"The 7 keys to success is a comprehensive guide to students in pursuit of academic excellence." H. Ramgoolam, Principal, Barrackpore Secondary, Trinidad, W.I. "Contains a unique and excellent blend of information and motivation for students...I highly recommend the book." Kim Forsythe, Principal, Clinton Elementary, Burnaby, B.C., Canada

The 7 Keys to Success at High School and Beyond

Unlocking Your Full PotentialBy Ben Seebaran

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Ben Seebaran
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-8960-7

Contents

To Students...................................................................ixThe Role of Teachers and Parents..............................................xiiiThe Seven Keys................................................................xixKey #1: Starting Off Right....................................................1Key #2: Setting Goals.........................................................9Key #3: Establishing Priorities...............................................19Key #4: Having the Attitudes and Requirements for Success.....................27Key #5: Developing Effective Study Skills and Habits..........................41Key #6: Becoming a Critical Thinker...........................................55Key #7: Planning for the Future...............................................81

Chapter One

KEY #1 Starting Off Right

"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success." —Henry Ford

In sports, I'm sure you have often observed the importance of a good start. There are many games that become difficult to win because of a poor start. Compensation for a weak start usually requires unusual efforts. Generally speaking, in sports the goals and targets are much more obvious and clearly defined than in school and education. This sometimes makes it easier to overcome a weak start and quickly change the course of events to generate a more positive outcome. But in school, if the best habits for success are not readily laid down, a student can become easily distracted from achieving the best results. The sooner a strong foundation for success is laid, the easier it will be to perform at high levels.

How quickly you settle down and make the strange familiar in your new environment will be a positive indicator of success at this level. The transition from elementary school to high school involves an important adjustment factor. To start off well means to adjust quickly to your new surroundings and become familiar with the new faces, facilities, and culture of the school. Get to know your new teachers, your library and gymnasium, and the rules and regulations of your new school. Develop a sense that you belong there and that the school is for you. Get involved and participate in clubs or activities that are available.

For some, it might be useful to think of high school as a fresh start or a new beginning. You may have wanted to do things a bit differently in elementary school, but it was either too late to make changes or there were other inhibiting factors. This is an ideal time to begin afresh and make the changes that you desire.

It is important as you commence your high school career that you do not allow yourself to fall behind in your work by letting things pile up. Doing all assignments and homework, spending time correcting mistakes, and reviewing material studied in class will lay the groundwork for success. Keep in mind that when these tasks are done frequently in small and manageable units, they are easier to accomplish than if they are allowed to pile up and become too onerous and formidable. Math is an obvious example of a subject in which a student can be quickly left behind if he or she does not keep up with the material studied. Other subjects have more subtle causes of student difficulties. They may be related to difficulties in grasping certain concepts. It is much more difficult to catch up when the volume of work becomes unmanageable, and this can cause a student to struggle throughout his or her high school years. Spending time on your studies and making sure you get off to a good start is therefore important and will get you primed for maximum performance.

Here are some practical suggestions that will help you get off to a good start:

• Sit where maximum learning for you can take place. Some students may be distracted if they are sitting too close to their friends. Others may not hear the teacher very well from the back of the class. Make a careful selection of where you sit if you have a choice. • Get in the habit of asking questions whenever you do not understand something. If you don't, you will find it more and more difficult to ask questions for which you need answers. Asking questions will greatly aid in your learning. • Participate in class discussions. Seize any opportunity you get to express your thoughts and ideas to your teachers and classmates. This helps promote good learning skills like clarifying, explaining, evaluating, and understanding. • Ask for extra help when needed. This is important and helps you avoid falling behind. Remember that your teachers want you to succeed. • Complete assignments on time. It is better to complete assignments before they are due and nurture this habit. A well-disciplined student who manages time well always meets deadlines. • Sharpen your note-taking skills. None of us remembers everything that is said to us, and some things that are said to us are more important than others. Try to capture the salient points of any presentation. • Participate in extracurricular activities. Students who become involved in sports or other school activities enjoy school more and increase their options in the future. • Have some basic computer skills. Use of the computer in education is increasingly helpful in the technological world we live in today. It will help you in many areas of your schoolwork involving assignments, research, planning, preparation, and record keeping.

Key Content:

• The importance of getting off to a good start • Some things a student can do to get off to a good start • The consequence of not getting off to a good start • Practical suggestions for getting off to a good start

NOTES

_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

KEY #2 SETTING GOALS

"Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." —Washington Irving

"A strong will, a settled purpose, and an invincible determination can accomplish almost anything." —Thomas Fuller

Simply put, goals are things you wish to achieve in the future. They give a sense of direction to your life and represent the purposes for the activities you pursue.

Why should we set goals? We set goals in order to achieve things that help us to become better people and to explore our human potential. Goals may be long range or short range, general or specific. Generally, the more specific the goal is, the easier it is to tell whether you have attained it.

Here are some examples:

• Long-range general goal: To serve humanity

• Long-range specific goal: To become a...