This week in this class, a lot of things have been brought to my attention. I realize that not many people meet their ceiling in writing at the high school level, but I feel that I still have many improvements that can and hopefully will be made throughout this school year. I may not be able to reach my peak, but I want to take what I can get in terms of writing improvement. Being able to write a solid essay is vital for success at the collegiate level. I also figured out that approaching everything with an "I am going to learn and master this" mindset can get me almost anywhere. This applies to all of my classes. The purpose of school is to learn, and I certainly intend to fulfill that purpose.
On the first hour of my first day back to school, my AP lit teacher brought a very cogent point to the table. The gist of what he said was that approach makes a big difference. Approaching a class as a blow off will certainly turn it into one. If you ignore any prior opinions about a class and just dive in, you will get the best result possible. Go into any class and try to learn whatever you possibly can. Ask questions. The knowledge you pick up will be extremely valuable to you. This is also a great way to sort of "condition" yourself for the next level. A more avid and aggressive approach will certainly be rewarded with better grades by your professors in college.
The same as above applies to learning how to write. You obviously need to do the things stated in the previous paragraph, but also need to take a lot of criticism and help. Unless you are a professor at an Ivy League school who teaches one of the toughest writing classes in the country, you probably have room for improvement. Be able to take people's suggestions and consider them without getting your feelings hurt: especially your teacher's. This my advice to anyone reading this and to myself. Of course, it's all easier said than done.
Tremendous post! I love the candid and thoughtful approach you have taken - it will serve you well. The portion that stood out to me was, "I also figured out that approaching everything with an "I am going to learn and master this" mindset can get me almost anywhere. This applies to all of my classes. The purpose of school is to learn, and I certainly intend to fulfill that purpose" because it will free you from giving up if you don't meet lofty expectations. Well said.
You may be interested in the habit of post-secondary success as stated in this symposium: http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Positions/Framework%20one-pager_4-2011.pdf.
Mr. S
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