Be smart about your education

Before you go and spend all of yours, your parents, or banks hard earned money on a tertiary qualification, do a bit of research. It is vital for you to collect all the information you need for you and your parents to make a good choice about what and where you choose to study. It is not only about how much you will spend on education, but rather how well you spend it.

What does spending well on education mean in practical terms? It means spending money on getting a qualification that is worth more than the paper it is printed on. The main reason you have to get a qualification is because it makes it possible for you to find work that will fulfill you and enable you to earn a living.

Don't let yourself be caught in a situation where after years of dedicated study you realise that employers in your field do not recognise your qualification or value it.

When considering furthering your studies, find out what your course entails, what qualification you will receive once you have completed your studies, the qualification's level on the National Qualifications Framework, what accreditation it enjoys and whether it is recognised by employers in the industry in which you wish to work.

Be smart and make the right decision for you!

Taking Responsibility for yourself

Yes it's true learners think they have it all figured out. They come up with excuses, of how the dog ate their homework in the morning, or even better yet how it was done but then mysteriously disappeared while they were sleeping. As a learner you have to take responsibility for your life. You cannot simply go through school making up stories and hoping for a miracle to help you pass.

Ultimately you are responsible for your studies, and the last thing you want is to have to learn this lesson in life while repeating the same grade. As much as we all love television and facebook, you have to know how to prioritise. Your chores and school work should all be completed before you attempt to do anything related to relaxing.

Taking ownership is vital for you to have a successful school career. You have to understand that without hard work and dedication you cannot achieve your goals. Especially in high school you always have to be aware that your results will affect your future, because you have to have good marks to get accepted into university. Your parents and teachers cannot do it for you, so the ball is in your court and only you can take the decision to work to the best of your ability at all times.

The importance of journal writing

As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. This is especially true when it comes to writing, an activity that many young students find intimidating, tedious or just plain difficult. However, developing strong written communication skills is a vital component of your overall success in primary school, high school and university (as well as in the adult workplace).

This is a skill that is important for you to have. In many ways it can help you say the things you want to say, which makes it an excellent way to communicate your feelings or just simply get things off your mind.

It can also be a fun activity you do to relax. By creating a journal you are allowing yourself to be as creative as you want to be. There is no right and wrong. You are able to express your inner thoughts in any way you desire to.

All that's left for you to do is to get started and make it a habit by including it in your daily or weekly timetable depending on how much time you have to spare for relaxing.

Ideas from: www.cwcoachingclub.com/2011/the importance of successful-journal-writing

Peer Pressure in school

Peer pressure has always been a major issue in teenagers' lives. We all feel the need to be accepted by our peers resulting in a power struggle between our friends, our family and society. More and more we are hearing stories of increased sexual activity among learners from a very young age in schools. Teenage pregnancy, gang initiation in schools, drop outs and lack of school attendance are becoming the norm. Why is it so difficult to say NO, but so easy to get sucked into situations with potentially devastating consequences?

As a learner you have to develop a strong sense of self and very clear lines of communication with people you know only have good intentions for you. It is important that you are active in the role of developing your self confidence and self esteem. Learn to accept yourself and appreciate what you have instead of focusing on what you don't have.

The friends you choose speak volumes to the kind of person you are. Make sure your friends have a positive influence on you and that you have honesty and trust in your friendships. Stand up for your beliefs and don't let anyone tell you, you are anything less that what you know you are because our future lies in your hands and the decisions you make in your youth may make or break your future plans.

Reading is good for you, start now!!!

Reading is one of the best hobbies you can have, but it's sad to know that the majority of us do not know the fabulous world of books. If you are one of the non-readers here are some reasons to start the habit....before you are left behind!

1. Reading is an active mental process: Unlike sitting in front of the idiot box (TV),
reading makes you use your brain. While reading you would be forced to reason out many things which are unfamiliar to you. In this process you would use the grey cells of your brain to think and become smarter.

2. Reading improves your vocabulary: While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words you wouldn't have been otherwise.

3. Gives you a glimpse into other cultures and places of the world: How would you know about the life of people living in Mexico if you don't read about it? (unless you are very privileged to visit different countries regularly). Reading gives you insight into the diversity of ethnicity of people, their customs and their lifestyles. You become more aware of different places and their code of conduct.

4. Improves concentration and focus: It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. unlike magazines or e-mails that might contain small chunks of information, books tell the whole story.

5. Builds self-esteem: The more you read, the knowledgeable you become. With more knowledge comes more confidence. More confidence builds self-esteem. So it's a chain reaction.

6. Improves memory: Reading requires remembering details, facts and figures and in literature, plot lines, themes and characters.

7. Improves you discipline: Making time to read is something we all know we should do, but who schedules book reading time every day? Very few... That's why adding book reading to your daily schedule and sticking to it, improves discipline.

8. Improves creativity: Reading about diversity of life and exposing yourself to new ideas and more information helps to develop the creative side of the brain as it instills innovation into your thinking process.

If you want to break the monotony of a lazy, uncreative and boring life, go and grab an interesting book. Turn the pages to explore a new world filled with information and creativity.

Making an effective timetable

A Daily timetable will help you plan every part of your day, from the moment you wake up to the moment you crawl into bed at night. You'll be able to take control of how you spend your time from one hour to the next.

Here's how to make one. You might want to make a separate timetable for each day of the week, or one for weekdays and one for weekends.

1. Take a sheet of paper and a ruler. Draw a chart of all your working hours, using
one square for each half hour. If you're awake for 16 hours each day, you'll
need 32 squares: 8 across, 4 down. Using graph paper can help.
2. Label each square with the starting time for that half-hour block of time.For example, if you wake up at 6:00 in the morning, label the first half-hour square 6:00 a.m, and the next one 6:30 a.m, and so on.....
3. Sit down and examine your day. Make a list of all the things you need to do, from taking a shower to doing homework and after school activities.
4. When you begin to write things into your timetable, start with the things that
have specific start times. For instance, if you know you have to be at the bus
stop 7:00 a.m, fill in that square with Bus Stop.
5. Give yourself a break or several! If doing all your homework in one chunk is too
much for you, then schedule a little bit of free time between subjects.
6. Consider using a different colored pen or marker to colour in different types of
responsibilities. You could use yellow for family chores, red for school events,
and blue for school activities, and so on. This way you'll get a good sense of how
your day is planned just by looking at your timetable. This will also help you
identify if you are overloaded with something eg: sports.
7. Remember that you cant predict what's going to happen every day, and time
management involves being flexible.

Back to school

It's that time of the year again! You've been on holiday enjoying your days off, playing and sleeping late but now you need to prepare for the year ahead.

To get a head start when school opens, make sure all your books are neatly covered and your uniform is washed and ready for when the day arrives. This is the time to use your excitement and extra energy to your advantage.

There are three very important things you can do to make the year a success.

Firstly, set goals for what you want to achieve in the next 12 months, so that you don't lose sight of what you need to do to achieve this. Make sure your goals are important to you and realistic, and that you are ready to work hard to reach them. For this to happen, you must write them down and re-look at them constantly during the year.

Secondly, make sure you know what is happening in your school and that you have your timetable ready for the year. Now you know what opportunities you can embrace to reach your goals.

Thirdly, inform your parents about your goals and get them involved in what you are doing at school. Make sure that you have their support in all you do.

The new year is here and you have to make it count.

GOODLUCK AND ENJOY!!!!!!!