The Student’s Advantage: Your Guide to Getting the Most out of School and Creating a Fabulous Future

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” ~ Robert Frost




Background



I do not like to waste anything, and I can’t stand to see others wasting resources. Too many learners today trivialize the educational process in school and colleges, and then they wonder why the rest of the world is doing better or why certain opportunities are slipping away. They wake up at a point when the challenges in life are too heavy to bear and when there are never enough time and resources. How do I know? Well, for family-related reasons, not for academics, I did not attend high school or receive many of the years of education typical for most U.S. students. Nonetheless, I love education, I love knowledge, and by God’s grace I recognized that going to college was a way out of my not-too-friendly neighborhood in Brooklyn. I studied hard and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science and master’s degree in telecommunications—all without the burden of having to repay a loan.



Beyond this, I spent few years teaching computer-related subjects at the City University of New York and a similar amount of time working as an information technologist in corporate America. In other words, I believe that students can offer much more than they are producing today, and I want you to be the best at what you endeavor to do, but just do something that is rewarding for you and your neighbor (not necessarily the person who lives next door)—you have the capability to achieve great things.



Today, the news is bombarded with denunciations of the poor academic performance of U.S. students. Inarguably, the mental capacity of today’s students is just as good as those who were educated 30 or more years ago. So what is the problem? Guidance and focus are the missing ingredients. These words sum up how we have answered the question, using some good, grandparent-like guidance. Often, a single word or sentence of good advice is all that is needed to guide a student from mediocrity to excellence. This tool will prepare students for the mental and social rigors of high school and the freshman semesters in college.





Chapters


1: Why Education Counts

2: Is College for Everyone?

3: Finding the Right Career for You

4: What Is Success?

5: What Does It Take to Be Smart?

6: Practice Makes You Proficient

7: Build a Knowledge Base

8: The Best Place to Study

9: The Seven Learning Secrets

10: Climbing the Education Ladder

11: The Student’s Success Roadmap: An Overview

12: The Student’s Success Roadmap: Putting It into Practice

13: Terms of Engagement

14: The Education Anthem

15: The Education Pledge

16: Famous Success Stories

17: To Learn from Experience or to Learn from Others?

18: People Who Made Fame with Games

19: You and The 80/20 Rule

20: Staying Motivated

21: Recommended Books and Movies

22: A Few Career Options