How to pass exams – Part 1
Are you ready for an adventure?
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela
People usually think that life (and education) is either a battle or an adventure.
I’ve decided it’s an adventure.
That simple statement changes everything.
It means that even on our ‘not so good’ days, we can still get up and ‘crack on’. It means that this school thing is do-able; it doesn’t have to be a daily disaster or a constant nightmare. If you are going on an adventure you have to plan, pack your things and get your head straight. Let’s face it. School is something that 98% of us have to go through, so we may as well make the most of it. Succeeding in school exams doesn’t mean you have to lose your friends and any credibility you may have – it’s just about using our time well and checking our attitude once in a while. I meet people all the time who wish they had done better at school – I wish I’d done more maths in school instead of messing about with Tomo and McTavish (real names!). But there is no point wishing – we have to do things differently to get different results.
Based on years of research you can read more about Lee’s work at http://leejackson.org/education/howtoenjoyandsucceedatschoolandcollege
From the start, it’s OK if we have fun while we learn.
Let me ask you something… Would you like to learn something new today? While you are reading I want you to listen out for one of my favourite noises…this is it…“DING!” (imagine a bell ringing, like one of those you get at posh hotel reception desks)… That’s the noise that your brain makes when you’re learning something new. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re a very clever person (I know that because you’re reading this blog!). A Year 7 lad once came up to me and said ‘Lee, err…does my brain actually make that noise?’ And I had to explain to him that biologically it doesn’t actually make that noise but it kind of makes that noise. That’s because there are some things in this blog that you just won’t get or won’t mean anything to you, but when you read other parts the bell in your brain will go DING! You’ll think ‘I need to think about that’ or even better it might go DING! ‘I’m going to write that bit down’ or best of all it might go DING! ‘I’m going to do something about that’.
That’s what makes the difference when you read something and put it into practice. That is the difference between people who want to enjoy and succeed in life and people who just want to drift – usually downhill pulling others with them 🙁
Alternatively, imagine you’ve got a tool box on your lap – you can do a mime with me now if you like, you don’t have to wear white mime make-up or anything! Open your imaginary tool box. In a way this blog is going to give you some good stuff to put into your tool box – things that will help you in school, help you to succeed and help you to have fun too.
That’s what this blog series will help you do. You ready?
This could be a life-changer…
This an excerpt from Top UK School Speaker Lee Jackson’s book “How To Enjoy And Succeed At School And College” Available in paperback and on Kindle (for only £1.99 during pre-exam time) here now.
