3 answers
Amal
Student
Lincoln, Nebraska
1
Question
Asked
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What are some tips to staying motivated and successful in high school?
I'm a high school student that will be becoming a 10th grader this fall and I was wondering. I also want help finding a career path since I'm stuck between nursing or civil engineering. Because whil I do love helping people I also love hands on things and that's why I want to go into engineering. But I also like traveling so I was thinking I can do nursing and become a travel nurse since that's the only way I think I can do both but I still have a great love for civil engineering as well.
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3 answers
Ray von Dohren
Retired sanitary engineer
12
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Ray’s Answer
Wow this is a great question. I love it. I was a mediocre high school student. Why? Well, my simple answer is ya gotta wanna. If you are not interested, bored, rather be anywhere else, you are not going to be a good student. When you say, “I’m really not smart enough to be a good student.” The chances are what is really going on is you have a lazy brain.
You have interests. How do those interests apply to the classes you are taking? Grammar lessons! Are you kidding me? Blech. Except good writing is fun, and if you like to tell stories, grammar is essential. My wife’s wall magnet says: ‘Oh look another day when I didn't use algebra.’ Except you do use algebra every day, all the time. What’s 99+99+99? 100+100+100=300-3. 3X= 297. The point is every subject can peek your interest. You need to look for it. I didn’t in high school.
Then one day I learned that if one did his or her homework and studied, subjects were fascinating. Fellow students wanted to work with them. Teachers were more interested in their work and wanted them to talk about it. In high school I got an F in trigonometry. In college I got an A in trig. I aced tests. I went on to become a professional engineer. I love math. I tutor math, because I wanted to learn it.
Look at your subjects and see how they apply in the real world. Go find examples. Talk to profession people about what they do. See how their work started with the high school classes you’re taking. Vocations may surprise you. My sewer maintenance crew spent as much time cleaning sewers as they did working on computers. They knew more biology than many lab workers. Any profession may astound you. You just need to get interested and you gotta wanna do it.
You have interests. How do those interests apply to the classes you are taking? Grammar lessons! Are you kidding me? Blech. Except good writing is fun, and if you like to tell stories, grammar is essential. My wife’s wall magnet says: ‘Oh look another day when I didn't use algebra.’ Except you do use algebra every day, all the time. What’s 99+99+99? 100+100+100=300-3. 3X= 297. The point is every subject can peek your interest. You need to look for it. I didn’t in high school.
Then one day I learned that if one did his or her homework and studied, subjects were fascinating. Fellow students wanted to work with them. Teachers were more interested in their work and wanted them to talk about it. In high school I got an F in trigonometry. In college I got an A in trig. I aced tests. I went on to become a professional engineer. I love math. I tutor math, because I wanted to learn it.
Look at your subjects and see how they apply in the real world. Go find examples. Talk to profession people about what they do. See how their work started with the high school classes you’re taking. Vocations may surprise you. My sewer maintenance crew spent as much time cleaning sewers as they did working on computers. They knew more biology than many lab workers. Any profession may astound you. You just need to get interested and you gotta wanna do it.
Shay Rutherford
Freelance Artist
6
Answers
New Castle, Pennsylvania
Updated
Shay’s Answer
Hi! The best advice I can give is to have a good support group. Whether this is friends, family, or professionals in a field you want to pursue, a support group can help so much when it comes to motivation, advice, support, and companionship. It also helps, if applicable, to have something like a case manager or counselor that can help you with more difficult tasks like college and job hunting. They can also help you with deciding what you eventually want to do as a career. I hope this helps!
Lauren Kulesa
Pharmacy technician
2
Answers
Provo, Utah
Updated
Lauren’s Answer
Hello there! You've raised a truly exceptional question, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. I've seen numerous students, myself included, grappling with this very challenge! What I've found most beneficial is the establishment of modest, achievable objectives. Rather than being daunted by grand ambitions or extensive projects initially, I focus on small, manageable tasks. Setting these mini goals, which you believe you can realistically complete within the day, is a great strategy to gradually work towards larger ones. This approach prevents the overwhelming feeling of being "stuck" or lacking the drive to pursue bigger objectives!
Moreover, always remember to visualize the rewards awaiting you upon the completion of these small and big goals post high school. What could maintaining this focus help you attain in the future? Perhaps it's the college of your dreams, or a desired job position. This visualization can serve as a powerful motivator to keep you on track!
Moreover, always remember to visualize the rewards awaiting you upon the completion of these small and big goals post high school. What could maintaining this focus help you attain in the future? Perhaps it's the college of your dreams, or a desired job position. This visualization can serve as a powerful motivator to keep you on track!