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Most students would love to consistently do well in school.
However, many believe only the gifted or “naturally smart”
can do so. They believe they are not “intelligent enough” to
Achieve Academic Excellence.
How can a student consistently Achieve Academic Excellence,
regardless of intelligence? Much of academic outcome involves
mindset/attitude. Students often go into a class focused on
how much they dislike the subject, or how terrible they are
at it, a negative mindset that concedes defeat before the
course even starts. Step 1 to Achieving Academic Excellence
is to reshape the mind to have a positive attitude about
each course taken.
Most students show up to class without any preparation in
advance, totally relying on the instructor to impart all required
knowledge. Step 2 to Achieving Academic Excellence is to
never attend a class without first previewing the material to
be covered. Students should also review the material shortly
after class to reinforce and internalize what they’ve learned.
For procrastinating students, they operate always in “last
minute” mode. Their single focus becomes completing tasks
at hand, causing them to miss out on the learning aspect of
the assignment, as well as unnecessarily increasing their stress
level. Step 3 to Achieving Academic Excellence is begin all
assigned work as far in advance
as possible, and complete the work
well in advance of when it is due.
Some courses can contain similar
concepts which can be confusing. To lessen confusion, allow
adequate time to fully understand and distinguish between
concepts. When a quiz or test is coming up, students should
prepare as if it will occur a day sooner. Little of the infor-
mation gained the night before a test actually sticks for the
test itself. Step 4 to Achieving Academic Excellence is to
complete preparation for a test or quiz at least one full day
in advance, leaving the day before for review only.
The steps leading to Academic Excellence have very little to
do with intelligence, but instead involve attitude, preparation,
focus, and dedication. By following these four steps, a student
will be on the road to Achieving Academic Excellence and
realize even higher achievement in future endeavors.
Achieving Academic Excellence
by Chris Millett, MS
Pearland resident Chris Millett taught Computer
Science at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges.
He is currently the founder, President and CEO
of the Science, Math, and Technology Center of
Excellence (SMATCOE). You can contact Chris
at 281-529-6241 or via www.smatcoe.com.
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