What Is A Good Learner

     Today more and more young people in Taiwan no longer seem to value the importance of learning as they used to in the old days, a phenomena that is commonly seen especially among college students. They are frequently found totally and completely oblivious of their homework assignment, arriving their class late, skipping class only to be discovered at a nearby cyber café, forgetting to bring their notes or textbooks, or even missing their important test. During class, they are so very often found to be preoccupied with whatever they are having in their present state of mind, such as daydreaming, sleeping, doodling, constantly chatting with each other, sneaking off to the restroom, copying homework, passing notes, and so on. Indeed, the teacher may have to stop intermittently in the middle of the instruction to “discipline” the students so he can move on with his lesson. Ironically, this is a situation where it is more likely to occur at any junior high or high school classroom but a higher educational setting. More than that, their attitude towards learning doesn’t seem to improve a bit with the imminent approaching of the midterms or finals. Oddly enough, in many cases it is found that the teacher appears to be much more concerned about the exam himself than the actual test takers. A couple weeks or so before the big day, the teacher would by all means give an overall review on what the exam is to be like. Sometimes a few handouts would be needed to accompany a lesson of such magnitude so as to give the students a clear guidance on how to prepare for the big test. Even so, when the student who did poorly on the exam pleads earnestly for a second chance, the teacher would under normal circumstances comply with the request only in the hope that he would work harder for the remainder of the term.

     Many educators are now getting worried about the gradual decline of the academic performance that is becoming increasingly prevalent among college students. While the teacher plays an essential role in the learning process, it is the student who should be held accountable for his own learning and development. Like an old Chinese saying: A grand master inducts a young man into a new skill, but whether he can hone on it is entirely dependent upon him. Here are some attributes that are sometimes claimed to be characteristic of a good learner.

A good learner is time-conscious. He always gets to class on time, which is the minimum requirement for any learner.
       Neither does he put off doing what has been asked of him until later. Procrastination in all forms is by
       no means permissible.
   doesn’t interrupt the teacher in the middle of the lecture. He raises his hand if he wants to comment
       on a particular subject and remains silent thereafter unless he’s called upon to respond to a question.
   pays attention to what is being said or discussed in class and has the habit of taking notes of whatever
       he thinks is important in his notepad.
   doesn’t flinch from any challenging task. He would rather deal with it by seeking out assistance from
       as many resources as he can possibly obtain.
  is patient. It takes time to become competent in any field of study. If he really wants to learn, he
       should make time for some extra work outside of class.
   is willing to practice. Learning requires a lot of practice of various kinds. No one can be 100% perfect,
       but he strives to be better through perfect practice.
  is creative in his thinking. He doesn’t copy or imitate what people do or produce. He invents and
       develops original ideas of his own.
  

is goal-oriented. He has the ability to make plans and sets goals that are attainable to his own
       expectation and determines to follow them under no circumstances.

The value of a college education is not knowledge in itself, but rather developing one’s abilities on how to learn a wide variety of things. Motivation, determination, and discipline will make the greatest difference in how effectively a person learns, no matter how well developed his/her intellectual abilities are. Development of one’s abilities to learn is what makes a college education worth so much in our society, and being an effective learner is what prepares a college student to be successful in his/her careers and personal life, and to be a contributing member of society.

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