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GOOD INFORMATION EVERYONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER
On success and control:
- Your attitude affects your ability to think clearly and also determines, to some degree, the amount of success you will enjoy, so make sure to be in control of yourself and your emotions!
“Every day is a fresh start-regardless of what happened to you yesterday or last year. You and only you decide whether you will be happy, sad, mad, in charge or out of control. Why not choose things to help yourself rather than hurt yourself?” (Lieberman 2)
- Always remember that you can’t change the past. What has already happened is over so there is no use in stressing over your past actions or decisions. However, to ensure that you make better decisions in the future, you should spend some time thinking critically about your actions and decisions. First, focus on what was effective. What did you do well? Make sure to celebrate your achievements and congratulate yourself on your accomplishments! Recognize what you are doing well so that you can keep doing it! Now, ask yourself what was not effective and figure out why it didn’t work. Then, come up with a new strategy or game plan that will help you be successful and more effective in the future when similar situations arise!
- YOU are in control of your mind and your body:
“It doesn’t matter whether your family is educated or not, rich or poor, supportive or difficult, or whether your teachers are fabulous or cranky; you still get to decide every day at school-regardless of what anyone else does- what you are going to do with your head and your heart.” (Lieberman 2)
- To be successful, you must believe in yourself fully and believe in the possibilities that you possess as a unique and special individual:
“Just wishing for success isn’t enough. You must believe, deep inside, that your success is desirable and possible. Then you will be able to make the hard choices that success sometimes requires.” (Lieberman 2)
On Friendship:
 - The people that you associate with influence your attitudes in many ways and they may even shape how you view yourself, at times! Therefore, make sure to befriend people with similar goals and interests. Look for people who truly enjoy learning, those people that are headed for success. Finding and seeking out friendships with other students that are actively engaged in their learning, excited by ideas and opportunities to excel, will help you feel less isolated and also provide you with an excellent support system. You also may find that they are excellent study buddies. (Lieberman 4)
On classes and grades:
- There will be classes that you have to take in your lifetime that you don’t find enjoyable. This presents challenges. Often times, a major cause of problems is that students focus on whether they like the teacher or whether the teacher likes them. This is a big mistake. While it’s often more pleasurable to learn in an environment where there is mutual goodwill, this is not always possible. Therefore, it’s important to find ways to make yourself successful in classes regardless of whether the teacher “likes” you or not. Focus instead on how YOU can be successful academically whether or not you like the teacher. Figure out how you can learn in the class. What information is the teacher offering that’s important to your understanding of the subject area? Learn it! What can you do to make the class a positive experience for yourself? (Lieberman 8)
- “Football players don’t apologize for scoring touchdowns or wanting to win, and you should never apologize for wanting good grades or getting them. Grades are how we keep score for academics-and since you must show up and play the game everyday, why not play to win? Allow yourself the benefit of an attitude that says ‘Yes, grades matter. How I do matters. What I do matters. I am smart enough to know that an education will help me, and I care enough about myself to give myself what I need.’” (Liberman 14)
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