How to Get the Most Out of School. Irfan Alli

live in a time when there are many qualified applicants for the same job opening. This means employers choose the best applicant so the company can have a winning edge over its competition. As a result, employers look for people who are high achievers, take pride in their performance, and are equipped with the right skills and information.

      HIGHER EDUCATION OPENS THE DOOR TO MORE OPPORTUNITIES

      Generally speaking the more knowledgeable you are the more opportunities and options life will present you. You should use your years as a student to learn as much as you can and to go as far as you can in getting a higher education.

      Higher education unlocks opportunities for a better life. The more knowledgeable you are, the better the decisions you will make for yourself and the better quality of life you will have.

      For you to make a decent income, have an advantage in filling a job vacancy or be able to start your own business, certain prerequisites are required. Here are a few.

      HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

      Why do you go to school? Is it because your parents make you or because you want to learn the secrets of God's creation as well as make a good life for yourself?

      No one can make you learn. You must want to! You must also know how to do so.

      Follow the simple methods outlined in this book, and if you apply yourself you'll learn how to learn.

      Unless you have this mental attitude and focus, you will be settling for second best. Be the best you can be!

      TAKE INITIATIVE

      There are all sorts of opportunities for people to learn and improve themselves.

      You know best your weaknesses and strengths in your studies and in your life as a whole. Take the initiative to improve yourself. Minimize your weaknesses. Improve your strengths.

      Don't wait to be prodded and threatened, before taking action.

      Take your destiny in your hands!

      BEWARE OF THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

      You can tell a lot about someone by the friends they keep. Be mindful who your friends are. The company you keep can influence your future a great deal.

      If you hang around students who don't like to learn, you are likely to develop the same attitude.

      If your friends are the types who waste a lot of time, you will find that you become a prisoner to their ways and habits. Instead of studying when you should, you will be wasting time with them.

      If your friends make excuses for not getting their homework done, before long you will be making excuses too. To become the best student you can be, ensure you have the right attitude and your friends are of those who will contribute in a positive way to your growth and development.

      ASSIGNMENT

      Answer the following:

      1.Why do you go to school? List as many reasons as you can.

      2.Are you satisfied with your attitude and performance in school? List what you are satisfied and dissatisfied with.

      3.What would you like to improve about your school life? Write a plan as to how you can achieve such improvements.

      4.Make a list of things you have been procrastinating on. Select two of them and take action now!

      5.Which of your friends, if any, is preventing you from being the best student you can be? What will you do about this friend to ensure he or she is not a liability to your success in this life as well as the hereafter?

      CHAPTER 2: EQUIP YOURSELF WITH THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

      INVEST IN THE FOLLOWING TOOLS

      Just as a doctor needs certain instruments to be functional, you need to equip yourself with the tools that will help you function properly. This will make it easier for you to study, as well as be more consistent in your studying.

      I am amazed by the number of students who waste time looking for things like staplers, liquid paper, three hole punches and paper clips. Buy them. Keep them in a designated location, so you know where to find them. This will save you time and make you more productive.

      Remember that TIME is important. You cannot afford to squander it. Invest some money and acquire the following tools:

      (a)Liquid paper

      (b)Paper clips

      (c)Calculator (depending on which grade you are in)

      (d)A good briefcase/backpack

      (e)An adequate supply of writing paper

      (f)Year planner/agenda

      (g)Binders

      (h)File folders

      (i)Ruler

      (j)Stapler

      (k)Pencil sharpener

      (l)Tape

      (m)Scissors

      (n)High lighter

      (o)Eraser

      (p)Pens and pencils

      (q)Three hole punch

      HAVE A GOOD FILING SYSTEM

      You will acquire a lot of information over the years. It's important that you organize it so you can find information when you need it. Establish a filing system. An inexpensive way is to buy one hundred file folders from a stationery store and buy the right size cardboard storage box for those file folders. Files can be organized in sequence under any one of the following categories:

      (a)By grade.

      (b)By subject matter.

      (c)By course number.

      Choose the system you are most comfortable with. The bottom line is that you must know where to find information when you need it.

      At some point in time your filing system may become so large that it may be more practical to buy one or more filing cabinets. As your system evolves, keep in mind file folders are available in various colors.

      Various color stick-on labels are also available. Color code folders only if necessary.

      You should also keep all your course outlines in a common binder. This will serve as an index to your files. This way you can scan course outlines for information and pull appropriate files.

      Such a binder can also be useful during job interviews, if you are asked to highlight what you have studied.

      HAVE A DESIGNATED STUDY AREA

      A designated study area helps you be more focused and productive. Better yet get a desk and comfortable chair for yourself. If cost is an issue with your parents ask them to buy used furniture. Check the classified section of your local newspaper, search online or try your neighborhood used furniture store.

      Such