CH 3: Why Boys Fail in College : Book 2

 CH # 3    Why Boys Fail in College

 

Word	Meaning	Synonyms
Academic	Relating to learning	Collegiate, scholarly,
Attempt	Try, effort	Attack, endeavor, pursuit
Native	Inherent	Innate, natural
Endeavor	Attempt to achieve something	Aim, effort, enterprise,
Nervous	Fearful	Afraid, agitated, timid, annoyed
Eradicate	Remove	Destroy, abolish, annihilate
Cultivate	Develop land for growing	Breed, fertilize, harvest
Smoother	Flowing	Continuous, effortless, easy
Fidgets	Move restlessly	Fret, twitch, jiggle
Distinction	feature	Characteristic, difference
Map Out	Arrange	Construct, decide, design
Adequate	Enough	Able, acceptable, capable
Compel	Force to act	Constrain, enforce, impel
Vigor	Power	Ability, capability, energy
Ambition	Strong desire for success	Appetite, spirit, enthusiasm
Detriment	Disadvantage	Damage, disability, drawback
Obliged	Bound	Compelled, duty-bound, enslaved
Spectacle	Something showy	Demonstration, scene, event

Introduction to the Essay:

Herbert E. Hawkes has written the present essay on the boys who join college, but cannot study and work well. He explores the causes of their failure in examinations and their bad health. It is strange that he has not talked about the failure of girls separately.

Answer the Questions:

Q1. According to the author, there are some boys who fail because they do not try. Who are they? Can we help them?

According to Herbert E. Hawkes, the boys who do not try and those who do not attend classes fail regularly. They waste their time. Yes, somehow, we can help them. We can ask them about their problems in studies and provide them help. BY stopping them from moving about in streets, we can cause them to sit and study.

Q2 How does mistaken ambition on the part of boys and their parents lead to the failure of the boys?

According to Herbert E. Hawkes, many parents do not consider the abilities of their children. The boys cannot exert fully and with keen interest. They have wrong hopes of success for them. They ask their boys to take up those subjects that they cannot study. The boys cannot study those subjects well and fail. The parents should consider the likes and abilities of their children.

Q3. There are some boys who have done well at school but fail to make their mark at college. Who are they? Do you have such boys in college in your country?

According to Herbert E. Hawkes, there are some bright students who did well at school. They come to college thinking that they can succeed without studying. They do not study regularly and fail in college badly. According to the writer, confidence is productive but overconfidence is destructive. We have such students in our colleges. They do not study regularly and have a wrong idea of their abilities.

Q4. How does financial pressure lead to the failure of students of students described in the lesson? DO you have similar cases in your country?

According to Herbert E. Hawkes, many boys desire much to study hard, but they are unable to do so because of their economic condition. They spend a lot of time doing extra work to generate money. They cannot buy proper books and pay for college expenses. They cannot study under this economic pressure and fail. We have many students who cannot study because of their poverty.

Q5. To what extent does the question of health lead to failure at college? How far can the college authorities with their medical officers help students in such cases?

In my opinion, a boy’s physical and mental bad health leads to his failure in college. The college authorities can arrange their cure with the help of the college doctor. They can bring the parents and the college authorities together for his treatment. They can help in regular medical checkups of the boy.

Q.6 What place would you accord to sportsmen in colleges?

Sportsmen and athletes do not generally study properly in college. They think that if they do well in sports, they will become famous without many studies. We should not let such sportsmen spoil the studies of other regular students. The writer proposes such students to become professionals and completely leave their studies.

Q7. There are some students who join the college for the fun of it? Should they be allowed to stay?

 Herbert E. Hawkes believes that those students who do not study and only waste their time and that of others should not be allowed to study in colleges. The writer says these lazy bluffers should be left at the mercy of society. They can work for other better purposes elsewhere.; For example, they can work in factories, workshops, and trade centers.