FIRST YEAR AT HARROW

Q1: Writer of ‘First Year at Harrow’?

Ans: Sir Winston Churchill

Q2: Are examiners justified in asking questions that students can’t answer?

Ans: Partially true, mainly a complaint of less diligent students. Hardworking students can answer any question.

Q3: What questions do examiners ask?

Ans: Examiners ask a mix of easy and difficult questions to distinguish diligent students from others.

Q4: Why didn’t Churchill do well in exams?

Ans: He preferred poetry and essay writing, but the examiners focused on Latin and Mathematics, which he couldn’t answer.

Q5: How did Churchill handle his Latin paper?

Ans: He did it poorly, only writing his name, “question 1,” and adding smudges to the paper.

Q6: Gain or loss: Learning English, not Latin and Greek at Harrow?

Ans: Gain. Learning English helped him earn a livelihood and a promising career.

Q7: What did Churchill learn during his three years at Harrow?

Ans: He learned the basic rules of English, which proved crucial for his future career.

Q8: How did Churchill’s knowledge of English benefit him in later years?

Ans: His knowledge of English was invaluable, as it helped him in practical life and made him a successful politician.

Q9: What happened to boys who had learned Latin and Greek?

Ans: Those who learned Latin and Greek had to relearn English to earn a livelihood.

Q10: Churchill’s advice on learning English?

Ans: Churchill advises all English boys to learn English first, and then learn Latin as an honor and Greek as a treat.

Q11: Who was Mr. Weldon?

Ans: Mr. Weldon was the head of Harrow, and Churchill had great respect for him.

Q12: Who was Mr. Somervell and how did he teach English?

Ans: Mr. Somervell was a delightful English teacher at Harrow who used colored ink markers to teach English.