Last time you got a bad result!

Now and then you get handed back some work on which the grade written is so awful, it takes you by surprise at just how bad it is.  It could have been graded A, B, or F, depending on what you had expected and, maybe, just how important the subject is to your future.  How rotten did it feel to get that bad result?  Almost sick inside?  You wonder if there is some mistake.  You try to think of excuses, blame something, or someone, for what lies on the desk in front of you.  But, really, the result is down to you.  Remember that you earned it.  That grade has been recorded against your name.  Do not be mistaken by the idea that your teacher gave it to you.  No, your teacher merely added the points up that you gained for the work you submitted.  Most high schools have standards drawn up for each assessment item so that students are graded fairly and with equal chance of excellence. 

There is nothing you can do about it.  You can, however, use that low feeling.  What you need to do is hold that bad feeling  as a constant beacon reminding you that you will deliberately work to avoid such results in the future.  That grade has been indelibly recorded against your name.  There for you to disprove.  Disprove again and again.  Make it a target; a target not to be hit again. 

Did you know in your heart that you really could do much better?  Was there really a good reason for your poor result?  If yes, then you may forgive yourself.  Think very hard before you let yourself off.  Otherwise, begin the repair job right away by thinking deeply about the feelings you had personally on seeing that result.  Plan a bit of time to sit and plan a way for this not to happen again or at least to be less likely to happen again.  Take your time; find time alone, quiet, no ipod, use paper to write or sketch your thoughts.  Doodle, let the ideas flow.  Do not force it, just relax and follow your thoughts.  Be sure to keep them on track.  The time you take will be determined by how relaxed you can get during the process.  Make sure the whole picture is only be about you.  This part cannot be influenced by what happens or has happened around you.  It may be that you felt: frustrated, ill, inadequate, that you let yourself down, stupid, had too little time, not good at studying this subject, you took poor notes or absolutely anything else that comes to mind.  It is well worth spending as much time as you can on this reflective process. 

This is not about beating up on yourself but knowing your how your emotions interact with your results.  A very, very valuable exercise.  Do not rush.  Expect the best from it.  What do you want to get out of it?  A single piece of paper.  It most probably will not be the first draft.  If it is, you need to work a bit longer to make sure everything has been drawn out.  In the end, done with time to relax, the paper will guide you to your next step in the planning process:  'How to prepare better for my next assessment'.  It will reveal some of the flaws in your current strategies.  Put this revealing work somewhere prominent in your study area.  Make sure it holds at least one key to those bad feelings you experienced when you saw that awful grade.  It will be another good prompt for future prevention.  Like an insect spray for bad grades.

Starting with this process will take you beyond individual subject boundaries and gear you for strategies that are useful across the whole academic structure.  So that's the end.  Now to you.  Begin the travel to your future success at school that waits for you with this simple exercise.  Go for it.

Have a great day.  Good luck with your studies.

There isn't a switch, there is a method

You have made the choice to ignore others, to give yourself a future career and do what you need to do to make that future align itself with your vision. It will not be a future determined by circumstance and environment that overwhelms your ability to choose life's course, pushing you into that rut that so many remain stuck in. Absolutely fantastic and good job for having the courage and strength to make the choice. Don't forget, you will always be able to find some sort of support; friends, family, teacher, fellow worker, even supportive blog. Be assured that once you get going, the whole process becomes easier and more obvious the more you do to make it happen.

So, now what? Flick the switch and instantly I'm on my way to a wonderful career and future happiness. Not so fast There is no switch that makes you go from off to full on. You can't expect to go from neglect of your learning and having vague goals, from little or no participation in group discussion, to become a focussed and achieving student overnight. Do not let anyone tell you there is a quick fix. That's often the way to make things stay just as they always were. So don't be fooled. Also, don't be talked into spending lots of money on a system guaranteed to change your life around. Often the only thing these 'kits' and 'solutions' change is that your bank account looks more sad.

Not to worry, it can still be done, at vey little cost, except for a bit of time and effort. The best sort of changes you want to experience are more a gradual build up of what you need to do, little by little, in order to set yourself up for a greater chance of Success At School. The growth you envision will come if you follow a few simple steps. Do not be worried or concerned that you will make mistakes, we all do. Do not be worried that it could get a bit hard at times. You will be able to overcome obstacles if you just persist with your plan to set your future along a positive path.

The further you go, the easier the path to Success At School becomes and the clearer your goals emerge in your mind. So don't look for that magic switch or a 'guaranteed (for just a few measly dollars) system', just begin. Use your energy and learn to use all the help and energy around you. Find the support that is there. Commit to some changes. Success will be yours through sustainable improvement.

Good luck. Have a great day

Prepare, for Success At School

As you slide into your chair in class, are you ready for what's coming up next? Biro, paper, text, paint brush, calculator. Do you have what you need to make a good record of what is going on? Is your brain switched on to gathering as much information as possible? Are you willing to ask questions if you are stuck? Have you pre-read anything or quickly reviewed the notes from the last lesson? No? Well, the more of these you can tick off, the more ready you will be for Success At School, the easier it will come.

If you are working at a building site, you are not much help if you turn up to work and you don't have the right tools or the required safety gear. Have you prepared the materials you need; maybe you had to order paint or bricks or roof trusses. It they are not on site, the building can't go ahead. You lose money. What if you do not have the knowledge to complete the task in a successful fashion? The tasks ahead may prove insurmountable. Not good for the boss's opinion of you. Not good for your Success At Work.

You are that worker. Get everything ready, be ready and success will be drawn to you. Do you just copy notes straight off the board or are you cleverer than that? Do you add your own personal comments and phrases to clarify what is discussed? Makes revision much easier, so doing this prepares yourself a bit more for important exams or builds stronger notes for future reference.

Be kind to yourself. Reduce stress created by bothersome teachers harassing you because you are ill-equipped for the job. Come prepared, be comforable, be assured that success will attach itself to someone like you who works for it, plans for it and is prepared to make it happen. You will be able to work efficiently and effectively, readily absorbing new materials and seeking help to fill any gaps as they happen.

Get to know what works for your learning. Don't kid yourself about what you do now. Be prepared. Be ready for Success At School.

As you can see most of what we need to do for Success At School is not about hours of study, swotting in the library, being an obnoxious nerd. It is about being serious in what we do and thinking about where we want to be in a few years and then aiming for it. Good luck. Have a great day