for once...

*ASUU AND THE PURPORTED N87 BILLION SAGA*
We are talking about 'earned
allowances' only not basic salary. Sorry if I should enquire deeper, allowance for what? Sorting, sleeping with students, marginalizing and frustrating students, bribery, making handouts and textbooks compulsory or what ? Let's be sincere with ourselves, the average Nigerian lecturer teaches at most 3 courses and at least 1 course per semester. Outside this and marking scripts, what else do they do?
One common argument we have taken to in order to justify this 'extortive demand', is the issue of law makers and politicians receiving bogus salaries that are rather 'hilarious' else where. To this I say:

I can see our reasoning indeed! We are looking at the possibility of how to cut down the huge and gigantic sums political office holders receive and most of you here are using it as a strong premise to permit wrong! So an evil perpetrated should be used to usher in more?
Come to think of this: most of our
arguments here are grossly unwielded and overwhelmingly fallacious! So everyone should go ahead and demand huge allowances? We seem not to be reasoning alongside the progress of the nation. Taken the ebb that our political office holders are corrupt and selfishly greedy doesn't translate that the respectable gentlemen and ladies of the academia who're the quintessence of knowledge and erudition should follow suit. They should point the way out of the ugly tide rather than encouraging or adding to it. Should they succeed in 'amassing' this N87 billion from the nation's treasury, every other sector and body will also proceed to demand theirs and it will only end up in a spree of unrestrained laziness! - this is the consequence lurking behind this over ambitious demand from ASUU.
No one has attempted to give a
substantial and plausible argument to debunk the previous one I raise (Remember it's only allowances oh. Not the NEEDS again or even their basic salary that they're negotiating). The only forthcoming reason I get here is that because these corrupt political office holders are looting the nation, lectures should also join this repugnant trend. I will ask again: when will wrongs translate into right? How will committing more offences prevent crimes?
Pls let's all reason. We're not reasoning along the parameters of change! And mind you, I only sought for our reasons and not our insults! It goes to show how lazily clumsy and unscrupulous most of us could be!

*ASUU AND THE PURPORTED N87 BILLION SAGA*
The Federal Government has agreed to invest into the educational sector, to the tune of N400 billion to tackle the NEEDS issue which covers the universities' infrastructure and basic modern facilities!
www.nairaland.com/1402646/jonathan-approves-n400bn-varsities

Outside this, the Suswan-led committee has also raised another N100 billion to further assist in achieving this objective. I strongly believe that the govt is playing their part well to improve the system, except that greed and selfish ambition on the part of some 'related parties' to which ASUU is not exempted, has hindered the truth and progress of govt's effort. The N87 billion is entirely outside this NEEDS requirement and has nothing to do with it. It's just for the greedy stomachs of the rich elites of the university system. We should try and see these facts before rising ahead to entirely condemn the govt! It's always easy to condemn but hard to amend...

*ASUU AND THE PURPORTED N87 BILLION SAGA*
We are talking about 'earned
allowances' only not basic salary. Sorry if I should enquire deeper, allowance for what? Sorting, sleeping with students, marginalizing and frustrating students, bribery, making handouts and textbooks compulsory or what ? Let's be sincere with ourselves, the average Nigerian lecturer teaches at most 3 courses and at least 1 course per semester. Outside this and marking scripts, what else do they do?
One common argument we have taken to in order to justify this 'extortive demand', is the issue of law makers and politicians receiving bogus salaries that are rather 'hilarious' else where. To this I say:

I can see our reasoning indeed! We are looking at the possibility of how to cut down the huge and gigantic sums political office holders receive and most of you here are using it as a strong premise to permit wrong! So an evil perpetrated should be used to usher in more?
Come to think of this: most of our
arguments here are grossly unwielded and overwhelmingly fallacious! So everyone should go ahead and demand huge allowances? We seem not to be reasoning alongside the progress of the nation. Taken the ebb that our political office holders are corrupt and selfishly greedy doesn't translate that the respectable gentlemen and ladies of the academia who're the quintessence of knowledge and erudition should follow suit. They should point the way out of the ugly tide rather than encouraging or adding to it. Should they succeed in 'amassing' this N87 billion from the nation's treasury, every other sector and body will also proceed to demand theirs and it will only end up in a spree of unrestrained laziness! - this is the consequence lurking behind this over ambitious demand from ASUU.
No one has attempted to give a
substantial and plausible argument to debunk the previous one I raise (Remember it's only allowances oh. Not the NEEDS again or even their basic salary that they're negotiating). The only forthcoming reason I get here is that because these corrupt political office holders are looting the nation, lectures should also join this repugnant trend. I will ask again: when will wrongs translate into right? How will committing more offences prevent crimes?
Pls let's all reason. We're not reasoning along the parameters of change! And mind you, I only sought for our reasons and not our insults! It goes to show how lazily clumsy and unscrupulous most of us could be!

I raised a similar issue in a thread on FB and it has been generating controversies and insults rather than pragmatic ideas and answers.
I want to introduce it on Nairaland so that our Nairalanders can have their say and give their reactions and thoughtful suggestions...

*ASUU AND THE PURPORTED N87 BILLION SAGA*
Pls let's reason together as
adults and rational beings, N87
wholesome billion naira for just 'earned allowances'? Does it not sound ridiculous? It's no longer NEEDS again, it's now 'earned allowances'. This is outside their basic salary oh! I mean, ASUU should be more reasonable. Is it for only teaching or also for inventing, production, fighting, defense and the rest. If ASUU doesn't call off the strike, then they're just being unnecessarily SELFISH! I believe I've spoken the students' mind. What do you think? (NO INSULTS AND ABUSES PLS.)

Science has so many limitations...
Science cannot define life nor explain it's orgin. All scientific theories about the life, including Darwin's evolutionism are all full of obvious loopholes.
Science cannot say nor explain the cause of death nor when life ever began. These facts will continue to be elusive for as long as the world remains. They are transcendental and point to the existence of that being, the greater than which cannot be conceived.
No one knows when he will die, how he will die, where he will die or why he will die! But remember:
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:27-28).

Embrace Jesus today and secure your eternity...

I strongly believe the grace of this great man of God. Boko Haram is in hot soup! Mark it, serious calamity awaits them. God honours the words of His servants...

Check very well... Be careful, you might find some animals running out of her hair.