Never be afraid to ask questions at school, college, and university. From my experience at university, I observed that students hardly ever asked enough questions. As Socrates said many times that you should question everything that you hear and say, and only then will you have reason within your grasp. If you don’t understand something it is wiser to ask a question than to be unsure; remember your tutors are paid to answer questions. As individuals, we all need to question the status quo because we all need to make decisions that affect our lives. So asking questions should be a prerequisite for everyone on this planet. Below is a short story to help illustrate the subject.
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One fine day, Socrates the great philosopher was admiring the throng of people that passed by him as he sat in front of a temple in Athens. Several hours passed before an old man with a donkey stopped and asked for money.
“I will tell you a story if you give me some money,” said the beggar.
Socrates was intrigued to know what the old man had to say and gave the beggar some money. “Please, sit with me and tell me your story,” said Socrates.
“The story begins where my ancestors were born in the land of Hur and east from here from whence the wind they call the Levant comes from, and below the mountains, they call Zagros. In this land lived a Persian Lord…,” said the beggar, pausing to drink from his goatskin water container. “The Persian Lord had many sons and daughters who lived well in their father’s kingdom for it was prosperous by controlling the only trade routes through the mountains of Zagros.”
Socrates listened intently; the surrounding noise of people passing by the temple of Athena seemed to fade away to him, as he dwelt patiently on every word the beggar said.
“One day, a young prince was traveling through his father’s kingdom to Asqanu, by the sea, where the Phoenicians trade and he was alone except for his personal servant and their camels, whereupon he came across an old man being led by a donkey. At first, the young prince did not notice the old man was blind. The blind man asked the prince if he could travel together because he said the journey was long, and he had only the donkey to talk to. The prince granted the blind man his wish and they continued together on their journey.”
At this moment, Socrates’ demeanor was like a tiger stalking its prey, he was mesmerized.
The beggar paused again and drank some more water before continuing his story.
The beggar continued, “After a short distance, the prince asked the old man why he was walking instead of riding the donkey. The old man replied that the donkey was old like him and was already laden with all his possessions. So the prince instructed his servant to transfer the old man’s possessions to the servant’s camel. This way the old man could ride his donkey and keep up with the prince and his servant on their camels. The old man thanked the prince for this gesture and all three of them continued on their way.”
“As the trio continued their journey across the desert they felt a cool wind that became stronger as each hour passed, until, they saw the first sign of dust clouds in the distance. The blind man said to the prince that they should make camp and find some shelter from the impending sandstorm. The prince had grown up in his father’s palace and had no experience of the desert. Also, the prince was not used to taking advice from lowly subjects of his father’s kingdom. So the prince continued with his journey with his servant and the blind man as there were many hours before sunset.”
“It was not long before the sand storm caught the trio out in the open without any protection from the wind and the piercing sand. During this mayhem, the prince was lost and so was his servant and they were never seen again. The blind man survived the storm with his donkey and was able to tell the story, but he had lost all of his possessions,” the beggar said.
“So the prince and the servant were never seen again,” Socrates muttered.
“Yes. Do you see the moral of the story, sir?” the beggar asked.
Socrates replied, “No, please tell me!”
“You are the first person to say they don’t know,” said the beggar smiling. ”I have told this story many times on my journeys. I was born a Bedouin Arab, and we lived in the desert and so I know how to survive its storms. The moral of the story is; advice is cheap, but good advice is priceless.”
“So…it was you,” Socrates exclaimed.
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Here is a list of stories included in “How to Pass a Degree with Confidence” They are not in any order, purely random.
To be or not to be
It’s never too late
We don't all wear the same shoes
We have all the time in the world
Sat there like a Cheshire cat
There’s a bit more meat on the bone
More stress than a chaining smoking nurse
The golden rule
How I got my T-Shirt
A girl came knocking on my window
I can win the lottery in a second, but spend a lifetime finding a cure for cancer. Which is more rewarding?
I devote a chapter in my book to why students fail with explanations and examples so that you don’t fail?
Plus: the number one topic you should understand, it could mean the difference between passing and failing?
The book “How to Pass a Degree with Confidence” also includes the following:
A study guide including How to write your project or dissertation, exam preparation, how to research, time management, how to reference correctly, critical thinking, how to study, how to revise, a girl game knocking at my window, how to build confidence, the need to set goals, a student perspective, how to cope with stress, how to cope with meager funds, score more goals than Casanova, top tips for university, and much more.
Readers' comments
Readers' comments
"very well-written and organized tutorials… it's indeed a great help for beginners like me to keep up the interest and at the same time learn this important subject."
"Brilliant. One of the very best I have read. Well written, with style and intelligence. I have spent hours looking for erotica like this..."
An interesting; innovative, motivating self-help book on how to pass a university degree with confidence, by providing not only the do’s and don’ts but also an insightful and fascinating personal experience. It was written using the author’s experience gained as a student representative as well as the achievement of gaining an MSc and a BSc Honours degree. Comprehensive and detailed information is provided, to help those individuals contemplating an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree visualize and achieve their goals.
Each chapter recalls a personal experience that helps to reinforce the academic topic. Every important academic aspect is covered to help you achieve what you want.
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Conducting a Survey into Precognitive Choices
Read my book "It's Never Too Late", by Anthony Fox Published by Chipmunka Publishing
