Laziness, I Scorn Thee

Taking important things for granted is a sign of laziness. Assumption on serious issues is a show of laziness. Procrastination too, passes for laziness.

I have experience that many lecturers wish their students to pass. Some of them will try to make things easy to pave way for possible success of most of their students. They will come to the lecture room and bore you (sic) with their lectures. But, they know where the recipe of the tests and exams will originate from. Often times, they will give you an assignment. It is up to you to do it or leave it. They don't explicitly tell whether it is gradable or not. Some will but you will not care much.

"Do your part," they will tell you severally. "Do your research." And, for your information, some will allege that it is a crime for lecturers to give notes. Their work is to give you tips. Whether or not you like it, they will drag you into reading what they want you to read. If you don’t, that is part of the chronic laziness that yields half baked graduates. They will give you a test and tell you to watch out.

"I will recycle some of the questions in the end of semester exam," one will say on one or two occasions. It is up to you to take it or leave it. Leave it to the credit of your laziness. Take for granted the various research topics (s)he has asked you to undertake. This is just a honey pot of success. But, you will not put these bona fide tips in mind They will give you a coursework. If you fail en masse, one or two consider a make up for you.

"Fail it at your own risk... Blame yourself if you get a retake," one of them confided in us in one of his lectures.

"If you get a retake and it happens that you are in my class next academic year, you will have a hard time. I want all of you to pass."

You take his talk for granted. You procrastinate the research work and assignment (s)he gave you. You assume you will pass since (s)he has already tipped you on the possible areas of examination. This is a time to relax. You wait to concentrate and read during the last two weeks prior to the exam. Come that time, you have forgotten everything you thought was useful for your success story. Fellow course mates have come up with their version of possible questions and exam areas.

When the day of reckoning finally comes, you open the examination paper. The first question is an exact replica of the coursework he gave you. And, it is worth 40 marks. You try hard to remember his tips but? But, a frown takes charge of your forehead. Ripples of blood(sic) ensue on your brow. You set onto writing nothing vital on the blank page. Whom do you blame?

"Laziness, I condemn thee."

Joshua Masinde