adminis a product of progress and achievement.
Straying a bit from the substance of this oratory it is funny how I have come to write this article. I was caught offguard by the Latin inscription on the badges of one of the oldest schools in Zimbabwe as I passed by. “Per Ardua Ad Astra” loosely translated to “Through hard work we will reach the stars”. This is the motto and badge of Harare Girls School.
So many feats and activities have been attributed to students’ success in school and by extension to everyone in general. I remember when I was still in primary school there was this girl who was always top of the class academically.
We all stood in awe, humbled and belittled by her academic prowess, she was intelligent beyond measure. To ever dream of being better than her in class was farfetched. But the question that was always on our little minds was how could she be brilliant than all of us without even seeming to put so much effort on it?
As we were close to finishing our primary school years, the mystery was finally unravelled, one guy in our class brought the news that sent joy in the whole class. It had been discovered that this wonder-girl’s father was a traditional healer.
So the mystery was solved in our young minds. This wonder-girl was by far not any better than the whole lot of us but her father was the force behind her success whether by good magic or bad but nevertheless to us it was magic. This is exactly what happens in everyday life. We are puzzled and we acknowledge the achievements and successes of others, but not often do we acknowledge the reasons behind their achievements.
Success is so sweet that people do almost anything to achieve success, but believe you me real success only comes through hard work, contrary to what my young mind could understand at the time.
Vince Lombardi Jnr coined this phrase: “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. Work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.” Cool Lifestyle interviewed a number of students on what they attribute their success to. Sekai, from Mabvuku High expressed her opinions on what it takes to succeed in school as well as in life. “To succeed in school as well as in life you need to work hard, you need to go the extra mile to prove your worth.
“Happiness and success do not come on a silver platter, besides I have never seen anyone who drowned on sweat from hard work,” she said. Another student from Marondera, Rueben, said: “The world we are now living in requires one to be hardworking in order to achieve success. It is different from the world where one could strike a fortune and make it without working hard. What Shakespeare said about having greatness thrust upon you is no longer applicable, but rather achieving greatness through hard work is the only game in town,” he said.
Another student from Cranborne Boys’ High School who only identified himself as Ray-Jay said: “In school there are no miracles to pass, I would only say the only miracle is rather the strength to endure the tiresome hours of school work as well the reading and hard work that comes with it.
“Actually, I haven’t seen anyone who claims to have not worked hard and passed his/her exams.” Though some people are naturally born intelligent but without hard work all the intelligence goes to waste. Kelvin Durant, a professional basketball player, says: “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
Beware students wherever you are if you don’t work hard and hope that your intelligence alone. Only through hard work will you reach the stars, “Per Ardua Ad Astra”.
Online Reporter