As I travel the country to speak to students on how to get better grades, pass standardized test, and make the most of their education, I’m baffled by the student-counselor, parent-counselor and student-advisor relationships.
In some cases, students don’t know if they are on track for graduation or have the required classes to get into college; and the parents aren’t involved. In other cases, students are spending time with their counselors and “juicing them” for great information.
Which one are you?
During my high school days, I stayed in my counselors office (as well as my mother) to make sure that I had everything I needed to make the leap from high school to college. While in college, I spent time with my college advisor to make sure that I was doing the necessary thing to maximize my college experience and plan for future career. THEY BOTH PAID OFF!!
High School Counselors and College Advisors are FOR YOU! Believe it or not, it makes them very happy when their students succeed. So utilize the great advice and services that counselors and advisors offer at your school – take full advantage of them!
Here’s a few conversation starters with your counselors and advisors
CONVERSATION STARTERS
20 Great Questions to Ask Your High School Counselor
What to Ask Your Academic Advisor in College
Financial Planning for the Future College Bill
OTHER RESOURCES
I Went To College , But Don’t Know Why?
This is a small list of questions and resources just to engage in healthy communication between the student, the parent and the counselor/advisor.
If you feel additional questions or resources need to be asked, leave me a comment below so that I and others can benefit from your suggestions.
It’s that time of the school year where…
…Your academic gas tank is running empty, and you’re not motivated to ace your exams.
…You hate to get up in the morning to report to class, or hate to go to school after a long day of work.
…You study just enough to get a passing grade and you really don’t care.
…You find yourself waiting till the last minute to do assignments, study for exams, and write papers.
…You have a mental tattoo that reads “Complacency is Cool” and it shows daily.
If you are high school student, college student, adult student, online student, or “off for a while” student and the above sounds like you, you are most like dealing with APATHY. Today, I have a few suggestions for you.
Six Definitions That Indicate You Are Dealing with Apathy
- Apathy is when you lack EMOTION.
- Apathy is when you lack MOTIVATION.
- Apathy is when you lack ENTHUSIASM
- Apathy is the state of not CARING.
- Apathy is the state of not WANTING TO KNOW.
- Apathy is when you are satisfied with COMPLACENCY.
I Dealt With This In School Also, You Are Not Alone
While in graduate school at Lehigh University, pursuing my first Master’s degree in Polymer Science and Engineering, “Apathy” was the middle initial in my name “Kantis A. Simmons”
Attending a school in a slow paced city, like Bethlehem, Pennsylvania felt like the wilderness that Jesus was in. Even though Jesus was there for only 40 days, I was there for two years. It was so *wack* there, well at least before I over came the stress and depression caused by apathy.
I would watch hours of TV, when I should have been in the laboratory working on my thesis. When it was time to read books and scientific journals, I found myself reading sport magazines. This lead to a few weeks of poor results on test, headaches, and weeks of sluggishness. Now this was probably duplicated when I was in high school or even in undergraduate school, but I found a way to constantly pull myself out of the “rut”
Here Are 7.25 Actions I Did to Overcome Apathy as a Student, and YOU Can Too.
1 – Do Something. When you find yourself not wanting to do anything, do something. Pick up a book, take yourself out on the town, go hang with a good friend, color in a coloring book, or go have a super fun day,
2 – Sketch a Picture of Yourself. Whip out a piece of paper and sketch how you look, and in most cases the image on the piece a paper will be either how you want to look, funny and make u smile, or disgust you on how you presently look. The feelings generated from this picture will help you realize how you actually envision yourself. As a result it will paint for you an internal image of your mindset. “Before you can go forward in life, you must identify where you are.”
3 – Re-identify or Identify Your Academic Goals. Take sometime to assess why you are school, and what kind of G.P.A. you want to accomplish. Make sure your goals are written, present, personal, and positive. If you need help writing goals or want to know more about setting Academic Goals check this out.
4 – Craft a Clear Vision. When you don’t have a clear vision on something, life can be cloudy. Take some time to write a vision statement of your life purpose. It will help you stay on track. Here’s my vision:
I Kantis Simmons strive to be the leader in information publishing that changes the mindset, attitude, actions and life habits of students and professionals by developing and presenting resources (seeds) to help them understand their unique and customized purpose and be thoroughly equipped to carry it out in the earth – thus making their lives, their families and their call fruitful.
5 – Hang Out With New Friends. Look in your cell phone, look at your classmates, look at your text buddies, look at your close internet friends. Who’s Bringing You down? Who’s devaluing you? Find some new eagles, and fly with them. Friend Me on Facebook or Twitter, I’m an Eagle. I would love to become your friend, so connect with me or email me at kantis (at) playingyouragame.com
6 – Take Your Failures and Turn Them Into Successes. Think of a few failures you have had this school term thus far. How can you re-frame those into positive experiences? What did you learn from those experiences that can help you avoid further issues?
7 – Find Someone Who’s Less Fortunate Than You Are. There are many people who would love to be where you are right now. Look around and discover just how blessed you are. No matter what your situation, there is something good that you can be thankful for. Don’t have a “Pity Party” – have a “Praise Party”. Praise all those who have helped you get to where you are today. Send them an email or handwritten postcard to simply say thank you. This would make you feel so good.
7. 25 – Get Off Your Rear End. Like my high school baseball coach would say; “Get the Lead Out Your Butt Kantis” I’m not meaning to be offensive, I’m just telling you what he told me (and it worked). Realize that where you are right now is not your final destination, but it is a point on the path. Keep your left foot continuously moving in front of your right, and run towards your goals. You can do it my friend!
Apathy is nothing to hold on to. If not dealt with, it can lead to stress, depression, defeat, or even suicide. I hope this article was helpful for you, and I realize that we all have our down moments, so I would love to hear what YOU do to refuel and overcome lack of motivation.
Leave me your suggestions in the leave a reply section below, so that myself and others can be blessed by your ideas.
Apathy is not only experienced by students, but it is also experienced by teachers, parents, and professionals in the work place. So, don’t keep this article a secret, share with some deserving student or parent.
“There’s only one Game in life that Counts, and That’s Your “A” Game.” – Kantis Simmons
Well the media has followed his career from beginning to end, his death was very shocking for the entire world, and now his last appearance is on film. Michael Jackson’s move THIS IS IT, was very interesting and educational to see.
I can honestly say that I did not plan on seeing this movie so soon… but I’m glad I did. With my pricey Twizzlers in hand and my large mixed ICEEE at my side (that were both more than my matinee ticket price) I sat in an fairly empty theater zoomed to see what the rumors were all about.
I can be known to watch things with a critical eye, but today I chose to simply enjoy this movie, which was a ‘behind the scenes concert rehearsal capture’ directed by Kenny Ortega. “This Is It” was not suppose to be it for Michael Jackson, but instead it produced some great lessons to be learned. Academic success principles, business principles, biblical principles all could be pulled from this movie, but today here are 7.25 Life Lessons and Success Principles that anyone can use to improve their life.
FEW RANDOM OBSERVATIONS
Before I share my *deep* life lessons, maybe you can help me with these or had the same randomness when viewing the movie. Feel free to tweet me if you have the answers
- Early in the movie, did it seem like Michael Jackson dancing skills were off? Was MJ getting old? Maybe he was just in 1st gear.
- Did you hear that bass line reprise on the end of the Thriller part – HOT!! Was that from another song?
- Why was that black coat so big that he was wearing, I’m assuming he borrowed it to stay warm?
- I loved the little girl holding the world – you must stay to the end (after the credits).
So here are the 7.25 Life Lessons…
1 – Have a Strong Personal Coach.
Whatever you plan on doing in life, there is someone who has gone before you and both failed and/or succeeded. All successfull people have coaches, mentors or trainers. In this movie, Michael Jackson’s Dance Choreographer, Travis Payne, was by his side making sure he had his moves down. We didn’t see all of the hands on instruction that goes behind the scenes to his development, but the choregrapher was there to make sure he knew where to go next on the stage and what move would be most effective.
In my workshops and speeches, I make reference to other greats like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods; both had personal coaches to help them get better. If the greatest basketball player and golfer of all time needed a coach, what makes you think you don’t need one? Both MJ and MJ did.
If you are pursuing an academic degree, starting a new business, or trying to become a better parent – locate a strong and proven coach that can propel you to the next level. I myself have several coaches that I invest into every year, because I want to get better as as a speaker, academic success coach, and author. You should too – I challenge you to locate one.
If you want to know who I coach with then, or want me to coach you, ask me here.
2 – Your Vision in Life, Will Pull Forth Vision Out of Others.
I loved listening to the testimonies of the dancers and the musicians in the movie. A consistent thought from all of them was that by having the opportunity to work with Michael Jacskon was a big goal or dream of theirs. One male dancer even mentioned how at a young age he wanted to work with Michael Jackson, and when given the opportunity to audition, he dropped everything he had going to pursue his dance dream.
I’m pretty sure that over Michael Jackson’s career, his vision of excellence and his vision to help the entire world caused those around him to enhance and focus their vision. So I ask you, Will your life vision pull vision out of those you work with?
3 – Work Only With The Best.
Every championship team realizes that it takes *total* teamwork to become a champion in their sport; and if you can get the best players to play together on one team then that is almost a sure guarantee for victory. Like the USA Basketball team has done repeatedly in the World Olympics, Michael Jackson gathered the best of the best to play on his team. From producers, videographers, costume directors, choreographers, staging, lighting and musicians he hired only the best.
One of my friends and mentors, Jonathan Sprinkles said to me one time, “Hang out with, study, and coach with the #1 person in any field (not the #2 person), because the #1 person is #1 one for a reason.”
4 – Have a Bigger Purpose For What You Do in Life.
Even though Michael Jackson was the king of POP, an icon and has had so many songs on the top music charts, his greater purpose was to heal the world – heal how people love one another and how people love the world in which we live in.
What’s your greater purpose? Why do you ultimately exist? Why do you do what you do?
As for me, my greater purpose is to enhance the mindset, attitude, actions and life habits of students and professionals by developing and presenting resources to help them understand their unique and customized purpose. Then be thoroughly equipped to carry it out in the earth – thus making their lives, their families and their calling fruitful.
5 – Capture The Key Moments of Your Life and Learn From Them.
At the beginning of the movie, Director kenny Ortega mentioned that this movie came about because of the video camera that were in rehearsals and the footage was going to go in Michael Jackson’s personal private collection.
I’m sure that Michael Jackson was his own biggest critic about his craft and was going to use this footage to analyze himself, analyze his show, and use it to get better at his craft. Whisch is an awesome thing to do.
I myself do this after completing a great talk for a high school or college. I would sit down and replay the entire footage of my speech. Most time its’ painful to watch, because I sincerly want to be the best at what I do when engaging a crowd.
I encourage you to capture those key moments in your life. If it’s a presentation, perfrormance event, or simple conversation with someone – use that recorded footage to learn more about yourself and get better.
6 – Stay Teachable and Humble.
It is very obvious from his lifetime of music success that Michael Jackson was teachable and understood humility.
It was very powerful to see how the music director and production director knew when to submit their idea to Michael Jackson, and Michael’s to theirs. I’m pretty sure that his power packed team had a load of great ideas for the concert, but they were willing to adjust and be flexible for the overall objective. It was never about *their* agenda, but about the mission at hand.
Being teachable, flexible, submissive and willing to adjust your thinking for another is a key to promotion and success.
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”(I Peter 5:5)
7 – Practice, Practice, Practice and then Practice Perfect.
I love seeing MJ do the classic dance routines to His classic songs in the movie, like “Beat It”, “Thriller”, and “Smooth Criminal”. It was very obvious that because of repetition, he was able to do it sweatlessly and flawlessly. it even seemed to me that he had regained his youth when doing those moves, versus other times he looked kind of old and stiff. (Just my randomness again)
Practice does not make perfect, but perfect and correct practice makes perfect.
When it comes to school academics, business, or any life endeavor, your preparation phase will always determine your outcome of victory. You may have heard the famous saying,” When preparation meets opportunity it produces success”, which is so true. See this video and this video where I talk more about this concept of preparation.
7.25 -Know Your Craft Better Than Anyone Else.
The music director and various musicians in the band, said that Michael Jackson knew all of his songs. He knew the key, the tempo, the rhythm of certain riffs. He was a student of his own music and his craft.
Seeing and hearing this on camera instantly made me evaluate my life. As my mind wondered spanned the years of my existence, I was convicted and yet convinced to simply get better. Know my craft!!
You too must daily judge your life and craft. Where do you have cracks? Where are you weak? Where do you need to improve? How are you settling for average when you know that excellence is needed?
If you ever want to do the best, you must consistently do things that will propel you to be the best. Average people will never fully see the best, because their mindset and actions are like everyone else. Success is hard, and it is not for the weak. If you want better, then do better. Consistently learn, consistently train, and consistently improve.
So there you have it… The 7.25 Lessons I Learned from Michael Jackson’s This Is It”.
*** Now I’m sure that if you have seen the movie, there’s a lot that you learned from it as well. Please leave a comment or reply and let me know what you learned. Share your thoughts, it may be the exact thing that somebody else needs to hear.***
If you like this article feel free to read my other articles here, subscribe to my free newsletter, or connect with me on facebook or twitter.
When you think about achieving SUCCESS, you have to think about setting and achieving GOALS.
When you think about achieving ACADEMIC SUCCESS, you must think about setting and achieving ACADEMIC GOALS.
Achieving SUCCESS EQUALS setting and achieving GOALS.
You cannot achieve success without working towards something that is measurable, memorable and attainable. Goals allow you to gauge when you have achieved success.
During my sophomore year of college, I received a 4.0 GPA. How did I achieve academic success that year? I learned the power of setting academic goals. Because I set this goal, I had to develop various academic survival skills like taking notes, studying for exams, and knowing how to listen in class. I had to change specific academic and social habits in order to achieve success. I changed my study habits, my sleeping patterns and even my dating routine – yes “girls” had to take the back seat.
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After watching the 2009 NFL Superbowl, between the football Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, there was one thing common amongst all those involved. This one thing, is what causes the greatest champions to spend hours, days, and years in the weight room, studying film, and practicing day in and day out.
With the Superbowl being an event that most NFL athletes look forward to their entire career, there was something that was consistent among all the participants. PREPARATION!
Preparation, practice, development, training, mentoring, rehearsing, and repetition all have come before great opportunities. But when opportunities do arrive, are you prepared?
Preparation is the pre-requisite for being an “A” student. Preparation is the pre-requirement of all champions. In music, business, academics, and even professional speaking, you must log time in preparing.
View the above video, to give a simple note on how to make the most of every opportunity.
“If you live and stay prepared, you will never miss a beat.” – Kantis Simmons
If you are not able to view the above video, then you can also view it on youtube, blip, google,
![How Well are You Listening in Class? [Video]](http://playingyouragame.com/wp-content/themes/bigfeature/library/timthumb/timthumb.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/listening.jpg&w=532&zc=1&zcp=1)
If you think about most of your day, the majority of your time is spent listening. Listening to your professor…listening to a lecture… and listening to the class conversation. Listening consumes most, if not all, of your day in the classroom.
So how effective are your listening skills? For more infor about visit: http://playingyouragame.com/listening-skills
I just recently shot a crazy video, giving you a sneek peak on some of the things I listen to:
If you can not see the above video, you can also see it on youtube, vimeo, or blip.
The other day, one of my best friends called me and updated me on her most recent final exams. She told me how well she did, and how she had been applying the tips and tricks she learned to play her “A” Game. She was so excited that she now believes she will be getting an “A” in that college class.
Then with disgust, she mentions that while she was taking her test she heard two students talking during her final exams. She looked at them, but could not understand a word they were saying – they were speaking another language.
As she sat there, another student too witnessed these two men talking during the final exams. What were they talking about at this crucial time? They were cheating!
Should they turn these students in or should they let this pass?
“Tell or don’t tell? That is the question!
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Have you ever been stuck when studying for those big tests? Have you had challenges preparing for the weekly quiz? Don’t know where to start, or how to go about preparing for those final exams? Here are some simple ways to be better prepared on school tests, exams, and quizzes.
1. Ask the Instructor.
When preparing for test be aggressive and ask the instructor what to expect. Ask questions like… “What material will be covered?” What should you concentrate on?”, “Will the test be objective or essay?”
2. Look up past copies of exams or quizzes.
Take the time to search out old exams if they are available in the library. Also check with other students who took the class the previous year or semester. These tests can give you an idea of what your exam may be like. Use them as a study tool, but don’t rely heavily on them.
Read More of this Academic Tip Post a comment (0)When you talk about SUCCESS, you have to talk about GOALS.
When you speak of Academic SUCCESS, you must talk about Academic GOALS.
SUCCESS IS GOALS
[AUDIO] “Goal Setting as a Student” by Kantis Simmons
You cannot have success without having something that is measurable, memorable and achievable. So you have to have goals in place to know when you have been a success at something.
Developing various academic survival skills as a student is really really important, however this survival skill of setting and achieving your goals is the motor (or motive) behind all the other skills. What I mean is this…
If you can establish a academic goal that is PRESENT, POSITIVE, and PERSONAL as a student, then all the action survival skills of listening in class, taking great notes, class participation, and the others will support the goal you have initially set for yourself. They become the action steps required to achieve your set goals.
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I often wonder, what I can do every month to improve the livelihood and quality of every student I come in contact with.
Just the other day, while waiting to board a flight to New Jersey I sat next to a college student. As we both played with our Apple laptops, and both with ear plugs in our ear I said to myself…“I wonder if he is playing his ‘A’ game in school?” Now I assumed he was a college student, because he wore a bold sweat shirt with a school’s name on it.
With a nosiness about me, I asked, “do you attend the University on your sweatshirt?” With a relieved look of breaking the silence, he nodded “yes”. I introduced myself and gave him some “dap” and the universal “wsup Nod”. We began chatting about his first year of school.
Being from Texas and going to school in upstate New York, he commented that his biggest challenge was managing academics and football. Playing on a team with as 3-8 record as a freshman wide receiver, he had more than football issues. He had challenges adjusting to being a football scholar, working with his coaches (who are rumored to being fired) and living so far from home.
From his soft voice, you can tell that he was not pleased with his all around first semester performance. I sat there and listened as he spoke about grades, studying, his major, time and being physically exhausted for the football season.
But there is still hope……
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