| Regardless of the challenge, how we measure up depends upon our attitude. Having a positive mental attitude means that everything we do is very important. This should especially apply to academic activities. How you do in school depends upon your ability but certainly your attitude plays a major role in determining success. Thus, while in school, you must use some of your time to build and maintain an attitude that enables you to achieve at a level of your true worth.
What are realistic expectations for school? Know that for most people, school requires a considerable amount of time and a considerable amount of mental energy. A fulltime student should look at school as a fulltime job that often requires many hours of overtime. To be successful, you must be willing to put forth whatever is the necessary effort. This may mean writing and rewriting papers, reading and rereading assignments, memorizing quantities of information, and practice, practice, practice until you have met your highest standard or until time runs out.
In addition, you should know that success in school does not mean all A’s or even one A on every report card. Success in school does not mean graduating in the top 10 per cent. In fact, success in school may mean all C’s and even graduating last in your class. After all, that place has been reserved for someone in every human endeavor. The 1984 Time magazine “Man of the Year,” Peter Ueberroth, acknowledges having graduated in the top 83% of his class at San Jose State University. Success in school means that you have measured up to your best expectations given life’s situation at that time. Success means that you have done your very best, no excuses. Furthermore, for you, the academic experience brings with it an opportunity for social growth that is of great value and should not be discounted.
Lastly, for most people, the challenge of school is no less than a long-range goal, one with an anticipated outcome extending beyond three or more years. Unfortunately, for most of us, our motivation to stay with a long-range goal is fragile. In our drive toward achieving a long-range goal, we have a tendency to lose our way. We may get distracted for one or more reasons. Thus, we need a system that will help us stay on course. We need a plan.
While for some, success comes through a lucky break, the only sure way for us to achieve success is to have a plan coupled with readiness to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way. All good plans begin with a dream. You should clearly see what you want to achieve, the job you will do or the profession you will enter. You should see yourself awarded with your academic degree and the excitement it will bring. You should see yourself enrolled in the courses you will take, the very moments in each course, the difficulties you will encounter, the struggles that will be required to overcome those difficulties, and the joy of accomplishment when you do achieve your fullest potential.
You must over and over again, day after day, dream your success so that you will become obsessed by it and absorbed within it. Let your dream become as much a part of you as you become a part of it. Remember, what you think all day determines what you will become. So, promise yourself right now that you will begin the rest of your life with a dream. And, do it! To confirm your promise, sign your name on the line provided and add the date.
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That’s great! You have taken the first step of your journey toward academic success. You have taken the step of commitment. This does not mean that you cannot ever change your plans, it means that right now you have made a decision. You have a goal and you have committed your energies to pursuing that goal. At sometime in their life, every successful person spelled out their goals and developed a plan by which they could be achieved. You can and must do the same.
The second step in your journey to success is to develop the written plan by which you can expect to achieve your goal, in this case, academic success. For you, the plan will be like a map. At any moment you will be able to see where you are along the way. You should see your starting point that should be an outline of all of your talents and achievements and you should see your goal that should be an outline of what you aspire to become with all of its additional skills and abilities. Obviously, the difference between start and finish represents the progress you will have to make.
For you to develop this plan, you will have to spend a lot of time in study and reflection. It will be time well spent because as you study and reflect, your ideas of who you are and what you hope to achieve will be more clear to you. When you achieve your goal, it will be because of what you did rather than a stroke of good luck. In fact, you will be making your won breaks and you will be able to feel good about that.
On a daily basis as you use your plan, each big or small accomplishment along the way will give you the enjoyment of success. Consequently, at the end of every day, reflect upon the total of your achievements. No matter how small, you must focus on the accomplishment of each day and feel good about your successes. With each accomplishment, you will gain in confidence because you did it and you will know that you can do it again. Indeed, this confidence in yourself will help you build and maintain a positive mental attitude. So, build your plan and use it. You will begin to see hurdles and pitfall, “straight-a-ways” and curves. You will be able to anticipate and prepare for events that come your way and you will become the master of your future. You will be a winner.
Every day as Bruce Jenner prepared for the Olympic decathlon, he saw himself take every step along the way. He saw the challenges of other competitors. This dreaming of his surge to victory helped him win the gold medal. And, Harold Geneen, retired chairman of the board of International Telephone and Telegraph once said, “If ordinary mortals can scale extraordinary peaks so can you; if you don’t it’s because you either didn’t want to or didn’t work hard enough.”
In summary, begin with a dream and build a plan for your success. At the end of every day, say to yourself, “I have done my best today, for now, it’s time to bring my work to an end.” Be satisfied with a good day’s work. Every day take 15 minutes out for quiet time, for dreaming your dream. Every day, take some time in the morning to be alone for planning, organizing, and prioritizing your work. Plan to do the important things first. In this way, you will avoid the activity trap of working at things that do not get you where you want to go. Look positively at difficult, troublesome, or dreaded assignments. Push yourself to start them and believe you will be able to succeed. Every day take some time in the evening to reflect upon you achievements. Also, once per week, take time off to just relax. You owe it to yourself. Exercise two or three times per week. You owe it to yourself. Lastly, avoid people of low self-esteem, detractors, belittlers, gossipers, and complainers whose message is gloom, despair, and misery. You owe it to yourself. Be a winner!
Creation date : 14/11/2005 @ 18:29
Last update : 14/11/2005 @ 18:34
Category : Study Tips
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