How to Study

“Education is an opportunity, nothing more. It will not guarantee success, or happiness, or contentment, or riches. Everything depends upon what development is produced by it and what use is made of it. It does not mean morality or usefulness. It may make a man more capable of doing harm in the world, for an educated scoundrel is clearly more dangerous than an ignorant one.””

— George Fillmore Swain

“In its broadest sense, the question to be considered is, "How to Investigate a Problem." In doing this the first step is to get together all available information regarding the problem, including books, experimental data and results of experience, and to consider and digest this material. Personal investigations and inquiry, further experimental research, correspondence, travel, etc., may then be necessary. This will be based, however, in general, upon a study of books, and with this part of the subject we are here particularly concerned.””

— George Fillmore Swain

“A wise man knows an ignorant one, because he has been ignorant himself, but the ignorant cannot recognize the wise, because he has never been wise."”

— George Fillmore Swain

“He is to master the book, the book is not to master him.””

— George Fillmore Swain

“The true beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline."”

— George Fillmore Swain

“The man just above the line passes, and the man just below the line fails.””

— George Fillmore Swain

“The student is not an empty vessel to be pumped full of learning; he is a complex machine which education should help to run properly.””

— George Fillmore Swain

“It is not what is read or what is remembered, but only what is understood, that gives power,””

— George Fillmore Swain

“when young children in school recite poetry at class-day exercises, it is almost certain that they do not understand the meaning of many of the words they use. Thus, it happens that they come into the habit of using words and phrases without carefully examining their meanings. This tendency should be counteracted from the earliest stage. The child should be continually asked the meanings of words which it uses, and should be encouraged itself to inquire as to those meanings and to take the proper mental attitude. The use of the dictionary should be insisted upon even from an early age, the object being to avoid the formation of the habit of using words or phrases unintelligently, which is one of the worst habits that one can acquire.””

— George Fillmore Swain