They know enough
who know how to learn.
                                           .. .Henry Brooks Adams

Many of us believe that we have a limited memory that accounts for our forgetfulness and our inability to recall facts. This conception is common to almost everyone. Older people, in particular, are believed to be more vulnerable to loss of memory. There are facts, however, which point to the contrary. These facts show that there are no apparent limits to the capabilities of memory, and that for all practical purposes, the human memory seems to be infinite, and without bounds. Let us look at some of these facts.

In our dreams, we sometimes see people whom we have not met for a very long time. In some cases, we may not even remember that we know such people. But more often, we see friends and relatives we have not seen for years and years together, but their images in our dreams are as clear as ever.

They take on the colour and expressions of the people we know well. This fact proves that we do have them stored in our memory somewhere even if we are not aware of the existence of such a memory.

Scientists in some instances have experimented by connecting electrode wires to a patient’s brain. The patients then re-experience certain events from their past like it was happening to them right at that moment. This goes beyond memory recall, it is more like reliving a past incident. In one particular experiment, the patient relived an experience as old as 40 years. This proves that information about the past incidents is definitely stored in the memory.

Under the effect of hypnosis, a person can recall things of which he apparently has no memory. For instance, the victim of an assault may have blocked the faces of his attackers or their descriptions from his mind. But when he is hypnotized, he can accurately recall such facts and this has often helped authorities in arresting criminals. Even memories which people have apparently blocked out from their mind can be revived through the use of hypnosis. Mind has two part that is conscious and sub-conscious. The conscious mind is used when we knowingly think or do something. But the sub-conscious mind is much more powerful though it is not under our direct control. It functions on the basis of information stored in it right from a person’s birth, including those we are not consciously aware of. This is where there is maximum recall from our memory storage.

There is also such a thing, which scientists call a photographic memory, believed to be possessed by children. Through this, a person can exactly and totally remember everything that he sees. But this is a short-term memory and children lose it as they grow and are forced to concentrate on a more logical system of studies.

The above facts prove that human beings do indeed have a capability for memory storage beyond our own imaginations. An Indian called Rajan Mahadevan set a new world record in 1981 by memorizing 32,811 digits for the value of Pi and beat his own record in 1982 by memorizing 35,000 digits for the same value. He says he is able to remember numbers by associating them with real-life situations. This is one technique you can use to improve your memory ‘the power of association’. Quick and regular revisions, both at home and at school, can improve your memory too. Never be discouraged even when you do not see immediate results in your task of memory-improvement. Like all other body organs, the mind also needs time to get used to its new function. When you persevere, you will be surprised at the progress you have made after a while.

Older studies regarding the structure of the brain believed that the physical size of the brain was based on heredity alone. Today, new experiments have proved that external stimulation of the brain or an enriched working and living environment can significantly increase the size of the brain, including the size of neurons, and the number of certain cells. The guidelines of Vastu, when properly applied, can yield just such an environment. The tips in this chapter are meant to help the student in improving his memory so that he will perform better in his studies.

TIPS FOR MEMORY IMPROVEMENT

1 Adopt a System

Do not develop a habit of studying at any other place except for your study table. Many students develop the habit of studying on the bed and they read their lessons lying down. This is the worst posture that you could take for studying because the joints of the body get undue pressure, as there is no correct support for the body. Staying in this position for a long time harms the muscles and you will feel a lot of pain in your joints after a while. Reading while lying down also spoils the eyes very badly. There is a lot of strain on the eyes as they have to work harder to maintain focus if you are lying down. When the reading is unfocussed, comprehension and eventual memorizing also becomes difficult. The same topic will take a longer time to be understood and learnt.

A lot of students, especially in hostels, tend to read under torch light inside their blankets and bedclothes. This harms the eyes beyond repair and arouses tension in the mind as well. Instead of having to go to all this length to study, use your given study time well at the study table. If you do so, you will not have to go to extreme measures to learn your lessons and you will also improve the health of your muscles as well as your eyes.

2 Read And Read Again

Reading the subject matter of your study carefully is the key to understanding and comprehending it. If you do not understand the topic at first reading, read it again and try to grasp the meaning of what you have read. Be careful to focus your thoughts on what you are reading. Before retiring for the night, you should read the particular topic in which you have a problem of comprehension. This will help you to stay focussed even when you are about to sleep. Several minutes before you fall asleep, you enter a dreamlike yet wakeful state, which is a good time for memorizing. Then you can read the topic again as soon as you get up in the morning. You will find that you have gained a better level of understanding during the night. This is because the matter has been instilled in your mind and it has adopted its own ways of solving your problem.

3 Study At Your Own Pace

Serious study can be compared to eating something. You must chew thoroughly after every bite. If you content yourself with just an initial reading of your lesson, chances are that the matter will not be etched clearly in your mind. After reading the material that you have placed before you, take your time to learn what you have read. Make sure that the facts in your book are also in your head. A hurried reading will not give you anything because it will only be like food, which is not properly digested. This material will get into your head only to get out again the moment you set your mind on something else. The time that an individual to learn something differs from person to person. Know yourself well enough and study at your own pace. There is no competition for the speed of your learning for exams. For your own advantage, learn to read faster because this will also fasten the pace at which you understand things.

4 Vocabulary Addiction

Get yourself addicted to learning new words and using them in your vocabulary. Linguists have identified two levels of knowing and understanding words. The first is passive vocabulary. This is the situation when you know and understand the words when you see them but do not use them in your own speech and writing. Another level is the active vocabulary when you know the words, understand them and also use them in your speech and writings. An active vocabulary is more lasting than a passive one and enriches our personal vocabulary in far more ways. Get a good dictionary for yourself. Many teachers recommend the Webster’s and Oxford editions. Keep one on your study table and check any new word, which you come across while studying. A good dictionary should have examples of the usage of the word, pronunciation, and details about their origins. Learn prefixes and suffixes of the words also in order to gain confidence in using them. Cultivate a habit of reading. This habit will go a long way in enriching your word power. Also learn the spellings of words as you learn their meanings.

5 Thorough Study

Study a subject thoroughly. It is a full time job. There is no substitute for studying more if you want to excel in your lessons. Do not waste your time in learning the tricks of the trade (or short - cut methods) but learn the trade itself. There are many institutions and courses today, which offer miracle jobs in teaching you the tricks of selective study to pass and obtain good marks in your exams. Such offers may help you in getting marks in the exam but you will only end up knowing nothing of what you study because such courses are exam-oriented and do not offer you a comprehensive knowledge of your subject. If you are thorough with what you study, you will have no need to learn the tricks because the real tricks are found only within a sound knowledge of the trade itself.

6 Take A Break After Meals

Do not study immediately after a heavy meal. It is advisable to take at least half an hour’s break. You must have noticed yourself that you feel more drowsy and dull after a heavy meal. There is a scientific reason behind this. When we eat food, it goes down to our stomach for digestion. It stays there for about 3 to 4 hours, while the stomach adds digestive juices and the food gets digested. This requires additional supply of energy to the stomach area. Since the blood supply in the body is constant, the blood supply to the stomach area increases while digesting food, leading to a decreased supply to the brain. This is why we feel lazy after eating food. This also means that intelligence; IQ or brainpower decreases for some time after eating. Studying immediately after your meals would thus be a waste of precious time because the senses are effectively dulled within this period.

7 Use Vastu Principles For Better Learning

Good Vastu can make learning a pleasure. It can be a feast for the mind and spirit and a source of lasting joy. Use Vastu principles to create a positive frame of mind while you are studying. If you follow the guidelines offered by this science, you will be in a harmonious rhythm with the universe benefiting from the many positive influences it can offer you. Visualize your goals while you follow the guidelines and keep reminding yourself of your goals. Have faith in the power of good Vastu and never be disheartened by results, which might not be up to your expectations. A positive frame of mind is what good Vastu promotes at all times. Success of remembering depends upon interest, attention, persistence, intelligence as well as positive Vastu. Know that the human brain has been proven to grow in enriched environments. The surrounding environment should conform to rules of Vastu so that your mind will be constantly fed to perform better. Have confidence in the power of your memory. Attention, repetition, a harmonious environment and association are the key Vastu tools that you can use for better learning.

8 Ancient rules for Concentration

The amount of time you spend studying is not as important as the intensity of your concentration while you are studying. Total concentration while learning keeps the mind focussed and activates it, to be more receptive to new ideas and information. Vastu principle like sitting down facing the northeast, placing items of furniture according to Vastu rules and being in harmony with nature will help you to concentrate better. The practice of yoga will help attain better concentration. The human brain has, what psychologists call, the ‘goal-seeking mechanism’, the power to get exactly what it wants. It has a quality of a magnet to see and find what it wants. For this power to be utilized to its maximum capacity, the concentration skills have to be sharpened. Learn to use the guidelines offered by Vastu to train your mind and get it to work for your advantage.

9 Visualize what you Read

Learn to practice visualization and encourage your imagination to become as vivid as possible. When you visualize what you read, you gather mental pictures and images that get recorded in the mind’s eye. Then, whenever you are reminded of these pictures, the mind will automatically relate to what you have learnt or remembered about it. When you practice visualization of what you study, you get both the right and left sides of the brain to work together. The left-brain, which is the logical part, tending to think in a methodical fashion, will be aided by the right brain, which is the creative part, thinking in images and colours. Our education system has laid emphasis on the left-brain activities in most cases and our ability to use the right brain is thus reduced. But when you start visualizing, the creative area of the brain is awakened and the two coordinate to produce better results. This technique is used in this very book where illustrations are given for every tip. Visualizing the illustration will help you to remember the useful tips and this becomes a good memory technique.

10 Read Faster A Quick Scan Prepares the Mind Better 

Learning to read faster will save you a lot of time, which means you will have more time to devote to your studies. A quick scan of what you are about to learn will also give you a general idea on what you will be studying thereafter. Reading faster also improves the concentration of the mind because the mind gets enough work to occupy it and does not have the time to be distracted elsewhere. Scientific studies have also proved that faster reading improves understanding. To improve your reading speed, try moving your index finger along the line and train your eye to move along with the finger. Practice this technique and try to perfect it and make it a habit. After a time, you will find that your reading speed has improved considerably. When you read faster, you will make a better and more profitable use of your study time and improve your powers of concentration and understanding as well.

25,000 words per minute
Can you read a whole book in just a few minutes? It may seem unimaginable, but the magic of speed-reading makes it possible!

A matter of technique
Normally, a person can read only about 240 words per minute but there are schools that conduct courses in ’speed reading’ or ‘photo reading’, which increase the reading capacity to about 25,000 words per minute. The students are taught how to use their entire brain for the process of reading. A person who masters this technique properly can photograph the entire printed page in his mind.

Stop speaking
Speed-reading is a technique, which everyone cannot master. However, you can increase your reading speed 10 to 40 times without opting for course in the same. While reading, don’t say each word in your mind as you proceed. This makes the brainwork harder, preventing it from straying to other thoughts. The best way is to move your index finger along the lines and follow the finger with your eyes. The reading should be absolutely silent. Even the lips should not move.

11 Exercise Your Mind

The human mind needs to be constantly exercised to keep it active and meet the new challenges. For the mind to easily grasp information while you are studying, you should always keep alert and active. Solving crossword puzzles in your spare time is a good exercise. This trains the mind to pick up clues and find solutions for the problems that may be posed. The rationalizing power of the mind is thus greatly increased. You can also train your mind to learn and practice certain memory techniques. One such technique is the use of association. To make it easier for you to remember some specific thing, which you find difficult, you can associate it with something easier to remember. In this way, when you remember the easier thing, your mind will automatically associate it with the actual thing that you want to learn. For instance, you can remember the names of the seven colours of the rainbow by the single word ‘VIBGYOR’, where each letter stands for each colour: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red, respectively. You can put your mind to a difficult task and keep at it until you have solved it. Solving mathematical problems is always a good exercise for the mind.

12 Forgetting is Forgivable

You are not a machine that can be expected to retain all the information that is fed into it. Do not worry even if you forget something. Pay close attention to important things that you wish to retain and work towards the same by using different memory techniques. To expect a man to retain everything is to expect him to carry about in his body everything that he has ever eaten. Remember that you are only human if you forget something you have read. Take courage from the fact that some of the most successful men in the world have had problems with their studies. Albert Einstein, the great scientist, was considered a dunce by his teacher who always thought him to be an under average student, but look where he finally brought himself to. Problems like forgetting something you have learnt is only a minor one when you consider greater problems that face mankind everyday. Adversities make one stronger if one has the courage to rise above them. Remember what Rabindranath Tagore has said about this: ‘Adversity is big, but man is bigger than adversity’.

13 It is Better to Fake Concentration than forcing it

Vastu does not recommend forcing yourself to concentrate. Forcing concentration can be like getting a donkey to move; push or pull it and it resists. Forceful concentration is similar to a harsh punishment that will only make your brain more stubborn. Other alternative and interesting methods can be adopted to increase concentration. You could just fake concentration. Pretend that you are absorbed in what you are doing and from such a state of mind, an attitude of concentration will naturally evolve. When you find it difficult to concentrate, let your mind take its’ own course and relax. This does not mean that you should let your body and mind wander away from your purpose. Just sit at your study table and fake an attitude of deep concentration. Though it may take some time, the mind will eventually bring itself to really concentrate without you even realizing it.

14 Refresh Memory

It is important to periodically revise what we have learnt in order to refresh our memory. Revision is said to be the single most important way to memorize anything and this should be done frequently and systematically. The human memory is a powerful instrument with tremendous capabilities. You might have had a dream about people and things you haven’t come across for a long time with graphic colour and details, proving that memory has a huge storage capacity. There are also incidents when we have unexpected and sudden recalls. Revise your lesson in class immediately after the teacher leaves and you can repeat this exercise at home also. A daily routine should be devised for revising what you have learnt: revise immediately after learning your lessons and practice a daily revision. Revise your weekly lessons every weekend and then devote a longer period at the end of each month to re-revise what you have learnt within that month to refresh your memory. Learning to read faster, making short notes, taking short breaks and keeping your body fit will go a long way in sharpening your memory and keeping your memory fresh. 

15 Brain Power

The human brain has two parts connected by a corpus callosum. The convoluted outer surface of the brain is called cerebral cortex and is the basis of human intelligence. The left-brain is the logical part controlling speech, words and language. The right brain is the intuitive part and thinks in images and colors. These two parts of the brain work together and exchange information for its functioning. Though it has always been believed that the size of the brain is based on heredity, new researches have proved that external stimulation in the environments that are enriched for such a task can significantly increase the size of the neurons and number of certain cells. Recent studies have indicated that the human brain is capable of much more than had previously been imagined and that a normal adult does not utilize even 10% of the brain’s power. Do not worry about a case of over use of your brain, because the greater the task you put it to, the more exercise your brain will get, sharpening it and enabling it to do even more than was thought possible.

16 Meditation for the Mind

Being able to concentrate fully on the subject of study is of utmost importance to students. An absolutely focused mind is bound to sharpen your memory and to achieve this, encompasses determination, grit and a will to excel. Deliberate effort and care in this direction can go a long way to enhance memory. The more you care to improve your memory the sharper it will become, resulting in increased efficiency.

Take some time everyday to practice meditation and learn to silence your mind. Meditation gives a certain peace to the mind that enables the brain to have more memory power. The power of meditation and complete relaxation have been discovered and many corporate houses the world over are encouraging meditation among their employees.

The importance of meditation as a means to achieve concentration should never be undermined. Whenever you feel burdened and worried by the vast expanse of study syllabus do not hesitate to take the help of meditation. It will pacify your mind and give you courage to go ahead. Follow simple ritual:

• Wash your hands and feet and sit silently in a relaxed posture. Make sure that the ambience is peaceful and quiet.

• Shut your eyes. Do not make any deliberate efforts to control your thoughts. Let them pass through your mind. Just as a stream flows softly, so will the thoughts pass you by, leaving you tension free, relaxed and ready to face the challenges of your work.

• For maximum benefit meditation should be learnt from professionals only.

• A study of meditation with the help of a teacher will bring you to new horizons for the development of your inner faculties, so as to enable you to progress internally and reach those heights of understanding and undivided concentration within you that you strive to achieve. 

17 Clear your Doubts

There are a lot of things that you may not be clear about when you get down to study. For instance, if you learn a new mathematical formula in school, you might be able to solve the problems you are given in class. At home, new sums could pose a problem for you as you find yourself unable to apply the formula. Such cases can happen in any subject, in any field. So, make it a point of getting your doubts and problems clarified as soon as possible. The time you spend in school is almost double of the time you spend studying at home, so take advantage of the presence of your teachers. Do not hesitate to ask questions if you are unclear of what is being taught. Your teachers will gladly clear the doubts that you have after revising your lessons, as this is a sign of enthusiasm for studies, which teachers always appreciate. You can also ask your parents and others who are more knowledgeable if you find anything you do not understand. You can also consult books on the subject matter. Widening the scope of your reading will always enrich your knowledge. This will fasten the pace of your studies and cultivate a greater interest in you for the subject matter.

18 Take Notes

Develop a habit of taking notes both in the class and while you study on your own. Write down what you have learnt in your own words, using your own language. Doing this is often more helpful than learning your lessons by heart, especially as you advance in your studies. The notes that you write as you go along will help you in your revision as they will make your recollecting power stronger and better. Note down important points in short so that they are not cumbersome. You can read these notes anywhere and remind yourself of the complete lesson whenever you desire to do so. It will also be a practice for your exams since you will be reproducing what you learn the way you are required to do in your exams. It has been said that a short pencil is better than a long memory. This is true because the written word will outlast the memorized one in most cases.

19 Sleep after Studies

After an evening of study, Vastu advises that you should go to bed immediately instead of taking up any other task. The body needs a period of sound rest for it to function properly and this is true in the case of the mind as well. In order to maintain our ability to remember well, we need to take rest. Normally, the body and mind need rest after a period of about 40 minutes if the task is physically and mentally strenuous. Even if your evening study takes a longer period, take short breaks in between to remain fresh. After a through revision of all that you have learnt, you can go to bed confident of the knowledge that you have acquired. Another advantage of going to bed after your studies is that the dreamlike state in which you enter before you actually fall asleep is a good time to recall and retain all that you have learnt. After a good night’s sleep, you can revise your lesson again in the morning before the worries of the day begin to cloud your mind. 

20 Begin with the Easy

Begin your studies with something that you are already familiar with. This will help you gain confidence and give you the necessary motivation for further study. It will be a revision for you if you begin with something you already know and your knowledge skills will also be sharpened. Starting with a totally alien subject can kill your appetite for study because you will find it difficult and lose your enthusiasm to learn more about the subject. When you start with the easier tasks, you will also get a gradual introduction to the harder matter so that it becomes easier for you to understand it because you have already learned the basics about it. Another obvious advantage of using this technique is that you will have more time to devote to your studies. Revising the easy lessons will take less time and make it possible for you to manage the remaining study time in learning the more difficult lessons.

Shakuntala Devi is an ideal for students. She is known as a ‘Human computer’, ‘Maths wizard’, ‘Human calculator’, ‘and Living wonder’. The cube root of a 10-digit number is child’s play for this demure lady. She can come out with the answer even before one finishes writing the number. While the computer takes more than a minute to figure the 23rd root of a 201-digit number, Shakuntala took only 50 seconds. The Daily Mirror of London wrote, ‘The machines have no chance, for Shakuntala has never been beaten’. The genius entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 1980 by mentally multiplying two 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds. She asserts that the learning process should be a joyful experience and that a love for numbers should be created amongst school kids. She states, ‘We Indians are by nature very intelligent, but unfortunately in the daily grind of earning our living, our intelligence remains untapped. We blindly ape the West and are driven by deep-rooted complexes. The craze for the fair complexion should be weeded out.’

A Super Formula for Learning

SQ3R three letters and a number is the formula with which we can transport even the most tiresome reading matter into the relevant compartment of our mind. How does this method work? ‘S’ stands for Survey, ‘Q’ for Question, and ‘3R’ for Reading, Repeating and Reviewing. The SQ3R can be used in five steps:

Step 1 : Survey (S): Choose a text and see if it interests you.

Step 2 : Question (Q): Scan it quickly so that you can more or less recognize its contents. It is important to immediately write down any questions, which might present themselves.

Step 3 : Reading (R): Read through the text and memorize it to find out which sections provide the answers to your questions.

Step 4 : Repeating (R): What were the most important points of the text? Close the book and run over the contents in your mind.

Step 5 : Reviewing (R): Review the entire text. This does not mean that you should read it again. Instead, try to be clear about its contents. Use your notes to see if you have answered your entire question or if some sections of the text still appear unclear to you.

It is important that you act quickly and work through your text immediately using the SQ3R method. As long as the impression is fresh in your mind, you will remember most of a particular text.

Learning Properly Means Reading Properly

There are people who can effortlessly open their minds and produce what they learned in childhood. These individuals have followed the golden rule of memory: you will only be able to remember what you have really understood. If you don’t think about what you read, you won’t learn anything. It is only when you have mentally grasped the meaning of the words that they will remain stored in your memory.

One of the most important keys for understanding is concentration. Without this intensified form of attention, you will be unable to firmly anchor the words and their meanings in your memory. It has been proven that IQ alone is not decisive for human mental capacity. Instead, the critical factor is the way in which people absorb information.

The Six Big Questions

When you want to remember the contents of a book or magazine, ask yourself these six questions:
• Who?

Who are the people involved?
• What?

What happened? Look for the thread that runs through the action.
• When?

At what time did this happen? Does the story take place in the past, present or future? Does it last a day or does it drag on over months and years?
• Where?

In what place does the story happen? Give a detailed description of the scenes or locations.
• Why?

Find out about the motives of the people involved. Does the conclusion follow logically from the beginning?
• How?

In what way do the main characters act and what methods do they employ in order to get their way?

This technique of remembering is borrowed from the world of journalism!

Sow a thought and reap an action,
Sow an action and reap a habit,
Sow a habit and reap a character,
Sow a character and reap a destiny.
                                                            …Nissim Ezekiel 

Self-Development

Every successful man is a person of discipline who has made excellence a part of his life and has developed his personality accordingly. As the famous philosopher Aristotle said - ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.’ It is also possible to make excellence a habit by cultivating activities and other habits, which can yield a higher frame of mind. Organize your life in a way that it focuses on good living habits. To live a full life, one needs to be clear about his goals and the steps he needs to take to achieve these goals. Personality development is an important part of a wholesome education. Textbook knowledge alone will not help you get ahead in a life that requires good survival techniques.

Vastushastra, Ayurveda and Yoga lend themselves well to self and personality development. The wisdom of Vastu will present habits, which you can cultivate for a result-yielding lifestyle.

Morning is the Best Time

The East is the realm of the Sun god whose identification is enlightenment and inspiration. The Sun’s rays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. are most beneficial because at this time, they come from the east. According to the principles of Vastushastra, morning time is the ideal time for study. Not only are the Sun’s rays beneficial, but also after a night of sound sleep, the mind is fresh and free from tension and worries. It is like a clean board where everything that is written will be etched clearly. This is the best time for concentration as alertness will be at its peak. Since the mind is free of strain and pressure, whatever you learn in the morning will be retained. The early rays of the morning Sun can do wonders for the mind and the body. Exposing yourself to the rising Sun for some time will help refresh your mind and body and will alert your senses, leading to a better focus and concentration.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercising is a habit a student should cultivate and maintain throughout his life. The body needs to be active and alert in order to yield an active mind. Body muscles should be toned up because this promotes physical health and boosts energy levels. Work-outs improve not only the muscles and joints of the body, but also the heart and mind. They are kept alert fresh and responsive. Following a proper timetable will also help you to inculcate discipline into your life, learn to manage and use your time wisely. A morning walk or jog, pushups and stretching exercises are always a big help in building a fit and healthy body. Remember, a healthy body yields a healthy mind. 

Worship of Lord Ganesha

Lord Ganesh is the god of prosperity and wisdom. He is also the god of science and skills. He is worshipped to remove obstacles one may face in an endeavour, even in the way of worshipping another deity. Ganesha is called Ekadanta because he has a broken tusk. It is said that Parasurama knocked out his tusk in a fight. His mother Parvati was about to curse Parasurama because of this but Brahma stopped her with a promise that though he had only one tusk, Ganesha would still be worshipped by all men and even by the demigods. Brahma’s promise has remained true to this day and Lord Ganesha continues to be a very powerful deity. It is advisable for the student to perform pooja of Ganesha before that of any other deity so that any obstacles in the way of his studies may be removed.

Avoid keeping the statues of gods in the home or in the study room. Instead of placing a statue, a photograph of Lord Ganesha should be kept in the pooja room to perform Ganesh Pooja. Ganesha’s appearance is symbolically potent and he is powerful enough to remove any obstacles that hinder an individual from seeking knowledge. On the other hand, Ganesha also has the power to put obstacles in the way of an individual who shuns the path of true knowledge. It is essential for an individual to respect and maintain the divinity of the deity in his own surroundings so as to avoid incurring the wrath of the lord. A statue or picture of Lord Ganesha should never be used as a showpiece or a gift item. Indiscriminate display of this deity should be avoided because this violates the sanctity and respect to the lord.

Significance of the Swastika

The Swastika symbol is important and widely used in Hinduism because it is considered to be auspicious. The symbol itself means ‘auspicious’ or ‘well being’. It is the sign of the Ganesha and Sun. The significance and influence of the Sun on the soul is benefic, more so for the student. This requires due respect and adulation both for the deity and his symbolic representations. Place a symbol of the Swastika on the main door of your study room to keep away black spirits and disruptive forces. The right-handed Swastika, which goes in a clockwise direction, is considered favourable but the left-handed one is said to be inauspicious. The symbol of Swastika is usually made in red on a light background. Placing this symbol on the door of your study room will help to protect both you and the room from evil forces and elevate the beneficial influence of the Sun as well as Ganesha.

Stock Your Stationery

Always have enough supply of pens, pencils, ink and other stationery in your study room. It always helps a student to develop a habit of making short notes or underlining study materials to help in revision. An adequate supply of stationery should be kept within reach. It will be easier for you to keep these supplies on the study table itself. Using stationery that reflects your personality will make it easier for your soul to claim the workplace or the study room as your own. Having an adequate supply of the needed items, you will reduce chances of unnecessary tension over their use and the continuity of focus can be assured. The knowledge that you have what you need will give you a peace of mind and will also create a favourable ambience. A verse from the Bhagavad Gita says: ‘From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion, bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.’

Maintain a Scrapbook

The reason why manufacturers of stationery all over the world have started making so much money on organizers is that people have understood the usefulness of making notes and managing their time. A person can only be expected to remember so much, especially if he is a busy person with a lot of things on his mind. Keeping a diary or a scrapbook helps to remind him of his engagements and obligations and arrange his activities accordingly. A student should develop this habit early in life so that stays with him all his life. Keep a scrapbook and note down important points as you study. This will help you in your revision. Your scrapbook can also be used to note down addresses and phone numbers of your friends and people with whom you need to keep in touch regularly. It can even be used as a diary where you note down your activities so that it will be easier for you to assess your time and learn to manage it more effectively.

The Right Step First

Step into your study using your right foot first. The right side of the human body is usually heavier than the left and, in most cases, considered stronger. Except for a smaller number of the population who are called lefties, most of the word’s inhabitants are more comfortable using their right limbs for all kinds of work. The right part of the body is controlled by the left part of the brain and it is the activities of this part, which is constantly emphasized in our education system. As such, the right part of our body, especially our limbs, have gained an importance which may sound baseless but is nonetheless, very deeply rooted in our minds. The study room is the place where you will shape your future and where you will decide which course your life will take.

Be Punctual

Always be punctual for your exams and be in your classroom or exam hall at least 15 minutes beforehand. Most invigilators allow students into the hall around this time. Being late for an exam will make you lose a slight edge over the others facing the same exam because they have had the use of some time, which you have lost. If you reach the hall before the exam, you will have time to reflect on what you have learnt and bring to mind the important points which will be helpful in the course of the exam. This time will also give you a period of time in which you can relax and just breathe easily, releasing all the pent up tension in your body. Good time management will ensure that you always arrive with time to spare for your exams.

Be Systematic

Along with maintaining a timetable for your studies, you should learn to be systematic and follow a schedule to which you are best suited. Make a list of what you have to study, at what time and follow that table. Work out a way to get the most out of the time you have in your hands. Life is too short to fumble with, so live it to the fullest. The time that you set yourself with can be drawn up as a daily or weekly schedule. Make sure that you give yourself time to unwind, to relax or do some fun activities. Mark out any appointments that you have or people you have to meet, chores you have to do. Arrange your schedule in a way that they do not clash. Be accepted as a responsible person on whom people can rely on to get a job done. Develop a habit of being a systematic person. This will help you not only in your student life but also even later in life when you are ready to work and settle down.

Get Started At the Earliest — Never Put Off Work

Do not put off difficult tasks. Start working on tasks that are on hand and get over with them immediately.

Procrastination is the name given to the habit of putting off tasks and it is considered a handicap on the personality. When you put off tasks, the workload only piles up and in the end, you are forced to tackle many tasks at one go. In such cases, your work becomes a lot heavier and you are not able to devote as much time and care in doing your work. The work so accomplished can be of poor quality. Make sure that you finish one task before you start on another. If you start a new task before finishing a previous one, your thoughts tend to remain with the unfinished task. Thus, there can be paranoid distraction and you will not be able to devote all your skills to the task at hand. Remember the adage, ‘A stitch in time saves nine’. It means a tear that is stitched immediately will be fixed while that which is allowed to remain will grow so big that it will require work enough to fix nine tears.

Update your Skills

Keep yourself updated on the latest technology that you can use in the course of your study. In the present age, it is almost impossible to function without computer skills because all kinds of work are now being carried on with the computer. Even in the field of education, computers have come to occupy a very important place. There are specialized degrees for qualifications in the information technology and studies in this field can also be pursued along with other course studies. Computers are now progressively being used in classrooms for teaching and making presentations. There are almost no lucrative job openings now for someone without the necessary skills on the computer. If you can afford to have a computer in your study room, place it in the Southeast direction of the room. This area, according to Vastu principles, is the best place for any equipment or appliances that are powered by electricity and generate heat, as fire is the dominating element of this direction.

Stay Aware

It is an advantage for a good student to remain aware of what is going on in the world around him. Knowledge of world events that have a bearing on the national and international stage is a mark of a well-informed and respectable person. New policies of the government in the field of education or in other fields, v/hich can influence the daily life of the common man, are especially important and a good student is expected to know these things. Read the newspapers regularly; watch the news on TV, especially news that makes headlines as these are more extensively covered on the TV along with pictures. Listen to the news on the radio as well. An exposure to media items will help you stay in touch with the things that are going on in the world. If you do not keep in touch with the latest news items, the world may change around you and you may not even know about it. A student who only lives between the pages of his books does not make a bright, intelligent and useful person.

Participate in Co-curricular Activities

Develop an aptitude for taking part in activities outside of your academic studies. This will aid your personality growth and increase your brainpower as well. Take part in competitions at school or in your neighbourhood. A healthy spirit of competition between you and other competitors will prove to be a good motivator. It will teach you the importance of developing extra skills in order to win and ways to get that edge above the other competitors. Interactions in such an atmosphere is a good experience where you can build your public relation skills, analyse and assess personalities and skills and learn the art of survival in a competitive world. Certificates that are awarded in these competitions are an added advantage when applying for higher studies as also for job applications.

India is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations the Indus valley civilization. It has been the seat of learning since the ancient times and the world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. The university of Nalanda, built in the 4th century BC, was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. In the field of mathematics in particular, India has contributed a lot. The number system was invented in India, Aryabhatta is credited with the invention of zero and Budhayana, who also explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem, first calculated the value of ‘pi’. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus came from India while Sridharacharya first presented quadratic equations in the eleventh century. To date, Vedic maths is still very widely used by students, for instance, in calculating a number’s square value: 95 x 95 = 9025. The Vedic rules state that the square of any number with the last digit as 5 will always have 25 at the end. To find the number, calculate the product of the preceding numbers and add the same number and you will get the answer. Thus, the square of a given number can be calculated easily without going into lengthy multiplications.

Ayurveda, the earliest school of medicine known to humans, is another gift from India to the world, as is Vastu, the first environmental science. It is now accepted that Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software. Out of the Indians in the USA who form only 1.5% of the population, thirty eight per cent of doctors, 36% of NASA scientists and 34% of Microsoft employees are all Indians.

These are just a few facts to make Indians proud, and to prove that the rich educational heritage that we have inherited can be harnessed to an advantage. It is for students to follow up on the achievements made by our forefathers. Acquire an edge and sharpen your learning skills by following the codes of conduct that Vastushastra can offer you.

Pay Respect to the Deities Remain Bare foot within the Study

Your study room is a sacred space, which should be respected and shown the utmost care. You should be careful not to disturb the balances of the interconnected universe when you walk into the study room by disturbing the harmonious balance or insulting the presiding deities and elements. It is especially vital for you to maintain the room as a sacred space if you have pictures or symbols of deities in the room. Many people advocate taking off their shoes in the presence of such symbolisms, especially so when they are going to offer worship. If you remove your shoes once you enter your home, you are respecting an old tradition that was followed by Mahatma Gandhi himself. Taking off your shoes is good for your feet as well. You may slip on a pair of wooden sandals, which has wonderful ‘climatic controls’. They keep the feet warm in winter and cool in summer.

Be Organized

Be organized and learn to manage your time. Time is valuable and you should teach yourself to value it like you value money. Good organization and wise management of time can save you a lot of hard work and trouble. Have a set timing for all your daily tasks. You can time yourself as you practice your daily routines and also change your timings as you progress. Management in various fields has become the focus of many institutions and corporations in today’s world. It has become a very competitive world where a modern version of survival of the fittest is prevalent. In order to fully realize your potential, you will have to learn to manage your time and fit in the maximum you can within a specified span of time. Managing your time well will save you a lot of precious time, which you can, in turn, devote to other pleasant activities. If you can do your tasks in shorter periods because of good time management, you will, in turn, have more time for leisure also.

Correct Posture for the Body

It is essential to remain comfortable while studying. Comfort should not, however, mean an allowance for laziness. Correct posture should be maintained all through your period of study. Things have become easier to access for the present - day student. Good books, libraries, good schools and up-to-date technology are available to us within easy reach and not many physical hardships need to be encountered anymore. While this is a good development, it seems to have led many to become lazy as far as maintenance of the body is concerned. Orthopedic problems, which were confined only to the elderly, have now become a common malady for today’s youth. This is because care is not taken to maintain our body posture or keep the body active. To avoid such tensions, make sure you are aware of and practice correct body postures and that even the furniture you use is conducive towards it. Yoga provides guidance for better posture, leading to a better concentration and training for the mind.

Dress Comfortably

Make sure that you are comfortably dressed when you sit down to study. Your clothes should fit you well and not cause any uneasiness because you will only be giving yourself unnecessary tension when you wear clothes that do not fit well. Ill-fitting clothes disturb the blood circulation in the body and also the flow of other essential fluids. Tight elastics can cause skin rashes, which can be a disturbing factor if you are going to study. Wear clean clothes that soothe you. It is also important to take note of the weather when you dress. Make sure that you dress yourself according to the season. Wear warm clothes in winter and do not ever wear wet clothes while you are studying. Choosing the right clothes for study may sound like a trivial thing but it can go a long way in either helping you or harming you in your studies.

Learn to Manage Your Time Well

Everybody has heard and many have proven the truth of the age-old saying, ‘Time is Money’. There is no denying of the significance of time in our lives and how we are driven in our work by the passage of time. It is essential for everyone to learn to manage our time and more so for the student, who is time-bound to complete his specified tasks. There should be provision for a wall clock inside your study room and care should be taken to form a habit of timing yourself accordingly. The clock should preferably be in the direction of the East or North wall of your room. According to the principles of Vedic Astrology, the planets Mercury and Jupiter rule these directions. Mercury governs intelligence and therefore rules the field of education. It also enhances the ability to learn languages and scriptures and improves memory. A person under the influence of Mercury can usually perform tasks quickly and is often able to do several tasks at the same time. Jupiter, on the other hand, is the most benefic planet and rules the higher qualities of the mind and the elevation of the soul. It is associated with teaching, wisdom, knowledge, guru and education. The importance of these ruling planets and that of time should be significantly balanced in order to yield the most beneficial results.

Eat a Balanced Diet

To generate a good output, care should be taken on the nature of the intake of food as well. A balanced meal, which provides the required vitamins and minerals, is essential for the organs of the brain to function effectively. Eating a balanced diet is strongly emphasized in health education also. Ayurveda, a Vedic science and possibly the oldest medical system in the world, recognizes the need for a proper diet in maintaining the balance in the rhythm and proportion of the body. The state of our mind influences our body and vice versa. It is important that we identify and eat those food items that are seasonal and based on the climatic conditions of where we live. In addition to this, we must be careful not to disturb our digestive cycle. Do not eat food that is too heavy so as to avoid irritation to the stomach. Eating at proper intervals is another way of avoiding disturbance to the digestive cycle, it also prevents avoidable tension. Eat fresh food and never over eat, however delicious the food might be.

Eat Fruits and Salads 

 Eat plenty of seasonal fruits and green salad. Ayurveda has the system of tridoshas, which are the three metabolic processes that involve the elements inside the body and control all bodily processes. Every dosha has its respective element with its own characteristics. The Vata dosha’s element is air related to space, which controls our biological movements and certain functions of the mind and central nervous system that relate to movement and direction. The Pitta dosha’s element is fire with water, which controls digestion and manifests the characteristic of enlightenment, it helps us to absorb knowledge and understand it. Water with earth is the element of the Kapha dosha, preserving and binding the body together, which helps us to retain the knowledge that we require. Practitioners of Ayurveda assert that we must always eat according to the balance of our particular dosha and emphasize the importance of paying attention to the cycle of time and seasons and the daily weather. Fresh fruits and green salads are the direct products of nature and are good for brain growth and development.

Take a Stroll in the Garden

Nature, like everything else in the universe, is an expression of the five basic elements, which make up creation: space, air, fire, water and earth. Nature’s splendour is so enthralling that it impels us to connect it with the Supreme Creation. The foundation of Vastu is the Vedic wisdom, which lends it spiritual dimension, and this wisdom also governs nature with its harmonious relationship among the elements. The elements within us and in nature are similar and are mutually conducive to each other. It is good to have a garden around the house or somewhere nearby, where you can take a stroll occasionally. This will have a beneficial effect on your mind as plants produce positive Vastu energies. It is always refreshing to be surrounded by unhampered nature and smell the sweetness of life in plants. The element of fire in plants is life giving. Sunlight, which induces the cycle of life, is absorbed by nature. When we are surrounded by nature, there is inner peace, which makes the soul feel good in its ‘oneness with nature’. Care should also be taken not to disturb the harmonious relationship of the elements in nature.

Take a Break from Study

Extremely long hours of study will not help you much as your mind can only hold your concentration for a certain time period. It is more beneficial to sit for a shorter period than to mindlessly prolong the hours of your study. An overburdened mind cannot work efficiently. It is advisable to take respite for a while after every hour of study. A short break will help to refresh your mind and revive your energy. Just close your eyes and take deep breaths and try to relax. Feel the tension in your muscles go out and you can go back to learning your lessons in a better state of mind. During your break, it can be helpful to spend your thoughts on something interesting and uplifting. Bursting into a short song could also be quite stimulating.

Aim High

Every person nurses different ambitions at different stages in his life. Always aim high and ‘reach for the stars’. Set your goals high and work towards them, overcoming obstacles and experiencing a whole learning process on the way. There is a folk saying from the Northeast part of India, which says that if you aim high, you will also fall high. This means that when you aim high, you set yourself to achieve your aim and learn so much in the process that even if you do not reach what you initially aimed for; you will land up in another high position anyway. Remember that excellence can be achieved only if you dare to expect more than others think is possible.

Be Adventurous

A student’s life conies only once in our lives. Take advantage of your situation and be a little adventurous. Try to gain as much in the way of experiences as you can during this time. Going abroad or somewhere far from the home is a very good learning experience. Some of our great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were all students who went abroad for further studies. If going abroad is too expensive for you, you can still get your education in place within the country, but far from your home. Staying in a boarding school, away from the warmth of your parents home, can teach you a lot of useful things. You will learn to be independent and take care of yourself in the weird and harsh world. In countries abroad, students work to support themselves. In India, our system has not yet become too expensive and our parents can still support us. It is good, however, to find part-time work or summer jobs to earn your pocket money.

Be Optimistic

Encourage yourself by using words like ‘I can’ and ‘I will’, and eradicate ‘I can’t’ from your speaking vocabulary. Have confidence in your abilities by reminding yourself that there is nothing too hard for someone who is willing to work sincerely and dedicate himself to his work. The attitude and desire to do better can greatly improve your productivity, irrespective of the means you have to improve your standard. Never let any outside forces set you back from achieving your goals. A famous sportsman, Roger Bannister refused to acknowledge that the 4-minute mile was impossible. In 1954, he set a new record of 3:59.4 by breaking through the self-limiting attitude that was held by many runners at that time. Similarly, you can boost your performance by adopting an optimistic attitude. You are your own stiffest competition; always attempt to improve your output and judge yourself not by others’ performances but in terms of your personal capabilities.

Read Biographies

It is beneficial to include biographies and autobiographies in your reading list. The lives of great men and women always inspire us in ways beyond our imagination. Their lives set examples for us to follow. Their life stories become lessons for us because they teach us the way to live our lives through their experiences. We can identify situations where we can apply their lessons in our own lives. Take the case of Abraham Lincoln who was the son of a woodcutter and rose to be the president of the USA. In fact, it was he who preserved the unity of this great nation by successfully concluding the civil war. He also abolished slavery in the land. The story of his life is a source of constant inspiration for a student. Our national leaders like Gandhi, Nehru and Abdul Kalam also had to face immense hardships but they were able to find the inner strength to rise above the opposing circumstances and bring freedom for India.

Rising from humble beginnings through an illustrious scientific career leading to the highest office of the President of India are the spectacular achievements of Abdul Kalam. Born on 15 October 1931 in a middle-class Tamil family at Dhanushkodi in Rameshwararam district of Chennai, Abdul Kalam was hard working, intelligent and dreamed high. As a child, the seagulls fascinated Abdul Kalam. He grew up in the island of Rameshwaram in south India, where his father was a boat builder. He even worked as a newspaper boy to supplement the family income. Kalam’s interest in flight led to a degree in aeronautical engineering and eventually, to his supervising the development of India’s guided missiles.

After graduating in Tiruchi, when Abdul Kalam finished B.Sc, he was not aware of any other professional course. He soon realized that engineering subjects were his favourite rather than Physics. So he applied at the prestigious Madras Institute of Technology (MIT). Though selected on the merit list, it was an expensive affair for him to get enrolled. His sister Zohra stood by him, mortgaging her gold bangles and chain. Thus he was able to enroll himself at MIT in Aeronautical Engineering in 1954.

At MIT, two de-commissioned aircrafts displayed for the demonstration of various systems of flying machines, fascinated Abdul Kalam. He would sit for hours together observing them, even after other students left for their hostel. His professors and teachers encouraged him.

On 25 November 1997, in appreciation of his contribution to Indian defence and science, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. In October 1998, he bagged the prestigious Indira Gandhi award for national integration.

Kalam, according to himself, is no miracle man. He has had his share of hard work and problems. Every time he emerged as winner through sheer hardwork, grit and determination.
Abdul Kalam is a true Indian, having received all his education in India itself. He worked tirelessly to bring glory to the nation. He has proved that one does not have to go abroad, if one wishes to pursue higher scientific studies.

On 25 July 2002, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was sworn in as the 11th President of India in the Central Hall of Parliament at an impressive ceremony telecast live across the country.

Thus, we see that a child from a small town, with big dreams, ambitions, strength, determination, grit and courage could achieve the highest office of the country. With sacrifice, he has achieved so many milestones that India shall forever remain proud of him.

The story of the 16th President of the USA is an inspiration in itself. It shows how hard work and determination can raise a person from the lowest depths of obscurity to eminence, honour and fame.

Born dirt-poor in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1809, Lincoln grew up in frontier Illinois. He was the son of a woodcutter and was largely self-educated. The man, who till date is considered the greatest president of all, attended school less than 12 months in his entire life. A poverty-ridden childhood, coupled with rejection did not dampen his spirits. He even swept floors to support himself. He endured failure many times. He failed as a businessman, as a storekeeper and as a farmer. He failed in his first attempt to go to Congress, when he ran for the United States Senate. Inspite of these failures, Abraham Lincoln, also called ‘Honest Abe’ and ‘The Great Emancipater’, became the 16* President of the United States. He preserved the ‘Union’ during the civil war and brought about the emancipation of the slaves. Among American heroes, Lincoln continues to have a unique appeal for his countrymen and also for people of other lands. This charm derives from his remarkable life story of rise from humble origins to a dramatic death. From his distinctive humane personality as well as from his historic role as savior of the Union and emancipator of the slaves his relevance endures and grows, especially because of his eloquence as a spokesman for democracy. In his view, the Union was worth saving not only for its own sake, but because it embodied an ideal, the ideal of self-government. This accounts for the universality of his appeal. Lincoln learned through his failures. He was educated by his defeats.

Although Lincoln was almost entirely self-educated, he took great pleasure in the study of Shakespeare, Byron and the Bible. Lincoln loved to study the great orators and took great care to write clearly well. His thoughts and writings had a very deep meaning.

Take up a Hobby

Take up an interesting hobby to keep yourself occupied when you are not in the mood to study. The kind of hobbies you pick up will depend on the area you are naturally inclined towards. If you are physically active, outdoors sports like football, cricket or tennis might interest you. On the other hand, for someone who prefers to stay indoors, hobbies like painting or music could be developed. Collection of stamps and coins can be mentally stimulating and lots of fun too. If you develop an interesting hobby, you will keep your time occupied and stimulate your mental and physical abilities as well. One thing you must be careful about is that you should never let your personal hobbies interfere with the time that you have set aside for your studies. Your hobby could well develop into your profession if you have enough interest and talent for it.

Cultivate Interest in the Subject of Study

Try to cultivate a keen interest in what you are learning by asking yourself questions like, ‘Why am I studying this subject?’ and ‘What do I want to learn from it?’ Such questions will help you to put your studies in perspective. Knowing what your goals are, what the purpose of your study is and what you hope to learn from it will take you closer to your subject matter. The case with students everywhere at all times has been that the more familiar one becomes with a particular subject, the more interested he becomes in it and learning becomes more fun because he is clear of what he wants and has found a way to achieve it. Try and invest the maximum amount of time you can spare to read the subject matter you have chosen for study. Apart from reading the prescribed academic textbooks, read other related reference materials and talk to people who are more knowledgeable about it. This will open doors for you to widen your knowledge and cultivate an interest in the subject.

Set Aside Time for Play and Enjoyment for A1I-Round Development

‘All work and no play make jack a dull boy’. Except for the periods when you have exams or have a particularly heavy test, take time out from your studies to enjoy yourself. In the Western countries, working days are totally devoted to work and the weekends are used as a time to catch up on personal interests and just ‘letting the hair down,’ as they say. This is a good way to maintain and manage the time that we have on our hands. Take a break from your studies for a few hours every week to do whatever you wish to do. You can simply hang out with friends and catch up on the latest news. Or you could go for a movie or a music concert. A weekend trip to some place nearby where you can just relax without any worries is another good way of refreshing yourself. Keep yourself in touch with things outside of your academics for an all-round development of your personality.

Play Outdoor Games

Participate in various outdoor sports and give your body the exercise that it needs. Physically enhancing sports like football, cricket, and tennis, help the body to remain active and responsive to situations. Learning a new game or playing one can also enhance your mental qualities as the brain activates itself to accommodate new skills and develops it to quickly adapt and respond to new information. The earlier conception of a scholar as a nerd who kept himself confined to indoors has gradually taken a backseat with the emergence of the promotion of an active outdoor life as conducive to scholastic pursuits. Games which demand great physical participation on your part will help to release tension that may mount up and provide an effective outlet for the constraints in the mind.

Nuture Fruitful Friendships

Maintain a good circle of friends. Try to associate with those people from whom you can learn something. By improving relations with friends who can help you out in your studies, you will be cultivating a spirit of healthy competition among yourselves from which you and all of your friends will benefit. It has been said that ‘a man is known by the company he keeps’; so make sure you choose your company carefully. Peers can lead students because at the age of adolescence, there is what psychologists have called ‘peer pressure’, which is even stronger than the influence of the family. If you fall into bad company, you will be led to wrong ways and do wrong things without even knowing that you are moving in the wrong direction. Your classmates should ideally end up being your friends but make sure that you do not become rivals. Develop friendships with your classmates with whom you can discuss ideas, issues or specific subject related questions. Share the results you get from separate experiments and increase your knowledge. Benefit from each other’s hard work.

Respect Your Teachers

Your teachers are a source of knowledge. They are your guides to a bright future. Ouf debts to our teachers cannot be acknowledged enough. This is why Teachers’ Day is observed in India to pay respect to our teachers. It is not just another day with a fancy name. It is the day when you do all you can to show your genuine appreciation for the teachers who have taught you what you need to know to get ahead in life. This celebration has its’ roots in the ancient Indian tradition of treating teachers at par with gods. In those days students paid their respect to their teachers by offering them guru dakshina to show their appreciation. Lord Rama himself was a student of the well-known scholar Maharishi Vashishta. He owed a lot to his teacher for the glory and honour he received. In fact, it was Vashishta who gave Sita’s hand in marriage to Rama. Always remember your teachers and find ways of repaying them back in whatever way you can.

Listen to your Parents

Always listen to your parents and elders, knowing that they always have your best interest at heart. All the advice that you get from them may not be good or worth following but give them the benefit of listening even if you do not intend to follow them. Do not show disrespect by arguing with them or showing off your superior knowledge and belittling them. Remember that our elders have all gone through the same age that you are in and that they might have experienced the same things that we face at one time or another. They can teach you from what they have learnt through experience. In the present fast-paced world, many of their ideas may sound outdated but give them the benefit of the doubt. If you disagree with them, let them know the reasons why their advice may not be the best in the subtlest way possible, without hurting their feelings. At the end of the day, you will not find anyone who wishes you better than they do.

Student Corpus Fund

There is a lot of money involved in the education of students and everyone may not be able to afford the best possible. A good step to take in this direction is for the parents to make a one-time investment for the education of their children. A Corpus Fund means that a principle sum is locked and the interest from this sum can be used for the education of the child. This can create a feeling of abundance in the child, knowing that his education will not be cruelly cut off by shortage of funds. Our fortunes are subject to change, so even if the parents face a gloomy day with regard to finances, the education of their children will not suffer because of it. The increment from the fund will be useful for further study of students.

Be Helpful

Study should comprise not only of book knowledge and your whole life should not be given up to reading in isolation. Always keep in mind the fact that human beings are social animals who need to be in touch with their fellow men and live in mutual support. Nobody is able to live alone, without being in contact with people at one time or another, unless they take up the lifestyle of an animal and live in total isolation. It is for this reason that you should learn to be helpful to your family and the people around you. Develop relations with others by lending a helping hand to those who need it. You are sure to appreciate aid just when you need it. Others also feel the same way and your timely help will always be appreciated. We should learn to give not only what we have but also give what we are. Do your share of work in the house and surprise your parents by occasionally doing more than your share of the work.

Do Not Neglect Your Family And Friends

Never neglect your family and friends no matter how busy you find yourself. Always find the time to be with them. We all need support in everything we do. A successful person cannot function alone and he cannot be a success unless there are others who encourage him and open doors of opportunity for him. Your friends and family are your well-wishers and you cannot afford to drop them from your life. A lot of people let their egos grow out of control and lose touch with their friends and family once their status in life improves. This attitude is sure to backfire on them some day or the other. The people who are closest to you can offer you unlimited support. They are also the ones who can offer honest criticism when they find that you need some. You can be sure that their criticisms are without malice and learn to correct yourself from them. So, make sure that you always find time to spend with people who genuinely care for you.

Respect Your Books

Show your books the respect that is due to them. Our collection of books can reveal our inner self by displaying our personal interests. The way we manage and take care of our books also goes to show our attitude towards them. It is best, therefore, to keep them tidy and in some order. Take good care of them and keep them neatly. Have a separate rack or shelf for your books, where you can arrange them when you are not using them. Clean the covers of the books and the rack regularly so that they do not collect dust. Put cover jackets on them to prevent them from tearing. When you read your books, you might want to mark or underline parts of it to help you later. Do this with a pencil but never with a pen or a marker. The books will then remain neater and you can also erase the marks you have made after your purpose is done to prevent them from being spoilt permanently. Make your books accessible to yourself and others who may need them by keeping them clean and appealing. Make reading a pleasure by respecting and taking good care of your books.

Do Not Keep Damaged Paperwork

Do not keep any dusty or damaged files, books, etc., in the study room. Collect only those papers or books, which are relevant for the studies. You will obviously neglect files and books, which you do not need and they will remain untouched, gathering dust and cobwebs. This will disturb the ambience and sanctity of your sacred space. To maintain a productive study room, the things that are collected there need to be taken care of and used on a regular basis. Keeping damaged files or books inside the room will damage and disturb the harmony and ambience of the room. Make sure you clean the room thoroughly and discard the things that you do not need anymore. Strike a harmonized balance with nature by promoting the presence of useful objects, books and files in the study room. Damaged paperwork, which has no relevance to your studies, will only lead to unnecessary clutter and dust. The study room is your sanctuary; maintain it as such.

Follow the Path set by High Achievers

Indian value systems have always fired the entrepreneurial zeal in the Silicon Valley. Gumeet Naroola’s book, The Entrepreneurial Connection, offers readers an analysis of the attributes that carried the success path of some successful Indians. Some of the Indians covered in his analysis are Sabeer Bhatia, founder and creator of Hotmail, Deepak Chopra, motivational speaker and author, Desh Deshpande, co-founder and Chairman of Sycamore Networks, Inc. It also includes Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, Vinod Dahm, creator of the Pentium chip and Aziz Premji, the CEO of Wipro Industries. The following points are some of the conclusions drawn by a detailed analysis of the effective habits and lifestyles of these successful people:
-     All of these individuals are from excellent universities of repute like the IITs and HMs.

-     They are early risers and highly principled by nature.
-     They are aggressive listeners who are clear about their priorities.
-     They have close-knit stable families.
-     They are voracious readers and hard workers.

Closing in on Aziz Premji, the CEO of Wipro
Industries and once the third richest man in the world, he typically works at home from about 6a.m. to 7:30a.m. and is at the office at 8:30 in the morning. He usually leaves the office around 7 p.m. and catches up on his reading at night.

Vastu in Your Life

The science of Vastu has a remedy for overall prosperity in domestic life as well as in business and profession. It can enhance careers and resolve conflicts that block a person’s path to success by creating low stress and a highly productive environment. It inspires us to be in harmony with nature so that we might live a happy, successful and satisfied life. Vastu is a practical, architectural as well as an environmental science, offering codes of conduct for the construction and planning of buildings and its interiors. Evidences of such a practice can be seen in ancient temple designs as well as modern structures. The planning and constructions should be done following principles of Vastu, which will yield success for its inhabitants.

The north is the direction of wealth and success to which extra attention should be given. It is the direction from which knowledge flows and nothing should be kept in the northern direction that could block this positive flow of energy. As such, it is wise to keep objects connected with the presiding deity, Lord Kuber, in this direction. Worship rooms can be placed in the north, and the face should be turned towards this direction while undertaking any form of work so that the gods may bless it.

Make it a point to have the source of light for your interiors in the northern corner and never leave it cluttered or dirty. A practical step that one can take for success is to have a list of resolutions and wishes pasted on the northern wall. Read this list before your morning prayers and request the Vastu Deva to grant the wish.

Spare some thought to the location of your bedroom where you rest and sleep. This room is best located in the southwest while the kitchen where your food is prepared which should be in the southeast. The southwest portion of the building would best be used by the head of the family it is a good area for relaxation and balancing energy forces. Make sure that your home adheres to Vastu principles of providing a sacred central space in the midst of a flurry of activities. Special attention should also be given to the interior decoration by choosing the right colours and items of art. Gentle soft colours create a soothing effect but should be accentuated with stronger colours to balance positive energy in the interiors. The ambience of your home can also be improved by introducing Vastu symbols for luck and prosperity as part of the decor.

Make a Wish

Keep a few coins in a piece of red cloth, and place a pot containing Ganga Jal beside it on any desk in the northeast portion of the study room. Write your wish for success on a piece of paper and keep it wrapped in the red cloth. Remember your wish everyday and make positive efforts for its’ fulfillment. This arrangement is a potent symbolism. Ganga Jal is the symbol of purity, red is the colour of auspiciousness and coins represent the material wishes that the person makes. The northeast is the most important direction in Vastu because it is the portion where the head of the Vastu Purusha lies. It is also the region from where the Sun rises, bringing light and understanding to the world. The pot containing water should be placed in the northeast because of its beneficial effects. Moreover, it is the realm of the element of water and its presiding deity. Praying for your goals everyday will remind you of your physical goals and the steps you might take in order to fulfill them. The list of wishes that you prepare is important because you are putting it in the realm of the divine. So, take care to include only those wishes, which are practical and goal-oriented. Building castles in the air will not help you.

Make a list of all that you would like to achieve, whether it is related to career, money or something tangible that you would like to have. It could even be something spiritual or health related. Put all your wishes in an order of preference. The things that you would like to have the most should be at the top. Put your list in a closet along with five coins tied in a piece of red cloth.

Your model wish list could be as follows:
1 Need a house
2 Need a job and career
3 Need a vehicle
4 Need a life partner
5 Wish to have children
6 Wish to win money in a lottery
7 A wish for good health
8 A wish for happiness
9 Spiritual upliftment
10 A wish for good friends
11 A wish for a good companion

Visualize the Future

Once your wish list has been made, visualize what you would be in the next ten years, and what you could be with extra efforts and by following the Vastu rules. When you have become what you want to be, you will also be able to achieve your aims. Your efforts should be genuine and to achieve that end, following Vastu rules is a must. For example, if you are desirous of owning a car or a house, you know very well that for this dream to come true you will need a lot of money. You could work harder in your business or career and earn more money. You could save your money and put an end to all watseages. This way, you are bound to have some more money. Loans on easy installments for housing or buying a car are also available. You could learn the details from your bank. Do not forget to pray to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha for them to be more benovalent towards you. Place five coins tied in a red cloth with your cash. Place your locker in the north, as it is the realm of Kuber, the god of wealth. Follow other Vastu rules, work honestly, diligently and with determination and very soon you will realize your dreams.

Throw a lucky man in the sea, and he
will come up with a fish in his mouth.
                                                                .. .Anonymous

The word ‘Veda’ means knowledge and the Vedas first appeared in India more than 5000 years ago. Their different sections describe the universal laws of nature pertaining to all the fields of life. The Vedas articulate the practices of Ayurveda, (the world’s first science of health), Yoga, Astrology and Vastushastra.

Vastu for Students

Vastu is an ancient Vedic science related to architecture and interior design. It explains the universal laws of nature vis-a-vis built structures and the environment. The Vedic sciences are all connected and inter twined with each other.

They have an intimate bearing on our style of living. Contrary to popular notion, Vastu is not only about houses and principles of architecture, but is a holistic way of living in harmony with nature.

Vastushastra also contains tips on the placement of five elements in order to create peace, harmony and happiness. Problems of different nature and bad luck can arise due to improper placement of the elements. To eliminate such problems, you need to create a harmonious balance of five elements. The application of Vastu is universal and not restricted to Hindus. Since this art originated during the Vedic way of life, Hindu deities reign over the realms covered by the principles of Vastu. Introducing images or symbolic representations of the deities can restore the harmony in the space that you inhabit and as well as within yourself. The goddess Saraswati is especially important for the students as she is the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. Lord Ganesha is also very important, as he is the remover of obstacles and also the deity worshipped first in most Hindu ceremonies. The tips on placement of elements and appeasing the various deities will show you how you can invoke blessings from gods through simple rites.

The Northeast is very Important for Students

The northeastern region of a house occupies an important place in Vastu. Ishana is the ruling deity of the northeast; hence this direction is also known as Ishanya. Ishana is depicted as a white figure with three white eyes, riding a bull and holding a trident. He is an incarnation of Lord Shiva who helped king Bhagirtha bring the holy river Ganga from heaven to earth. Hence, the northeast is considered to be a zone of purity and water. Brihaspati (Jupitor) is the lord of the northeast and he is golden in colour with brown hair. The areas signified by him are health, spirituality, knowledge, information, nobility,; reliability, devotion, self-control, longevity and fame. The northeast is the resting place of the Vastupurusha’s head in] the Vastu mandala. This direction, if kept open, has! beneficial effects on the mental and physical health of a] person as it allows an unobstructed flow of light and air.] Vastu considers the northeast an ideal direction for water! sources which can act as a beneficial receptacle for the positive energy that comes from there. The northeast is the gateway to heaven and radiates positive energy. The northeast is closely related with knowledge, information,] wisdom and learning; hence very important for students.

Northeast has relationship with two cardinal directions—| north and east. The gods ruling over the north are Kuber andf Soma, the lord of wealth and indulgence, and the lord of health, respectively. The east is ruled by Surya, the Sun god I who provides us with light and enlightenment. These are the | very qualities considered essential for a student’s progress. I Proper attention given to the northeast will help you in taking ] steps that can enhance the benefits of this direction.

The Vastupurusha or the god of Vastu is believed to be1 born out of Lord Shiva’s sweat. The lord granted him a boon i and his wish was to devour all the three worlds. The celestial beings, 45 deities including Brahma held him down to prevent him from doing so and he has since been lying down, surrounded by the celestial beings. Thus, Vastupurusha is the spirit of the site who sits in a squatting position with his face downwards. His head and face lie in the northeast while his thighs and feet lie in the southwest. This body position determines the division of the directions. The Vastupurusha troubles those people who do not pay heed to positions inconvenient him. Uncomfortable positions and placements invoke his wrath. The Vastu principles teach us how to create harmonized spaces while respecting the domain of the Vastupurusha. He has his head in the northeast portion, which represents brain and intellectual activities. According to the principles of Vastu, northeast is the most beneficial direction and it is always advisable to leave an open space in this direction while constructing a building. Similarly, in interior decoration, the east and the northeast should never be blocked. If this portion of the room is blocked, the free flow of positive energies within the room will also be blocked, and only negative energies will reign in the room. To avoid such a situation, the east, north and northeast portions of the room should be left open and not blocked. These are the ideal locations for a door or window, which will allow the free flow of air and sunlight into the room.

The northeast is the recipient of positive cosmic energies. The north, east and northeast should always bear less weight and have lesser contraction than the south and the west, because the weight on the Vastupurusha’s head should be lesser. A slope in a property or even in the interiors of the house should extend down the north, the northeast or the east. A depression in this region yields prosperity and growth, both on the personal front as well as the family front. This area should not have any tall or heavy obstacles that repel the positive cosmic energies. Vastu principles assert that a slope in the realm of the northeast will lead to a prosperous life. This is true in the case of the student also. The inside of your study room should ideally have a slope in the northeastern section for success and happiness.

The Study Room

The study room is a home for your soul seeking its objective in the work you do there. It is a living entity filled with natural, God-made elements, which are freely endowed j upon everyone. A study room should be maintained with care J for the soul to grow and accomplish its goals in this room. A student needs to focus on his studies while widening his understanding of nature and his relationship with the universe. The central focus of Vastushastra is to build larmony between other elements present in our surroundings md us. Vastu aims to align the vibrations of our study room with the vibrations of our body. Every student should be able to experience God-given bliss in his study room and personal space. Complete bliss and inner peace yield a carefree mind, which is more receptive to learning. Vastu guidelines will help you attain that inner peace through careful maintenance of your interiors; the study room in the case of students. Remember, an enriched environment always nurtures an enriched mind.

The study room is an important place for a student. In this room, he prepares himself to face the various examinations and interviews in his career. The study room should not only be Vastu-compatible but also comfortable, well lit and airy. It should be located in the northeast of the house. Various Vastu aspects such as colour coordination, ventilation, furniture placement, if followed meticulously, can bring a positive change in quality learning.

Entrance to the Study Room

The entrance to your study room must be spacious, clean and neat. Remember that whenever you enter your study room, you are entering a holy space as if to perform a divine function. The doorway to your study room, therefore, attains greater importance than just serving as an entrance. Cleanliness is a must to maintain the sanctity of the room. The entrance should be preferably two-shuttered and should be located in the north, east or northeast. The positive forces that abound in this direction will, therefore, be released into the room as soon as the door is opened. This is also the ideal location for a window. 

Colour Coordination of the Study Room

Do not use harsh or trendy shades on the walls of your study room. Choosing the colours of the study room walls with care is important because the right colours determine the rhythm and theme of the room. After some time, your personality will get incorporated into the room and the harmony and rhythm created by the colours will influence you in a number of ways. Good colours for your study room walls are white, sky blue, yellow, cream or light green. You can even use these colours in different ways within the room itself, besides painting your walls with them. Avoid too much use of black or brown colours in your furnishings. White is good because it represents harmony in the way it blends with all the colors of the rainbow. White also represents Saraswati, the goddess of learning. Blue is the colour of heavenly consciousness, truth, harmony, calmness and hope. Green is soothing, healing, peaceful and cool in its positive aspect. Blue and green together can stimulate the highest level of talent and creativity.

Shun Broken Mirrors

If you have a mirror in your study room, make sure that it is intact and whole. Broken mirrors are considered inauspicious not only in Hindu homes but by people all over the world. Even a hairline crack in the mirror brings bad luck. Moreover, the pieces of a broken mirror could fall and harm you if not replaced. Discard a mirror immediately once it is broken or damaged; otherwise it might become the source of negative influence that could harm your academic pursuits. Mirrors should not be fixed on the south and southwest walls.

Proper Ventilation

The five elements, namely space, air, water, fire and earth that lord Brahma used in the creation of the universe were derived from his own essence. Air is the second of these elements to be created after space and it contains the characteristics of both space and air. These elements continuously influence our bodies and our surroundings. Their presence in our lives is beneficial for us. A study room should be constructed with proper and adequate ventilation, which will allow the free circulation of fresh air. The air that we breathe in, to an extent, determines our physical and mental health. It is essential to have more openings, like windows, on the east, north or northeast to avail of uninterrupted flow of cosmic energy.

Drinking Water in the Study Room

Water is the best drink. One should drink at least one litre of water everyday. Your study room should have provision for drinking water. One of the forty-five deities holding Vastu Purusha to the ground is Ishana. This deity rules over the realm of the northeast and the element of this realm is water. In Vastu, the northeastern part of a property is perfect for storing water. The drinking water inside the study room should be placed in the northeast portion, most preferably on your table. Water in this quadrant acts as aj beneficial receptacle for the positive energy that comes from j this direction. 

Create Harmony in the Study Room

Since the Vedic texts assert that the divine exists within^ all of us, you should try and draw forth the divine inside you to bear upon your study room as well. Gandhiji had said, ‘Nothing turns out right so long as there is no harmony between body, mind and soul’. To create the harmony you need, make the personal items in your study room reflect your inner self. Surround yourself with an array of colours in the form of your pencil box, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and paperweights. These items of stationery improve the ambience of the room. Besides, the use of colourful items creates a refreshing environ and thwarts possible effects of monotony and a boring atmosphere. This will be to your advantage, as a monotonous surrounding will only stifle your creativity and natural ability to learn.

No TV or Conversation During Studies

Under the guidance of Vastu principles, a television set should never be put in the study room and bedroom, because the TV is a powerful and attractive machine, which could easily distract you from your studies and steal a part of your study time. A TV could be placed in the living room and other members of the family should be advised to keep the volume low, so that you are not disturbed. The study room should be located at a place where the sounds coming from a TV set will not disturb you while you study. Never switch on the TV even when you are taking a break from your studies or having meals. If your favourite programme is being telecast, you must resist the temptation to watch it, as most of the programmes are repeated on some channel or the other.

Certain programmes on the TV can be educative as well as informative. Parents can allow their children to watch these programmes in a deal that after that particular programme, TV would be switched off and studies be taken up seriously.

Another disturbance is conversation among family members. They should avoid loud conversation in the vicinity of the study room. Once your concentration is disturbed by a TV show or a conversation, you will lose the focus of your studies altogether.

Globe on Your Study Table

Vastu recommends awareness and friendship with environment and our planet. Be a geography friend. Keep an Atlas or a globe in your as a tool to locate any place, on the earth. Globe is a symbol of earth which provides stability. It can be kept in the southwest portion of the room or table. Very often, we keep talking about a place without even knowing its exact location. The world has become a global village, thanks to faster communication. When we hear news from around the world, it is easy to just record the names of places without bothering to find out more about the place. This is true especially in the case of some headline-making story. The story is often repeated both on the visual and print media and people may talk about it as if the incident happened in our neighbourhood itself. Mostly, we are not aware where the place is, and which country it is situated. Lacking such a vital knowledge could make you lose precious marks in your exams. Competitive exams have important questions pertaining to such details. There was a question in the UPSC exam once where the candidates were required to mark the places where a news event occurred on a given map. Only a few could do it. Strive to acquire a full-fledged knowledge rather than a half-baked one.

Music for Your Mind 

Your study room should have a music system for listening to soft music occasionally in order to soothe your nerves. The great thinker Plato has said, “Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to imagination, charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order and leads to all that is good, just and beautiful.” Hindus have deitified Saraswati as the goddess of learning and wisdom, symbolizing her as the dynamic form of eternal sound. Music is filled with the divine energy. Sweet music helps mental concentration as well.

The spheres of music referred to as NADA leave a lasting sense of peace in the person who hears it and the experience is more vivid and real than any other sensory experience. Listening to soft music while taking short breaks during study will help you to concentrate better, besides refreshing your mind. However, one should remember that the music of the gods is not the kind that is likely to break your concentration or distract your mind from your purpose.

Sit Facing the Northeast

A student should face the northeast, north or east while studying. The northeast is the direction of knowledge and information as per Vastu principles. The early rays of the morning sun fall on the northeastern region, destroying germs and bringing in positive energy and a refreshing effect. The unobstructed flow of cosmic energies, light and air from the northeast also creates a refreshing atmosphere. If the student faces the northeast, the mind can benefit from the favourable effects of the positive energy, light and air flow. Therefore, a student should face the direction of knowledge and reap the advantages of the favourable conditions that nature herself has created.

Sunlight—The Best Source

The eyes are very important body organ, giving us the sense of sight. They are extremely sensitive and need proper and regular care. There should always be proper lighting for the eyes to work without strain. If one has to read for a long period while studying, extra care should be taken to ensure that there is enough light. Harsh and inadequate light may cause an unnecessary strain to your eyes, which will harm them. Today, the rise in the number of children wearing glasses is alarming. Though this can be attributed to genes to some extent, many cases are due to improper care and inadequate provision for reading light. Natural light from the Sun is best suited for eyes. Indoors or at night, this should ie supplemented with artificial light. In order to get sufficient latural light, your study table should be placed in the lirection which receives direct sunlight, i.e. the northeast, ast or north. Read outside in the Sun on a clear day. It will •rove relaxing for your eyes.

Leights to Correct Vastu Imbalances

Lights create balance and harmony in the study room, rhey are good for correcting Vastu imbalances associated vith rooms of irregular shapes. Lights are a powerful tistrument in creating an illusion of shape and can make odd-haped rooms and furniture appear better. This is a very imple and easy way to correct the Vastu imbalances, which iring about negative influences. A well-lit room is always leasing and more welcoming than a dimly lit one. The eyes ne quick reactors to light and their very nature requires that lue importance be given to lighting as well. The pupil size idjusts according to the intensity of light and increases when he light is not bright, raising stress. To avoid this, use omfortable bright lights. Do not place electric bulbs in the lirection you are facing because this will give rise to hadows that come in your range of vision, disturbing you nstead of correcting imbalances. Place the main source of ight in the direction of your back, at a higher level, throwing ight on your reading and as well as in the whole room. Use ights creatively and build a relaxing atmosphere conducive o concentration in your study room.

Supplementary and Proper Light is a Must

Natural light will not be sufficient for reading at all hours of the day. A table lamp for your study table is necessary. The light from your lamp should fall directly on your reading material. To increase its effects, the bulb of the table lamp should not be exposed, but covered with a shade. The shade prevents the light from getting diffused and does not become faint over your area of focus. The harshness of the light, which may be harmful to your eyes, will also be deflected.

Light should come simultaneously atleast from two sources like two bulbs or tube lights while you study on your table. Single source of light is generally not sufficient inside a room for the purpose of reading and writing.

We use items like bulbs and tubes that can and do get dusty or damaged. A regular checking must be made of all sources to get proper light. Check to find and replace any damaged bulbs or holders during the daytime when the natural light is there to help you. Have a ready stock of bulbs, plugs, holders, or wires, which you might need to replace faulty lights. 

Windows

It is good to have two windows on either side of the main door to make it look like a human face. Winds laden with pranic energy come in from the north and the east. If you follow Vastu directions in the structure of the house, your main door will be in these directions and windows on the sides will, be beneficial. The two windows in these directions will allow the incoming forces to enter the house and increase the benefits. Windows are good in a study room, particularly opposite your chair to enable you to have an outside view whenever you want. If you have windows in the other directions, try to avoid opening them or curtail the duration of leaving them open. The windows and ventilators provide ventilation, which is beneficial in maintaining an even temperature and driving out the stale air. Nature is abundantly present in a room, which is well ventilated and has a good circulation of air.

No Creaking

The doors and windows of the study room should be preferably wooden and should not be creaky. They should be well fitted and balanced and not open without human effort. Creaky doors are inauspicious and should be oiled immediately. Moreover, creaky hinges will only add to the noise pollution and will pose a distracting factor for the student. Another point to note is that doors and windows should open wide to let in more light and air.

The Room should be well Proportioned

The breadth, height and length of the study room must be well proportioned. The best shape for a room is a square because all the energy fields are present in a square. All the positive influences of the eight directions are well balanced in this structure. In a rectangular room, the energy lines are stretched and they grow weaker but this is still a better shape than other irregular shapes that a room might acquire. Odd-shaped rooms, which have a missing corner or an elongated side, will lose an energy force or have an excess of another, depending on their irregularities. The energy fields are like the cosmic forces, they are constant and it is very important that we learn to tap these forces in the shape and structure of the room. The science of energy fields understood by the division of directions is at the base of Vastu preferring certain areas for specific activities. Having a well-proportioned room will ensure that positive forces remain inside the structure, ensuring a full life for the inmates. If your room has a missing corner, you can add a light on the wall towards the missing area to enhance particular energy related to missing area. If it is elongated, you can put a curtain to balance the energy.

Placement of Furniture

The proper placement of furniture is important in creating a Vastu-enriched environment for your study room. Positive energy enters the room through the gateway to the gods in the northeast and travels in an arc to the southwest of the home. The furniture placement can help either to trap or release the energy flow. Care should be taken not to disrupt or disturb this energy flow by proper positioning of furniture. As heavy furniture can stop the circulation of the energy flow, Vastu advices on how pieces of furniture, particularly heavier ones can be placed, so that the positive energies can be trapped to remain inside the house. All items of furniture must be kept at least three inches away from the wall in the north, east and northeast. The four cardinal directions and the intermediate directions, which are so central to Vastu, are also to be taken into consideration in the placement of furniture inside the house.

Vastushastra can help achieve beneficial surrounding space in your study room through the correct placement of the various kinds of furnitures. The care given to your physical space enriches the environment and promotes a healthy mind.

Have a Spacious Study Table

The study table should be spacious enough to accommodate the items that you frequently use in addition to the ones you use at specific times. You may like to place items of stationery on the table. A study table often contains some personal items, like a favourite picture or photograph as well. Vastu recognizes that our dwellings should reflect the rhythm of the universe and our connection to nature. As such, a vase of flowers or some other natural product on your study table would create harmony between the interior of the room and the world outside. The study table has to be large enough to effectively carry all these items and still have enough empty space to produce a sense of tranquility.

Shape of the Table

The shape of your study table should ideally be either square or rectangular. The four corners of a square or rectangle represent the four cardinal directions of north, south, east and west giving rise to the intermediate directions of the northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest and the centre with their respective elements of air, water, earth, fire and space, the presiding deities and symbolisms. The four corners of the square and rectangle represent the first four elements while the fifth that of space is provided around the table. To have a study table without the four corners would mean to lose out on any of the elements, thus missing out on the identification of a cardinal direction and the blessings of its ruling deity. The use of odd-shaped furniture should, therefore, be avoided.

Use a Good Table and Chair

A student must develop the habit of studying only on the chair and table provided in his study room. Since these items of furniture are frequently used, they should be comfortable, ergonomically perfect and adjustable to the user’s height. You should be able to sit straight and erect on the chair with your feet touching the floor or the footrest. The table should be of a height where you can read comfortably. Incorrect posture is the biggest cause of backaches and medical advisers also recommend correct postures at all times. A good sitting posture will improve your physical health and also enhance your mental abilities. Added to this, heavy items of furniture like the table and chair should be placed in the direction of the Southwest side of the room, which is the realm of earth and heaviness.

The Decor of your Study

Every individual has his or her own distinct personality and specific needs that require well-thought out choices. Learn to know yourself well so that the choices you make in life will always be best suited for the person that you are. Vastu living advises the expression of each person’s individuality in the home and workplace. For a student, the study room is his personal workplace and the decor of the room should reflect the same. Thinking of yourself and your soul as a deity and the study room as its temple will make you consider the study room as a sacred space, connecting the soul to the Supreme Creator. The physical space, where we spend most of our time, has an enormous effect on us and Vastu helps us to ensure that this effect is positive. The decor of the study room should invite concentration of the mind and a place where you will like to spend your time. Your ability to express your individual personality in your study room is an important factor that adds to the harmony existing between you and your space.

Vastu offers time-tested advice for the decor of the study room. Tips in the use of colour are those that can best help a student. Accept that you have your own distinct personality and work towards its expression in the decor of your study room.

Welcome Sign

The entrance to your study room will be in the northeast quadrant, filling the room with enlightenment and inspiration, provided you follow the Vastu principles. Hang a welcome sign on the door of your study room. Opening your heart to others leads to opening your mind. A welcome sign is a positive omen, which shows that you are not an anti-social person, and that you are willing to share what you are and what you have with those who might need it. Many successful people have been known to have good relations with people they come across. Be open-minded enough to enhance your personal and public relationships. A welcome sign at the entrance to your study room will be a good indicator of your intentions.

Selective Pictures

Do not keep photographs or paintings that generate negative feelings in your study room. The pictures you hang on your walls are important and you need to be selective about them because you will have to look at them every time you enter your study room . There are certain pictures which should not be hung in a house, such as depictions of nudes, animals fighting, snakes, owls, bats, vultures and pigeons. Do not put up pictures that might distract you while you study. The study room is your private space, not a showroom for display. Make it a point to ensure that the ambience of the room encourages your mental activities, not distract them. Negative energies are the last things you need in the room, so avoid putting up pictures that might release them.

Inspirational Walls

Keep inspirational quotes and pleasant images on the walls of your study room. The decor of the room should be designed in such a way that the moment you walk into the room, it immediately fills you with the desire to study. You must have seen pictures and photographs of national leaders hung on the walls of government offices and educational institutions. This is done to show respect and also because these depictions are inspirational in nature. Their pictures remind us of the great lives these leaders have lived and motivate us to emulate them in whatever way we can. Similarly, you can hang pictures of your heroes and people who inspire you on the walls of your study room. Pleasant images, which have a calm effect on your senses, can also be used to fill the walls. Inspirational quotes that will constantly remind you of your goals and encourage you should also be put up as wall hangings. Photographs of your family and role models are best placed within a frame either lined with gold or in golden colours.

Updated Markers

Calendars always form an important part of decor of a study room. Make it a point to update the calendars and year planners you have in your study room . Do not put up outdated calendars and year planners. Always discard them immediately. It is important for you to remain in the present so that you are always focussed on your task. Any outdated markers on the study table might set you back and disrupt your routine. Besides calendars and planners, make sure that your clock is also always on time. It does not pay to be late or to miss some opportunity because of a faulty clock on the wall. There have been many cases of students missing out on an important exam or failing to show up for an interview because their markers were not updated. Avoid such careless mistakes by ensuring that you keep the correct time in your study room.

Colourful Paperweights

A careful and skillful use of colour will always brighten up a room. With this aim in mind, add colours into the decor of your study room that will lift your spirits and make you enthusiastic towards working on your lessons. The use of a paperweight is quite necessary on any worktable and your study table is no exception. You need it to keep loose sheets in place to prevent them from flying all over the place. This will become more useful as you progress in your studies because there will be an increase in your study matter. A single book will cease to provide everything you need. Collection of data becomes very important and you will need paperweights to keep your materials in place. Use a colourful paperweight that is as attractive as it is useful. Adding colour in your study room in this manner will enhance your creative abilities and increase your mind power as well.

Fresh Flowers in the Study

Fresh flowers in a vase in your study room are excellent Vastu tools that will lift your spirits. Introducing Nature inside your room will be a great advantage, especially if you live in a city where there is hardly any space to let nature grow undisturbed. People of all ages, of every age and in places all over the world use flowers to compliment each other and show their appreciation. The sight of fresh flowers in the room will delight your senses and sharpen them for the tasks ahead of you. When you bring flowers for display in the room, you can use a vase or container but always keep the proportion of the space in mind and do not overwhelm it, so that it appears refreshing and not stifling or congested. You can even bring the outdoors into the room’s interiors by displaying various strains of plants and flowers if you have Sunlight coming inside the room.

No Dried Flowers or Cacti

Take care not to use dried flowers or cactus because these release only negative Vastu energies. Dried flowers should not be used as a part of decoration in homes particularly the study room. Dried flowers have spent thei| life and are now truly dead. Death releases negative for The cactus is virtually a dry plant having hardly any wati Having thorns all over a cactus does not suggest or repr a vivid life and thus, should be avoided.

Display a Photograph of Goddess Saraswati

Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahma, the god of creation. She is herself the goddess of wisdom and knowledge and all the fine arts. She is also the deity of learning. Being the embodiment of spiritual wisdom, Lord Brahma also requires her knowledge in the act of perfect creation. For a student, the worship of Saraswati is a must as she is the giver of knowledge and wisdom. A photo of the deity should be placed in the northeast corner of the study room so that the scholar can worship and gain her blessings on his efforts. The appearance of the goddess is symbolic; she is normally shown with four hands. Two hands play the veena, a stringed instrument. With one hand, she holds one of the Vedas, reminding us that wisdom is contained in these texts, while the fourth hand holds rosaries showing the need to concentrate through meditation and chanting. A photograph of the deity displayed inside the study room will be a source of constant inspiration for the student. You can also keep images of Lord Shiva and Brihaspati in the northeast of your study room as symbols of energy and wisdom.

Veena in the Study Room

Music that aids mental concentration, is the blessing of Goddess Saraswati. She is the goddess who gives man the sense of hearing and energy for sound, producing music. It is this sense which can lead man back to the infinite, if only he understands how to use it. In her symbolic representation, two hands of Goddess Saraswati play the veena through which she makes music, the vibration of sound, and spreads the word. Placing a real or a symbol of the veena in the Northeast realm of the study room would be advantageous for the student. Other symbolic representations of the goddess, which you may add to the decor of your room are: a sheet of music, a lotus, a carving or picture of a swan or a peacock. Some students even believe that peacock’s feathers bring them luck and so they put them inside books or under their pillows during exams. It is always good to select discreet, symbolic representations of the deity for Vastu of the study room.

Pyramid

Pyramids are classic examples of Vastu. They have immense power to generate positive energies. A pyramidal shape in the construction of the room will help in studying and meditation. This should be done, however, only if you are not going to