The Wheat Harvest and the English Language Institute

Ziad Rayess, the author of "Shortcut for a Better Life," shares an interesting story of his college days.

He talks about how he planned to finish college as soon as possible by taking the most classes each term, and the biggest challenge he faced was passing the English-language oral placement interview. He did not speak English, but he had to ace the interview to start studying the basic courses for his major right away. This led him to come up with a unique solution that helped him pass the interview, but his poor English had an impact on him throughout college. From his experience, Rayess derived great wisdom: some things require time and effort, and shortcuts are not always advantageous.

The Value of Patience and Persistence:

In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life", the writer Ziad Rayess mentions: I started college about 42 years ago, where the instruction was done in English. I was one of those students who had set a goal of finishing college as quickly as possible by taking the most classes possible each term (145 hours were required for graduation).

This ambitious goal demanded not only a concerted effort, but a sequential arrangement of classes. My main challenge was to pass the oral interview in English, which would determine my placement. My goal was to ace the test so I could begin studying the basic courses for my major right away. If I didn’t, I might stay in this stage for a year or a year and a half, a waste of time in my opinion.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know any English, as it was our last concern in the school stage. For several days, I asked the students who had done the interview before me about what questions were asked in it, what type of interview it was, and how long it was. Eventually, I decided to memorize a long, controlled, coherent sentence and find any way to insert it into the interview, so I could sound like I had come straight from London. Of course, I had to choose the right sentence, one that I could start from the first question “What’s your name?”

I was supposed to answer with my name and wait for the second question. But my answer was the one I had planned: “Ziad Rayess, born in Germany in Ludwigshafen. I moved to Latakia, Syria and went to school there...” etc. Naturally, I spent several days memorizing and repeating this answer before the interview. It worked, and I was placed in the highest-level English class. In the first term, I was able to begin taking classes for my major. But in truth, my poor English affected me throughout college.

The lesson I got from this is that some merits deserve some time and effort, and cutting the line is not necessarily beneficial in every situation. We have to know when the wheat seeds need months to sprout and grow into ripe plants before they can be harvested. If you try to shorten the process, you’ll get unripe or poor-quality wheat. You must spend this time carefully watering and caring for the plants, applying the necessary fertilizer, and pesticides. Then God will bless you with a good harvest.

Conclusion:

Life is a journey, and taking shortcuts may not always result in the best results, as Ziad Rayess's tale in "Shortcut for a Better Life" teaches us. The finish line requires time and effort, so be patient, because good things come to those who wait. It's important to remember that moving too quickly can backfire on you and push you further away from your goal.