Posts Tagged ‘University’

Each and every day of my working life I deal with students and their problems in a whole variety of subjects with as much vim and vigour as I can muster in looking to help each and everyone of them achieve their academic potential with a view to then also attaining a better future career. Of course I would be lying if I said that the money that I am paid by students and academic institutions both in the UK and abroad is not a significant motivating factor and all that much of a ’secret’ for succeeding in my work, but overtime I have come to think of my motivation has being much more multilayered than that.

However, at its most simple, reality is that I really enjoy what I do.

I like the fact that students feel that they can come to me (usually via e-mail but occassionally also by referral over the phone) to seek help with a whole variety of academic issues from the essay writing process to effective internet research, from note taking to examination technique in a whole variety of subjects there are as many different problems as there are common issues that it really is an interesting line of work and that is without including more subject-specific stuff. I think that is why I am happy to work anything up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week because I find it to be a fulfilling experience looking to help others to succeed wherever I can.

I like the fact that in may be a few hours (or even as little as a few minutes) I can help to put someone’s troubled mind at ease with a few simple words or a plan of action for them to then undertake – you would be surprised how many students will come to me or simply drop an e-mail saying that they do not know how to study effectively. By way of illustration, all I do in response is ask them what level they are at, what subject they are studying, how many hours they are in classes, what other commitments they have and then I offer to produce them a plan of action and the problem is usually eased considerably which is a very positive feeling.

Now many of you who are reading this now may be thinking –

“But Andrew, you told us you were going to tell us the ’secret’ of success as a student in whatever we may be doing and so far I do not see it.”

Oh, how wrong you are!

The many more perceptive of you will already have seen some small glimmers of what it is I believe can help you to succeed as a student in whatever you do and now I shall look to make my feelings on the matter clear so that we are all on the same page.

Previously, I said that my motivation was ‘multilayered’ and this is correct – you need to have a combination of reasons for looking to succeed at a particular task as this is a key point.

However, at the same time, this idea can also be centralised as needing ‘MOTIVATION’ as this is vital if you are ever going to succeed in what you are trying to do.

Right, stop reading this for a second and think about what you are currently working towards in some aspect of your life.

May be you have just started an English Literature degree at university, may be you are taking a college catering course, perhaps you are currently studying the tango or even just learning to swim.

But may be that’s not you . . .

Once again, you are wrong!!

Whatever it is we are all always aspiring for something more and, even when we think that we have left education far behind us, we never really stop learning and seeking to further ourselves.

Think about your work – Are you happy in the job you are in at the moment? Are you looking to move your way up through the company? May be you are thinking about switching careers?

For any of these things you have to learn and show a willingness to progress – you have to show MOTIVATION!

Think about your life – You want a nice girlfriend/boyfriend? A big house and a fancy car? Children?

Again, MOTIVATION!

So what motivates you?

For some of you this will be easy and the reflex for most people will be one other word – MONEY.

Go into a primary school – and even a lot of secondary schools – and speak to the children there about what they would like to be when they grow older and you will be given a whole myriad of different answers from doctors, teachers and lawyers to the more obscure occupations like professional footballers, models and singers all linked together by one simple desire – MONEY.

But is money really enough?

No matter whether you are Sir Isaac Newton, George Carman QC, Cristiano Ronaldo, Katie Price (’Jordan’) or Whitney Houston they are all linked by their desire to succeed and to work hard so that, whilst money is clearly a motivating factor, the desire for success in their chosen professions is key.

The desire for success is also clearly important, but what else can help you to succeed?

ENJOYMENT.

Without a doubt there is also a clear need for all people in whatever their chosen profession is to enjoy what they are doing in some small way.

Many people are lucky in that they can easily find enjoyment in the smallest of tasks, but others struggle to find value in their tasks that they have chosen to undertake. They do not see the bigger picture. Too many people fail to realise that if they persevere with something that may not be that satisfying on the face of it now, this will then very often lead to better things in the future.

So to this point we know that MOTIVATION and ENJOYMENT are important elements for helping us all to succeed in our work, but are there other things that can help us?

Perhaps if I reveal something more of myself and some of the things that have motivated me a great deal in the past – and very often continue to do so – you will then be able to consider what other factors may serve to motivate you and use aspects of your own life to succeed in your own work and your chosen profession.

When I was at secondary school I finally chose to stop seeing my father after a number of years of psychological and emotional abuse that culminated in acts of violence and many threats against me that I shall not go into detail about here because they are not important and because I do not want anyone to just feel sorry for me. But what was most striking for our purposes with regards to the nature and scope of this article was that my own father told me that I would never amount to anything in life without him and that I would just be a worthless nobody.

This was my motivation – I was only thirteen at the time and was just about to enter my third year of high school with little or no confidence. As a result, after much soul searching and retreating into my own protective shell, I resolved to focus my efforts into my studies as I prepared for my GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) with the soul desire to prove my father wrong. Then, after a great deal of hard work, my motivation paid off as I achieved all A to C grades for my GCSEs and I was very pleased that such a negative thing as the breakdown of family relationships could ultimately prove to be a positive thing.

That is the key – very often it is the negative things in our lives that can make all the difference (as well as the positives of course!!) – may be you want to make a parent or a friend proud or a teacher once helped you a great deal in a subject or a discipline that was troubling you – these are all things that can help you and ’secrets’ for academic success that too many students do not take on board.

I guess what I am saying is that we all need a reason for doing something in order to then be able to have a greater chance of success in whatever our chosen task and the things that I have outlined above could be significant motivating factors for you too.

At the same time, however, the most significant motivating factor for anyone should be you and what you will get out of the task, work or discipline that you are undertaking study in

YOU MUST DO WHAT YOU WANT!

Remember, if you are suitably motivated and have a reason for acting you will be able to get a great deal of help from sources and materials all around you to further your success so you should seek out help from wherever you can get it as there is a lot out there to help you achieve the things that you want in your life through a good grounding in your education.

Therefore, this article should hopefully get you thinking in the right way so that you are then able to expand on the ideas here with the other resources you find including ‘The Secret Guide to Academic Writing & Study’ via http://www.academicfx.co.uk.

Each and every day of my working life I deal with students and their problems in a whole variety of subjects with as much vim and vigour as I can muster in looking to help each and everyone of them achieve their academic potential with a view to then also attaining a better future career. Of course I would be lying if I said that the money that I am paid by students and academic institutions both in the UK and abroad is not a significant motivating factor and all that much of a ’secret’ for succeeding in my work, but overtime I have come to think of my motivation has being much more multilayered than that.

However, at its most simple, reality is that I really enjoy what I do.

I like the fact that students feel that they can come to me (usually via e-mail but occassionally also by referral over the phone) to seek help with a whole variety of academic issues from the essay writing process to effective internet research, from note taking to examination technique in a whole variety of subjects there are as many different problems as there are common issues that it really is an interesting line of work and that is without including more subject-specific stuff. I think that is why I am happy to work anything up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week because I find it to be a fulfilling experience looking to help others to succeed wherever I can.

I like the fact that in may be a few hours (or even as little as a few minutes) I can help to put someone’s troubled mind at ease with a few simple words or a plan of action for them to then undertake – you would be surprised how many students will come to me or simply drop an e-mail saying that they do not know how to study effectively. By way of illustration, all I do in response is ask them what level they are at, what subject they are studying, how many hours they are in classes, what other commitments they have and then I offer to produce them a plan of action and the problem is usually eased considerably which is a very positive feeling.

Now many of you who are reading this now may be thinking –

“But Andrew, you told us you were going to tell us the ’secret’ of success as a student in whatever we may be doing and so far I do not see it.”

Oh, how wrong you are!

The many more perceptive of you will already have seen some small glimmers of what it is I believe can help you to succeed as a student in whatever you do and now I shall look to make my feelings on the matter clear so that we are all on the same page.

Previously, I said that my motivation was ‘multilayered’ and this is correct – you need to have a combination of reasons for looking to succeed at a particular task as this is a key point.

However, at the same time, this idea can also be centralised as needing ‘MOTIVATION’ as this is vital if you are ever going to succeed in what you are trying to do.

Right, stop reading this for a second and think about what you are currently working towards in some aspect of your life.

May be you have just started an English Literature degree at university, may be you are taking a college catering course, perhaps you are currently studying the tango or even just learning to swim.

But may be that’s not you . . .

Once again, you are wrong!!

Whatever it is we are all always aspiring for something more and, even when we think that we have left education far behind us, we never really stop learning and seeking to further ourselves.

Think about your work – Are you happy in the job you are in at the moment? Are you looking to move your way up through the company? May be you are thinking about switching careers?

For any of these things you have to learn and show a willingness to progress – you have to show MOTIVATION!

Think about your life – You want a nice girlfriend/boyfriend? A big house and a fancy car? Children?

Again, MOTIVATION!

So what motivates you?

For some of you this will be easy and the reflex for most people will be one other word – MONEY.

Go into a primary school – and even a lot of secondary schools – and speak to the children there about what they would like to be when they grow older and you will be given a whole myriad of different answers from doctors, teachers and lawyers to the more obscure occupations like professional footballers, models and singers all linked together by one simple desire – MONEY.

But is money really enough?

No matter whether you are Sir Isaac Newton, George Carman QC, Cristiano Ronaldo, Katie Price (’Jordan’) or Whitney Houston they are all linked by their desire to succeed and to work hard so that, whilst money is clearly a motivating factor, the desire for success in their chosen professions is key.

The desire for success is also clearly important, but what else can help you to succeed?

ENJOYMENT.

Without a doubt there is also a clear need for all people in whatever their chosen profession is to enjoy what they are doing in some small way.

Many people are lucky in that they can easily find enjoyment in the smallest of tasks, but others struggle to find value in their tasks that they have chosen to undertake. They do not see the bigger picture. Too many people fail to realise that if they persevere with something that may not be that satisfying on the face of it now, this will then very often lead to better things in the future.

So to this point we know that MOTIVATION and ENJOYMENT are important elements for helping us all to succeed in our work, but are there other things that can help us?

Perhaps if I reveal something more of myself and some of the things that have motivated me a great deal in the past – and very often continue to do so – you will then be able to consider what other factors may serve to motivate you and use aspects of your own life to succeed in your own work and your chosen profession.

When I was at secondary school I finally chose to stop seeing my father after a number of years of psychological and emotional abuse that culminated in acts of violence and many threats against me that I shall not go into detail about here because they are not important and because I do not want anyone to just feel sorry for me. But what was most striking for our purposes with regards to the nature and scope of this article was that my own father told me that I would never amount to anything in life without him and that I would just be a worthless nobody.

This was my motivation – I was only thirteen at the time and was just about to enter my third year of high school with little or no confidence. As a result, after much soul searching and retreating into my own protective shell, I resolved to focus my efforts into my studies as I prepared for my GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) with the soul desire to prove my father wrong. Then, after a great deal of hard work, my motivation paid off as I achieved all A to C grades for my GCSEs and I was very pleased that such a negative thing as the breakdown of family relationships could ultimately prove to be a positive thing.

That is the key – very often it is the negative things in our lives that can make all the difference (as well as the positives of course!!) – may be you want to make a parent or a friend proud or a teacher once helped you a great deal in a subject or a discipline that was troubling you – these are all things that can help you and ’secrets’ for academic success that too many students do not take on board.

I guess what I am saying is that we all need a reason for doing something in order to then be able to have a greater chance of success in whatever our chosen task and the things that I have outlined above could be significant motivating factors for you too.

At the same time, however, the most significant motivating factor for anyone should be you and what you will get out of the task, work or discipline that you are undertaking study in

YOU MUST DO WHAT YOU WANT!

Remember, if you are suitably motivated and have a reason for acting you will be able to get a great deal of help from sources and materials all around you to further your success so you should seek out help from wherever you can get it as there is a lot out there to help you achieve the things that you want in your life through a good grounding in your education.

Therefore, this article should hopefully get you thinking in the right way so that you are then able to expand on the ideas here with the other resources you find including ‘The Secret Guide to Academic Writing & Study’ via http://www.academicfx.co.uk.