How Well are You Listening in Class? [Video]

How Well are You Listening in Class? [Video]

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.

Possibly Related Posts:


How to Jumpstart Your School Year After a Long Vacation [video]

How to Jumpstart Your School Year After a Long Vacation [video]

After a great holiday vacation and long break, it’s sometimes challenging to get motivated to go back into another school semester. In this video, I share 5 things you can immediately do to get refocused for the upcoming school year.

http://www.vimeo.com/2721727

If you can’t view the video above, see the following:

http://blip.tv/file/1636202

http://vimeo.com/2721727

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A58ee9ji1CQ

Possibly Related Posts:


Cheating Classmates: Tell or Don’t Tell?

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!

Read More

Possibly Related Posts:


7.25 Simple Ways to Prepare for School Exams, Tests, and Quizzes

finalsHave 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

Possibly Related Posts:


[Audio] Goal Setting and Achieving Goals as a Student – Academic Survival Skill #7.25

When you talk about SUCCESS, you have to talk about GOALS.

When you speak of Academic SUCCESS, you must talk about Academic GOALS.

goal_settingSUCCESS 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.

Read More

Possibly Related Posts:


Does Your Posse Suck?

Does Your Posse Suck?

It is with great pleasure to see this new month of December in the year of 2008. There has been great successes and only a few minor setbacks. All in all, this year has been the best of its kind.


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……

Read More

Possibly Related Posts:


Right or Wrong College Major? Is it Time to Change [Video]

Right or Wrong College Major? 5 Signs its Time to Change from Kantis Simmons on Vimeo

(if you can’t see above video)

Ever considered that your current academic performance is linked to your current college major?

Ever considered that your current major will not lead you to a career that you are passionate about?

Ever considered that you picked your current major for the right or wrong reason?

Well in this short video, I give some signpost to determine if you are in the right or wrong reason college major. Take the time to watch this video, and do a personal check to see if you have these 5 symptoms. If so, consider changing, it will be in your best interest to do so.

You can also get more in depth material on selecting a college major from my talk on “7.25 Questions to Identify Your Life’s Assignment Regardless of Your College Major“.

Also take some time to forward this video blog to some worthy high school or college student, andalso  subscribe them to my FREE newsletter the GamePlan

Possibly Related Posts:


How to Prepare for School Tests And College Exams - Academic Survival Skill #7

How to Prepare for School Tests And College Exams – Academic Survival Skill #7

Taking test, preparing for exams, studying for midterms, and studying for final exams traditioanlly give students challenges. With so many things taking place before test time, there seems to be a rush of adrenaline to the mind containing fear, stress, overload and anxiety. I have experienced these same symptoms before test time, until I learned a few key ways to prepare for test.

Understanding how to prepare for test or exams is a vital academic skill that every student must develop.

Yes reviewing your class notes regularly can make studying for exams easier and more efficient, but here are some other key ways that you can prepare for those exams. These may seem easy and simple, but they are very effective. Read More

Possibly Related Posts:


Perfect Your Daily Study Strategy – Academic Survival Skill #6

Every Sunday in the fall I normally do two things – go to church and watch NFL Football.

One thing that is apparent about every football game is that both teams come with a STRATEGY to beat their opponent.The determination of the winner is based solely on who carried out their strategy with the least amount of mistakes.

When it comes to academic success, preparing for test, succeeding as a college or high school student; studying is a skill you must develop This skill will definitely help your daily regimen

Here are some simple guidelines you can use to better your reading-studying strategy, as well as make the post of your time spent studying.

Read More

Possibly Related Posts:


How to Become a Better Reader - Academic Survival Skill #5

How to Become a Better Reader – Academic Survival Skill #5

Ever heard the powerful phrase…”Readers are Leaders and Leaders are Readers?

What about the one … “Rich People Read books, and Poor People Watch TV ?”

Well whatever you have heard about reading, one thing is for sure; People who read well are more likely to do well academically.

I remember growing up as a student, that I hated to read books because it seemed like a long process or it seemed like the prelude before sleep. I even remember reading Cliff Notes, and the beginning and ends of chapters of books just to TRY to get an advantage over reading the entire text. But after three college degrees, I saw the direct correlation between my poor test grades and my reading efforts. I was always under prepared when I did not FULLY and EFFECTIVELY read.

Maybe you are presently like I use to be, dreading to read?  Today I would like to share with you the fifth Academic Survival Skills that every Student most develop – READING.

Read More

Possibly Related Posts:


top ↑