Why Boys Fail in College (Herbert E. Hawks)

Summary

In this essay, the writer Herbert E. Hawks describes various reasons of failure of college students. He describes the two types of boys who fail in college; the one who try and the other who do not try. The writer says that some students have got nervous habits which make them lose their concentration on studies.

The first reason for failure is mistaken ambition. The parents of the boys want them to study specific subjects for which they have no interest. The boys do not take interest in those subjects and fail. The writer emphasizes the college should play a role in education counseling of the students to minimize this type of failure.

Another type of boy who does not try is the very bright boy who has always done his schoolwork without effort, and who has never learned what real application is. He supposes that he can float through college with as little effort as he did through school.

The question of health, both physical and mental, is always one of the reasons for failure. The students face numerous health issue and their learning ability is affected. Some student The parents are even not ready to be serious in these conditions. The health issues should be addressed at the college level and awareness should be given to the parents.

Nowadays, when most ambitious boys want to go to college, the financial pressure is a very serious one. many boys are cast entirely on their own resources for their college expenses. And it is always to the detriment of their health, or the value of their education, or both. The burden of financial resources makes the students work hard on the cost of their education and health. 

There are students who join athletic and sports activities and absorb in them. They take more interest in sports and athletics and pay less attention to their studies. As a result, they have less time to prepare for their exams and they fail. A few lazy bluffers drift into college and usually drift out again. Most of them have not found any serious interest in life, and some of them never will. It is usually wise to let them retire to the cold world for a reason and find out by experience how much demand there is for a lazy bluffer

Questions Answers Notes

 Q. 1: According to the author there are some boys who fail because they do not try. Who are they? Can we help them?

  Ans: They are those boys who do not have any aim in life. They do not try to pass and fail. They join college just for fun. They should be guided towards the aim of their life as a student.

Q. 2: How do mistaken ambitions on the part of boys and their parents lead to the failure of the boys?

  Ans: Mistaken ambitions of the parents lead to the failure because the students do not take any interest in the subject chosen by their parents. They stop hard work in their studies. As a result, they fail.

Q. 3: 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?

  Ans: These are boys who are bright and intelligent but not hard working. They become overconfident and fail in college. Such boys could be found in the colleges of every country. Ours is no exception.

Q. 4: How does financial pressure lead to the failure of students described in the lesson? Do you have similar cases in your country?

  Ans: Poor students have to do some job to meet their educational expenses. This dual exertion affects both their health and studies and so they fail. Yes, we do have such cases in our country.

Q. 5: 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?

 Ans: Both physical and mental health is a very important factor for students. If a student is suffering from some disease, he can not concentrate on his studies. As a result, he fails.

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

  Ans: The main purpose of college is to impart education. Sportsmen should be given respectable position in the college. But they should not be allowed to neglect their studies at any cost.

Q. 7: There are some students who join the college for the fun of it. Should they be allowed to stay?

  Ans: Students who join the college for fun, they should not be allowed to stay because they can spoil other students as well.

Q. 8: Who are lazy bluffers? What should be done about them?

  Ans: Lazy bluffers are students who join college without any purpose. They should be left to the cold merciless world.

Q. 9: What should be the role of college dean?

  Ans: The college dean should be like a doctor. He should diagnose the cause of failure among the students. In this way, he can save the boys from failure through foolishness, sickness, and sin.

Q.10: Why is the proper cooperation needed between the teaching staff and the college doctor?

  Ans: It is necessary so that the boys are clinically examined regularly to maintain their physical and mental health.

Q.11: What are common diseases among college students?

  Ans: The common disease among college students are tuberculosis, bad tonsils, sleeping sickness, poor digestion and nervous forms of mental difficulties.

Q.12: What is the heartrending spectacle?

  Ans: To see boys undergoing transfusion of blood to get money for food and books is a heartrending spectacle.

Q.13: Can we help the student suffering from nervous habits?

  Ans: No, we cannot help the students suffering from nervous habits. Nervous habits are not easy to uproot, they cannot be eradicated by anyone but the boy.