1. You are NOT the Grade you receive.
They always laugh at this one. A few will
mutter, “Yeah, tell that to my mom.” Most understand what I mean by it: YOU
aren’t the sum of grades you earn. YOU have value, worth, significance beyond
what you achieve (or don’t achieve in some cases). You are special because you
are. I wish more of my students realized this. I wish more of their parents
realized this. I don’t think that they
would achieve less if they felt valued for who they were as a person. I don’t
think that they would feel entitled to slack off, or that failing grades were
acceptable. I do think it would ease the pressure, and the stress, and the feeling
of the need to cheat because they can’t measure up to expectations. I do think
my students would have less depression, less anxiety, less self-loathing if
they felt accepted for BEING.
2. You don’t need to go to college to be financially
successful in life … but it sure helps if you do.
We’ve all heard the Steve Jobs and Bill Gates
stories – how they dropped out of college and founded what eventually became
multimillion dollar companies. But, let’s
face it. Most of my students are no Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t not go
to college and still be successful financially in life. I know plenty of self employed real estate
agents, insurance agents, hair stylists, make-up artists, computer techs, etc.
who never finished that degree. College
isn’t for everyone. But it sure helps to
get that foot in the door of a job if you have that piece of paper.
3. It’s as much who you know as what you know.
Learn the art of having a
conversation with people who are not the same as you or who don’t have the same
interests as you do. Learn how to make small talk. WHO you know gets your foot in the door. WHAT you know keeps you there.
4. If all else fails .... go back to #1.
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