1. If young people don’t work hard, old people will be sad.

Source: Han Yuefu's "Yuefu Poetry Collection·Long Song Xing".

Translation: If you don’t work hard when you are young and strong, it will be useless to be sad when you are old.

2. Work is accomplished by hard work, but wasteful by play; success is achieved by thinking, and destroyed by casualness.

Source: "Jinxuejie" written by Han Yu, a writer in the Tang Dynasty.

Translation: Academics are specialized due to hard work, and are neglected due to play; virtues are achieved due to independent thinking, and corrupted due to following the custom.

3. The lights are on at three and the chickens are on at five, which is when men are studying.

Source: From "Encouraging Learning" by Yan Zhenqing in the Tang Dynasty.

Translation: The best time for boys to study is between midnight and the time when the rooster crows.

4. It is easier for a young person to learn than to become an old man, so no time is wasted.

Source: From "Oucheng" by Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty.

Translation: The days of youth are easy to pass away, but it is difficult to succeed in learning, so you must cherish every inch of time and not let it go easily.

5. If a man follows his life's ambition, he should read the Six Classics diligently in front of the window.

Source: From "Poems to Encourage Learning" by Zhao Heng of the Song Dynasty.

Translation: If a man wants to realize his greatest ambition in life, he should diligently read the Six Classics of Poems, Books, Rites, Music, Spring and Autumn in front of the window.