Studying is like rowing against the current - if you don't advance, you fall back.
Tips
usage
Almost always paired with the second half: 不进则退 ('if you don't advance, you fall back'). The full eight-character phrase is one of the most quoted lines in Chinese motivational writing.
memory
Picture rowing upstream: stop pulling the oars and the current carries you backward. Standing still isn't an option - that's the whole moral.
