Being a Success at School is not about killing yourself with work, it is about controlling the volume. Those who are not successful let the volume take over. We have all heard sayings like the longest journey begins with a single step. At school, life is so busy that the volume of work to be done gradually adds to a small number of tasks, bit by bit. It sneaks up on you; English essay, history reading, science report, maths problems, art assignment, sport schedule and on it goes. Sneaky, very sneaky until the pile is so big you are swamped and don't know where to begin. Have you seen the pile of work build from something easy to take care of to a vast and complex pile of pain? You are not alone.
We agree that Success at School is important if we are to keep future options open and make sure we have a strong start to our career. Right? Right. So, how do we keep from overload. Time Management is one way. Time management is a skill we are already working on as we go. Another way is to track what is required of us as we get it.
Track what is required of us as we get it? That's right. How? Where? By now you should have a decent notebook you are using for Time Management. Notice I did not say use a diary for time management. Wrong purpose. In your Success at School notebook. Yes that's right. Get it out and write somewhere on it 'Success at School' so your brain will know the purpose of the book and the purpose of putting stuff in it. This book is where you can get creative if you wish. Remember we simplified all stationery in getting ourselves organised? Here you can let your hair down a bit. But keep it simple.
Go to the back of the notebook and start using it to record everything you are given that will take your time and require some effort. Get a list going now. Have a small column on the left for priority, next column to describe the task, next for any due date. That's all you need. When a job is done tick the first column. Record detail carefully each time something new is given to you. When I get to the bottom of a page, I like to take everything not done onto the next page, so that nothing is lost. The idea is to get rid of stuff on each page as quickly as possible. Your list stays fresh. Rewriting has the reinforcing effect of another reminder that something may have been on the list too long. Time to do it. Go on. Feel good about your successes, reward yourself each time something is taken off the list of 'to do' and becomes a 'done'. Sweet knowledge that is. Small reward, don't get too carried away.
Keep a close eye on the volume of work you have been given. Stay aware of it by writing it down. Keep the record of it for future reference. You never know when it may prove useful. Keep the notebook with you, so it will not be huge, but will be of good quality. A quality book makes you feel that what you are putting in it is important. Locks your planning skills onto getting it done. Just buy a nice notebook but well within budget. Read and update your book every day. Without fail. I'll know if you don't.
Good luck. All success to you. Have a great day
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Time management II
After completing the preparation phase, move on to make use of the time and strength of purpose that follows serious preparation. Do not be happy with the first model. Experiment. Take notes of what works and what seems a bit klutzy. The favours will all lie with you. You will find time you didn't think you had, the ability to relax at times you would normally stress, and be able to produce work of higher quality and, consequently be awarded better grades. The aim is not trying to fill your time with even more jobs to do. The effort here is part of the plan to use time more efficiently and so at exam time or when large reports are due, you watch all your friends stress around you, their workload out of control, while you know you have everything ticked off ready to go. While others stress, you are thinking of the final touches to a job well done and thinking you may go to the movies as a reward. That should be encouraging for you to persist. Maybe you might just go to the beach, or have a few hours in the snow. Who knows!
So you have been recording the information you need to set aside times for. Activities such as sleep, part time work, sport, monthly meetings, weekly meetings, religious events, entertainment and party (caution here), going to library, in class time, lunch and other meals. You can be as detailed as you want. Have you got an approximate time attached to each activity? This does sound like a big job hey? Take my word, it does get easier. Once you have completed a first run through, then the future additions are just built on top, the time it takes is much reduced (is that a far off cheer I hear?).
Now comes a slightly tricky bit. Prioritise your list into four groups. (1) What must absolutely happen? (2) What is very important and should happen? (3) What do I do that is fairly flexible and not necessary to have if I need a bit extra time allocated to something else? (4) What do I do that could be totally changed or dropped easily to find time? Even if it can be repaid later. Try not to fill 100% of your time. Some time slots should be left blank for free use or for an emergency. You know what schools are like. "Do this by Thursday" sort of request, when you already have a full week.
I think now your list should be put into a computer for ease of manipulation. So you can easily re-order different activities. If you go with a computer list, make the four priorities four different colors so you can easily recognise those activities absolutely locked in and those that are a bit more flexible. You must have sleep, so put that in even in the peak exam period. You must have a break too. Allow for large and small. Use colored pencils or highlighters if you are not putting information into a computer. Make up a table to show a whole term or semester. You will be able to detail the close times while the end of semester is a bit fuzzy.
As you feel you can, begin to place the time zones into days, regular (e.g. every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m.) or into monthly times where you may need three or four hours set aside once a month. Start with your school timetable as the skeleton for this project as it is the area we want to make more successful. Don't forget to take your time to do the detail at first. Make sure it makes sense. Next time you will already have a structure which you can easily change, delete bits from or add stuff to. Are your days and what you do with them starting to take shape? Did you realise any really easy activities that could be modified to help you achieve Success At School.
Do not get disgruntled. Stay fresh as you focus on the future. You want better grades. You want to set yourself up so you are more likely to have a secure future and good career prospects. You want to choose your path through life.
So you have been recording the information you need to set aside times for. Activities such as sleep, part time work, sport, monthly meetings, weekly meetings, religious events, entertainment and party (caution here), going to library, in class time, lunch and other meals. You can be as detailed as you want. Have you got an approximate time attached to each activity? This does sound like a big job hey? Take my word, it does get easier. Once you have completed a first run through, then the future additions are just built on top, the time it takes is much reduced (is that a far off cheer I hear?).
Now comes a slightly tricky bit. Prioritise your list into four groups. (1) What must absolutely happen? (2) What is very important and should happen? (3) What do I do that is fairly flexible and not necessary to have if I need a bit extra time allocated to something else? (4) What do I do that could be totally changed or dropped easily to find time? Even if it can be repaid later. Try not to fill 100% of your time. Some time slots should be left blank for free use or for an emergency. You know what schools are like. "Do this by Thursday" sort of request, when you already have a full week.
I think now your list should be put into a computer for ease of manipulation. So you can easily re-order different activities. If you go with a computer list, make the four priorities four different colors so you can easily recognise those activities absolutely locked in and those that are a bit more flexible. You must have sleep, so put that in even in the peak exam period. You must have a break too. Allow for large and small. Use colored pencils or highlighters if you are not putting information into a computer. Make up a table to show a whole term or semester. You will be able to detail the close times while the end of semester is a bit fuzzy.
As you feel you can, begin to place the time zones into days, regular (e.g. every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m.) or into monthly times where you may need three or four hours set aside once a month. Start with your school timetable as the skeleton for this project as it is the area we want to make more successful. Don't forget to take your time to do the detail at first. Make sure it makes sense. Next time you will already have a structure which you can easily change, delete bits from or add stuff to. Are your days and what you do with them starting to take shape? Did you realise any really easy activities that could be modified to help you achieve Success At School.
Do not get disgruntled. Stay fresh as you focus on the future. You want better grades. You want to set yourself up so you are more likely to have a secure future and good career prospects. You want to choose your path through life.
Next we will look at setting up your program.
Good luck with this exercise. Have a great day.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
De-clutter your school setup
While you get all the information together to get some time management going, let us have a look at some other things that go a long way to gettng yourself organised in such a way that success is more likely to happen, giving your grades every chance of improving. A good next thing in that direction is to de-clutter your school setup. What? School setup. Let's go. Do you use a pen with blue ink or black ? Maybe it's green or purple or orange. Maybe it's a mix of all of these or maybe even a pencil.
What about your notes where do they finish up? A stack of loose leaf pages all over your room, locker and scrunched up in your bag? Various size notebooks. Various quality notebooks. Subjects all mixed with each other in a confusing mix of vital information that is often hard to retrieve when we are under stress such as when we are studying for exams or trying to go over a particularly hard topic. If your parents buy your stationery, how do they know what to get?
It is better to get everything you use at school as standard as possible. Use a notebook that suits your style. Pick maybe two or three colors of pen and a pencil and use them for all occasions. Do not use light colors as they get hard to read if you are working off your notes on a regular basis. As long as the colors are dark, it will be OK. Do not write in the same color your teacher uses to mark or comment on your work. They will find it annoying. It will be hard for you to distinguish positive comment and marks from your normal work. Annoyed people can't help but choose wrong if a decision is close.
What you need to do is standardise as much as possible. Funnily enough, you gain headspace by doing this. You don't have to think what color pen/pencil, what sort of notebook, what equipment should come to class, what bag I will carry it in???? It is just all right there ready to go. When it comes time to study, History notes will be in the History notebook, Math in the Math notebook ... Easy. It just puts a bit more relax in your life. When you read, the colors of ink you read will be the same for all subjects, easier because the brain does not think something different is incoming with each color change. Ink (your choice of color but dark, remember) means something important is being looked at, so let's think about it.
Does all this seem too simple? Well, it's not. Standardise what you can. Stop worrying about a stack of fancy colors or being lazy by putting four or five subjects into one notebook. Get a notebook for each subject, use only two or three dark colored pens, one highlighter, 2B pencil for easy erasure and easy reading. Get the minimum of necessary equipment. Do not clutter up your bag and desk with myriad trinkets. You need to be a Success At School. Take the line of least resistance.
Don't forget to keep collecting information about everything that uses up your time. Keep a notebook for this too. School, work, sport, leisure, time out, sleep, practise, community service; everything you can think of that takes time, write down.
Good luck with your studies. Have a great day
What about your notes where do they finish up? A stack of loose leaf pages all over your room, locker and scrunched up in your bag? Various size notebooks. Various quality notebooks. Subjects all mixed with each other in a confusing mix of vital information that is often hard to retrieve when we are under stress such as when we are studying for exams or trying to go over a particularly hard topic. If your parents buy your stationery, how do they know what to get?
It is better to get everything you use at school as standard as possible. Use a notebook that suits your style. Pick maybe two or three colors of pen and a pencil and use them for all occasions. Do not use light colors as they get hard to read if you are working off your notes on a regular basis. As long as the colors are dark, it will be OK. Do not write in the same color your teacher uses to mark or comment on your work. They will find it annoying. It will be hard for you to distinguish positive comment and marks from your normal work. Annoyed people can't help but choose wrong if a decision is close.
What you need to do is standardise as much as possible. Funnily enough, you gain headspace by doing this. You don't have to think what color pen/pencil, what sort of notebook, what equipment should come to class, what bag I will carry it in???? It is just all right there ready to go. When it comes time to study, History notes will be in the History notebook, Math in the Math notebook ... Easy. It just puts a bit more relax in your life. When you read, the colors of ink you read will be the same for all subjects, easier because the brain does not think something different is incoming with each color change. Ink (your choice of color but dark, remember) means something important is being looked at, so let's think about it.
Does all this seem too simple? Well, it's not. Standardise what you can. Stop worrying about a stack of fancy colors or being lazy by putting four or five subjects into one notebook. Get a notebook for each subject, use only two or three dark colored pens, one highlighter, 2B pencil for easy erasure and easy reading. Get the minimum of necessary equipment. Do not clutter up your bag and desk with myriad trinkets. You need to be a Success At School. Take the line of least resistance.
Don't forget to keep collecting information about everything that uses up your time. Keep a notebook for this too. School, work, sport, leisure, time out, sleep, practise, community service; everything you can think of that takes time, write down.
Good luck with your studies. Have a great day
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Time management I
Time management systems, workshops and advice earns millions of dollars for consultants. Time management applies to all activity associated with your endeavours to find Success At School. There are possibly hundreds of books printed every year on ways to manage your time. That means that it is an important topic for all of us to consider. There is an expert on every corner. We all need guidance as we go through life, especially when we have a myriad of tasks to be worked on simultaneously with due dates stacked one on top of the other as they are in school. The day to day requirements of school forms some of the most complex demands we will ever face. School life is very busy. We really do need help to cope.
How do you begin to model all that needs to be done so it is done in time, on time and represents your best quality of production? Math, English, History, Art, part time work, family commitments, sport, occasional entertainment and breaks, friends, sleep ... arrrrgggh. How will it all fit? Does fitting it all in just seem like a dream, something that has always been in the 'too hard box'? What if you heard that only a few hours of planning and preparation is all you needed to put everything into place so you knew from the outset that it all pieced neatly together? Well, it's true.
The first thing you must do is begin to record all you do outside school; include anything that uses up time, including recovery time for things like sport and late night entertainment. Try to find the key things that are repeated regularly and those that come up frequently. These can be catalogued a long time before they occur and will form a skeleton for your time management exercise. Leave out nothing. If you insist on watching television, put it down, especially if there are set times.
As you record the outside of school time eaters, start to outline the demands that school places on your time. Gradually a detailed picture of your life's time demands will emerge. Now you have some really valuable information that will help you with study, work and play. Think about its significance. It will actually help you find more time in your life because time management is not about filling your time up, it is about freeing up time. The time is freed up as you get used to prioritising what devours and wastes time. Can you give up some TV time? Do you have other flexitime which can be moved to another time slot or even used for something more pressing? Do not forget our aim. Success At School that leads to success in life; to give ourselves more opportunity to get a firm foundation for a better future. That's what we want.
If you can, keep all this information in a notebook. You can then track time wasters and time savers over a long period and make this notebook a great tool. Take it seriously, it has grand repercussions. We will explore the next part, once you have some data to work with. Go on, get going.
Good luck. Have a great day
How do you begin to model all that needs to be done so it is done in time, on time and represents your best quality of production? Math, English, History, Art, part time work, family commitments, sport, occasional entertainment and breaks, friends, sleep ... arrrrgggh. How will it all fit? Does fitting it all in just seem like a dream, something that has always been in the 'too hard box'? What if you heard that only a few hours of planning and preparation is all you needed to put everything into place so you knew from the outset that it all pieced neatly together? Well, it's true.
The first thing you must do is begin to record all you do outside school; include anything that uses up time, including recovery time for things like sport and late night entertainment. Try to find the key things that are repeated regularly and those that come up frequently. These can be catalogued a long time before they occur and will form a skeleton for your time management exercise. Leave out nothing. If you insist on watching television, put it down, especially if there are set times.
As you record the outside of school time eaters, start to outline the demands that school places on your time. Gradually a detailed picture of your life's time demands will emerge. Now you have some really valuable information that will help you with study, work and play. Think about its significance. It will actually help you find more time in your life because time management is not about filling your time up, it is about freeing up time. The time is freed up as you get used to prioritising what devours and wastes time. Can you give up some TV time? Do you have other flexitime which can be moved to another time slot or even used for something more pressing? Do not forget our aim. Success At School that leads to success in life; to give ourselves more opportunity to get a firm foundation for a better future. That's what we want.
If you can, keep all this information in a notebook. You can then track time wasters and time savers over a long period and make this notebook a great tool. Take it seriously, it has grand repercussions. We will explore the next part, once you have some data to work with. Go on, get going.
Good luck. Have a great day
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Success at School also means better comments
As you grow into this period of self reliance and perpetual improvement, it will seem that marks become only part of the picture. They are still one of the most important parts as it is these that will get your foot in the door. Also important to people taking you on as a trainee, a student for further studies or as an employee are the comments written about you. Many places of learning have an interview process to see if the potential student is both academically able to do the course and also fits into their vision of what the student body and future supporters of the alumni should be like.
Get yourself a few positive written comments. Get them from more than one source. Ask for them whenever you think someone will write you one. Try to add them slowly. There is no rush to do it all at once. People are suspicious of super rapid change. Maybe you could volunteer for something outside of school, something close to your heart. Help out in the community in an area you can see yourself working at for a while. Do not do it just for the sake of doing it. Have a serious think and do something useful; something that has some meaning for you. Selfish purpose always shows up. Written comments from the community are powerful allies in your step into the future.
Mixing work at school with that in the community reflects someone with maturity and can do attitude. It will gradually change you in a positive way. As always, make it small and grow the commitment to suit your timeframe and ambition. You will find that people come to rely on you, will ask for advice; you will become an expert. As your skills and knowledge grow, so will your position of authority. 'Good for you', 'Thank you for helping', 'I don't know what I could have done without your being here' are phrases you will be hearing. Hmmm. Don't they sound good. Very well worth it.
You will find it quite hard at first to juggle school with this new direction but stick with it and the world around you will change. Positive things will be attracted to you. The feeling of joy within will transfer to the sometimes mundane school classroom because you know there is more to it than those four walls. Success At School within those four walls will seem to flow more readily as planning and management skills grow. You will feel well rewarded.
So you may say your teachers don't like you, especially when you want to start improving your marks and make use of school while you are there. You may not fit the image of your teacher's ideal student at the moment but that will change. Good thing is, you don't have to change much to be successful and change your future to a full and prosperous one. Community work will lead to many crossroads and will definitely give you the positive comments you need written about who you really are to supplement improving grades and comments from the school.
Good luck. Have a great day.
Get yourself a few positive written comments. Get them from more than one source. Ask for them whenever you think someone will write you one. Try to add them slowly. There is no rush to do it all at once. People are suspicious of super rapid change. Maybe you could volunteer for something outside of school, something close to your heart. Help out in the community in an area you can see yourself working at for a while. Do not do it just for the sake of doing it. Have a serious think and do something useful; something that has some meaning for you. Selfish purpose always shows up. Written comments from the community are powerful allies in your step into the future.
Mixing work at school with that in the community reflects someone with maturity and can do attitude. It will gradually change you in a positive way. As always, make it small and grow the commitment to suit your timeframe and ambition. You will find that people come to rely on you, will ask for advice; you will become an expert. As your skills and knowledge grow, so will your position of authority. 'Good for you', 'Thank you for helping', 'I don't know what I could have done without your being here' are phrases you will be hearing. Hmmm. Don't they sound good. Very well worth it.
You will find it quite hard at first to juggle school with this new direction but stick with it and the world around you will change. Positive things will be attracted to you. The feeling of joy within will transfer to the sometimes mundane school classroom because you know there is more to it than those four walls. Success At School within those four walls will seem to flow more readily as planning and management skills grow. You will feel well rewarded.
So you may say your teachers don't like you, especially when you want to start improving your marks and make use of school while you are there. You may not fit the image of your teacher's ideal student at the moment but that will change. Good thing is, you don't have to change much to be successful and change your future to a full and prosperous one. Community work will lead to many crossroads and will definitely give you the positive comments you need written about who you really are to supplement improving grades and comments from the school.
Good luck. Have a great day.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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
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
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