Attention to Detail: 7 of 10

Attention to Detail

7 of 10

When you double-check your calculations for a math problem or cite sources carefully in a research paper, you’re paying close attention to detail. That skill comes in handy in any workplace, whether you maintain a database, keep a log of the hours you spend with clients or write e-mails.

John Wooden, UCLA’s former great basketball coach who lead his teams to ten consecutive national championships, was asked what he attributed his success to. Among a number of things, he mentioned that paying attention to details was one of the most important qualities for successful coaching and for high achievement in any worthwhile pursuit. He even paid attention to how his players would lace up and tie their shoe strings. If they didn't tie them correctly, he would teach them how.

Details may be small things, but from small things come great things; therefore, pay attention to details and you will experience substantial progress in your overall educational attainment.

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Initiative: 5 of 10

Initiative

5 of 10

Initiative is creativity, inventiveness, originality, ingenuity, imagination. Every time you respond in class, every time you choose your own research topic, every time you put together your own interpretation of a piece of literature, you take initiative. And future employers value can-do professionals who come up with new ideas and chart their own course through projects, employees who are self-reliant. Self-reliant are self-starters who don’t procrastinate on getting the job done. They know what is required to do and do it. They don’t wait to be told many times. Succeeding in high school, college, and in the career world is taking the initiative.

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Writing Skills: 1 of 10

Writing Skills

1 of 10

Communication is at the top of the list of skills that employers look for. And communication in the workplace often means writing.

Health professionals keep patient charts, researchers depend on the money they collect by writing grant applications, software engineers write technical specifications, and nearly everyone writes e-mail to people inside and outside their organization. And before you even get the chance to interview for a job, you’ll need to present yourself in cover letters and résumés.

So, by taking writing serious and doing your best on every research paper, every lab report you write, every new post you write in your blog site, and every writing activity you engage in, you’re preparing yourself for a good career.

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It’s Online, but Is It On Target?:Part 2

It’s Online, but Is It On Target?

Part 2

Research with Attitude

Conduct your research with the attitude of a skeptic. As you examine websites for clues that they’re trustworthy, ask these questions:

        ·       Who wrote the Web page? If you can’t identify the individual or organization responsible for the information, don’t use it.

        ·       What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the subject?

        ·       Has the article passes through an editorial process designed to ensure quality and accuracy?

        ·       What is the website’s purpose? Look for motives – like selling products or winning votes – that could result in biased or incomplete information.

        ·       Is the information accurate? Is it up-to-date?

        ·       Where did the author get this information?

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It's Online, but Is It On Target?: Part 1

It’s Online, but Is It On Target?

Part 1

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills/109995.html

Using the Web Wisely

Thanks to the Web, information is easy to find. However, it’s also easy to post something online. Anyone can do it.

You've probably used the Internet to do research for a paper, to help you decide which product to buy, or to form an opinion about current events. Looking up information online is fast and convenient. But when you do online research, it’s important to find sites you can trust.

Many websites claim to have the facts, but are full of errors. Others present information in a biased way – they only give one side of an argument. How can you tell a reliable source from an unreliable one? Also, it’s critical that you post online only that which is decent and appropriate, never anything pornographic, vulgar, indecent, out of taste, untruthful, or obscene. Post those things that will make a good name for you and your organization, that will promote good will and be of benefit to the world.

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Reading, 5 Tips for Success: Tips 3-4

Reading

5 Tips for Success

Tips 3-5

Tip 3: Do Research

Literary critics have written vast numbers of analytical and critical pieces on countless books. If you’re having trouble understanding a particular text, do some research and see what knowledgeable sources have to say about it. In addition to increasing your comprehension, you’ll also be showing initiative, something teachers always like to see. Always use legitimate and scholarly sources, not condensed study guides. Going the extra mile in your research elevates your achievement 10-fold.

Tip 4: Use a Dictionary

Make sure you have access to a dictionary when you’re reading. You can often figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word by using context clues, but sometimes you can’t. Rather than simply skipping over the words you don’t know, take the time to look them up. The results are well worth the effort. Your comprehension will increase greatly, and you’ll build up your vocabulary at the same time.

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Selecting Your Courses: Part 5

Selecting Your Courses

Part 5

The Arts

Research indicates that students who participate in the arts often do better in school and on standardized tests. The arts help you recognize patterns, discern differences and similarities, and exercise your mind in unique ways, often outside a traditional classroom setting.

Many colleges require or recommend one or two semesters in the arts. Good choices include studio art, dance, music and drama. Many students have talents and extraordinary abilities in the arts. Students should look within their own repertoire of talents and identify their artistic abilities and take college classes to develop their talents.

Advanced Placement Program® (AP®)

To be sure you are ready to take on college-level work, enroll in the most challenging courses you can in high school, such as honors or AP courses. Research consistently shows that students who score a 3.0 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success and college graduation rates than students who don’t take AP.

Work hard in your righteous pursuits, and you will reap the benefits of self-fulfillment and job satisfaction. Don’t take shortcuts just to “get-by”, instead, take challenging and difficult roads (courses) and reach higher mountain peaks of achievement.

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How to Take on College Studying: Part 2

How to Take on College Studying

Part 2

Choose Where to Study

Where you should study depends on two factors: the environment in which you are best able to concentrate and the type of work you are planning to do.

             ·       The best places to study have good light, a comfortable temperature and enough desk space – usually your dorm room, your apartment or the library.

             ·       For completing problem sets or brainstorming possible tests questions, you may want to study with a group or at least in a setting where fellow students are available for discussion.

             ·       When you are reading book chapters or working on a research paper, you are probably better off in a less social environment.

Improve Your Study Habits

Here are simple steps you can take to help you get a handle on studying:

·       Have a routine for where and when you study.

·       Choose reasonable and specific goals that you can accomplish for each study session.

·       Do things that are harder or require more intense thought at your most productive time of the day.

·       Take breaks if you need them so you don’t waste time looking at material but not absorbing it.

·       Get to know students whom you respect and can study with or contact to ask questions.

·       Keep up with the workload and seek help when you need it.

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You Can Succeed Everyday: Part 2

You Can Succeed Everyday

Part 2

My strategies for written assignments: I try to outline before I write because otherwise I forgot what I am supposed to be talking about. I try not to leave them until the last minute because then I will just goof up the work. A lot of times I just write what I feel. Teachers like your opinion and if you can find something from the reading or research that relates specifically to your life, they like it even more because it allows you to take ownership of your work. I write things that I want others to read; not things that I have to write because the teacher said so.

How I succeed in team projects: Personally, I do not like working in group projects, especially ones that I worked on in high school. However, when it is required to work in a group, usually I try to lead. I like taking the lead because then I know that my grade will be a good one. I do well in school, I always have and I don’t plan on changing that anytime soon, so when I need to work with people who maybe don’t care as much as I do, or they have more time to waste on things other than the project, I try to be in charge. That way I know that things are going to get done on time and that I am going to get a good grade. If I am working in a group of people who all want to work, then it is a different story.

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