 To prepare himself, and to stay at least one step ahead of his students, he took a three-year sabbatical from composing original works, and assiduously studied at home while he lectured at the Conservatory.He taught himself from textbooks, and followed a strict regimen of composing contrapuntal exercises, fugues, chorales and "a cappella" choruses.Rimsky-Korsakov eventually became an excellent teacher and a fervent believer in academic training.