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It’s every human’s dream – to be firing on all cylinders day in day out as we pursue our goals. However when we try to accomplish this we are inevitably reminded that we are not machines and there comes a point where continuing at the same level of intensity is simply not realistic. There areContinueContinue reading “What to do when motivation wanes”

There is an old Indian parable about six blind men who only heard about elephants, but had no idea what they were. Villagers wanted them to understand what elephants were so they got an elephant and allowed the men to touch the elephant in order to get an understanding of what this being actually was.ContinueContinue reading “See the big picture”

Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time had a routine that he stuck to religiously before every race. He would look at the camera, make funny gestures, go down on his knees, make the sign of the cross, point to the heavens and then dazzle the crowd with his excruciating speed. The fact isContinueContinue reading “Find your pre-exam routine”

It was Blaise Pascal who said, “all of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Even though this was written several years ago it rings with truth even more today. Let’s just get it out there, studying for most of us, if not all of us, is just downContinueContinue reading “Embrace boredom”

In a previous article: one of the best predictors of academic success, I made the point that some students have an external locus of control. Students with an external locus of control attribute their success or lack thereof to factors external to themselves such as luck or a bad teacher. Now I must acknowledge thatContinueContinue reading “Control the controllable”

During my early years of university life my peers often wanted to form study groups. Personally I was not fond of them and thought them to be a grand waste of time. However as the years progressed I occasionally succumbed to the pressure and joined one or two study groups here and there. Upon reflectionContinueContinue reading “When is group study a good thing?”

The best thing a parent can do for a child in the early years of that child’s life is to make him or her likable. Teaching the child to say ‘thank you’ and how to be kind is absolutely important. Teaching the child to consider the needs of others and not just his or herContinueContinue reading “Being a teacher’s pet is not a bad idea”

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in my chemistry class in grade 10 and I reflected on my academic situation at the time. I was getting mediocre grades and I did not have a plan for my life in general. I thought about the friends I had and realized that all myContinueContinue reading “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are”

As a child growing up, Superman was my favourite superhero. However as I transitioned into adulthood, I began to appreciate Batman a lot more. Batman is a lot more relatable. Firstly, he is not from another planet and he is as human as your average Joe. What makes him special is the gadgets or toolsContinueContinue reading “The power of tools”

How you see yourself is possibly the greatest determinant of not only your academic success, but success in life in general. It is extremely difficult to act contrary to your self-perception. If you view yourself as someone who will figure out stuff when you put your mind to it, then most often you will. OnContinueContinue reading “When you look in the mirror, what you see is important!”