Study: talent or effort?

Study is a talent. Just as talent is crucial in art, music, and sports, it is also essential in studying. However, studying is also about effort. It is nearly impossible to excel in studying without putting in the effort (though there are a few people who do well with little effort). So, which is more important in studying, talent or effort? In fact, this is the wrong question. The answer depends on the goal of studying.

 

Take art, for example. Everyone agrees that talent is important in art. If your dream is to become a world-renowned artist, you may realize at some point that effort alone is not enough. But if your goal is merely to use art as a means to get into college or as a hobby, effort alone can be more than enough to achieve a certain level.

 

The same applies to studying. Unless you plan to pursue a career that requires lifelong dedication to academics and research, effort is generally more important than talent in studying. However, there are people who are exceptionally untalented at studying. While the average person might understand and memorize something after five explanations or repetitions, some people struggle even after more than 20 tries. These are the people we often think of as "not smart." But I disagree with the notion that they can't understand or memorize because they're "not smart." I believe it's simply a matter of the method not suiting them, not having grasped the technique, or having too little interest in the subject.

So, is there a way to study well? Think about when you first learned something, like jump rope or a musical instrument. At first, it's not fun. Especially with musical instruments, many people quit halfway. But once you get past the tedious phase and reach a certain point, it becomes enjoyable. When you start to read sheet music and play the songs you like, it becomes fun, and your skills improve much faster. Once you overcome the tedious phase of learning, you can progress to the proficiency phase at a much faster rate.

 

The same goes for studying. The beginning is tough. You don't see results even if you work hard. And you don't know the right methods. If starting to study is difficult and you don't know how to go about it, imitation is the best option. Mimic the methods of those around you or online who excel in studying. By trying out various methods, you will gradually find the ones that suit you. Once you find a method, you can then adapt it to fit you better. If you can reach this point, you can enter the proficiency phase.

 

Of course, getting to this point is the hardest part. But there is no easy way to achieve anything. Strong willpower and perseverance are the basic foundations of success in any field. Even if you are not naturally talented in studying, anyone can develop willpower and perseverance through their own effort.