REGRET (A poem)

Oh my! The date is almost here

Fast approaching, it makes me quake with fear

I was warned but tightly shut my ears

Preferring frivolities all round the year 

Wise people advised me to study; I insisted "later"

I saw reading as a time wasting disaster

But now that the exam is round the corner

I know nothing the syllabus expects me to remember 

I really wish the questions could get missing

On that day will I be staring at the ceiling?

Chewing my pen, like a drug recommended 

Hugging a crises I could have easily avoided

HANDLING GROUP ASSIGNMENTS (2)

In every group work there will always be people who are more committed than others. Some people will be more involved than others; it's the way it has always been. Whether it should remain that way is not the subject of this write-up. My focus here is to show you how to make each individual, in any group work or activity you are involved in, give their very best towards the success of the team.

People tend to replicate their attitude towards personal study and assignments to group assignments. Those who never do their personal assignments on time will tend to be procrastinate on roles within groups too. It's what they have been accustomed to; their way of life. But the group will pay dearly for it if nothing is done about that sort of attitude.

Notice  that I am writing with the assumption (and I hope I am not wrong) that you are one that takes work, assignment and roles seriously. This post won't be meaningful if you aren't.
The first thing about a group work is that IT MUST BE DONE. That statement is so simple it almost sounds ridiculous. But don't take it lightly, it really must be done. And the only way to get the work done is to do the work. The group assignment, it could be a field work or an essay or some other task, will be graded. And when no work is submitted by the group, no mark will be awarded, and that is bad news for everyone involved. This is why I kept emphasizing that the work needs to be done. Some folks will be indifferent towards it but that must not dampen your resolve; it should not water down your drive.

Volunteer to be the group leader. This gives you a platform to influence the rest of the group on a larger scale. It confers authority on you, and you could use that to steer the whole group in one direction. Though you should keep in mind that you aren't trying to create everyone in your image. That won't work. They can't all have your type of drive or resolve but you can help them give their best.

It is true that the leader of the group has to put in a lot of work compared to the rest of the group, and that can make you want to freak out. You need not be afraid, for on the plus side, the group leader gets to learn a whole lot; from leadership to coordination to handling people and so on. And those are key things you need to learn. And when an opportunity comes in form of a group work, rush towards it. No one can snatch the knowledge and experience you will gain in that role from you.

It is good to pair the group into further mini groups where roles can be split and various tasks given to various mini-groups. This helps get everyone involved. Sometimes people are reluctant to contribute their quota to the success of the group because they believe their ideas are insignificant, especially when the group is filled with people they deem to be more intelligent. Dividing people into mini groups will help amplify their contributions and this will be a further incentive for them to do their best.

Make each person accountable to everyone. Groups wither in productivity because there is no system for accountability. But when they see that what they do, or fail to do, is bound to affect more than them alone, no one would like to be seen as a bad egg, as the cause of the downfall of others. They are bound to buckle up and give their best. That asides, the mere fact that everyone knows who is responsible for which task makes it possible for a thorough check to be done by the group on each member.

As a deterrent to those who still insist on being lazy and doing nothing to contribute to the success of the assignment, tell the group that only those who participated will have their names collated and submitted as participants. This was done many times in my secondary school and brought positive results as many people usually became more committed after such threats.

Do well to encourage one another from time to time. It helps a lot. Show that as much as you are interested in the work being done, you are also interested in the people doing the work. 

Group work can be fun, and should be fun. You shouldn't have it any other way. Enjoy the tasks, the roles and the lovely grades from being a part of a group who give their best.

HANDLING GROUP ASSIGNMENTS (1)

I once read a funny story about a meeting that held in a village. The elders were to meet with the King, and for refreshment, each person was asked to come with a bottle of palmwine. The message had been passed across by the town crier early enough, so there was no excuse for being absent, or for not coming with the palmwine.

Abo had finished the palmwine he had at home. Common sense required that he either go to tap some from his palmtree or pay the traders that sold them. But procrastination was his hobby; he kept on moving when he will get it, until the morning of the meeting. Minutes to when he would leave home for the meeting, he still did not have any palmwine. He couldn't wait for the traders that sell to come because they usually opened at midday, and the meeting was an early morning one. He became worried such that his wife, Shade, noticed. She asked him what the matter was  and after he had told her, she gave him a shady idea.

"Why not go with a bottle of water? Afterall, no one will notice a bottle of water in a drum filled with palmwine." she said. Abo found this an interesting idea and went along to fill his bottle with water. He knew that every one would be asked to pour their bottle of palmwine into the big drum that was at the doorway of the venue. No one could possibly notice that he had brought water, not palmwine. He thanked his wife for the wonderful idea and sped off on his rickety bicycle to the meeting.

The meeting went well. Matters regarding the village were discussed and solutions given. At the end of the meeting, the king asked for the palmwine to be shared. Servers filled up cups from the drum outside, where everyone had poured their bottle of palmwine. When everyone had been served, the king said a prayer to the good health of everyone and asked them to drink. They all lifted their cups to their lips, and after the first gulp, brought it down again. Everyone looked at everyone else, yet no one voiced out what was on their mind.

They were not drinking palmwine! It was water. Everyone had thought like Abo. They had all brought water along! Afterall, no one would notice a bottle of water in a drum filled with palmwine. Not good, at all.

That story is a mirror of how some people behave when it comes to group works or assignments. They prefer to sit-back and do nothing while expecting to ride on the work of the rest of the group. This ends up being a terrible affair of poor work, and most times no work, being done. It affects tbe performance of every member of the group negatively. From poor grades to pointing accusatory fingers at others to hate speeches to many other things that tend to one outcome: it never ends well.

It doesn't have to be that way. Group assignments can be fun too, and engaging, and a platform for meaningful work to be done. You will need to learn how to bring out the best in your group mates (or team mates), especially when they all seem to have varying levels of commitment towards the success of the task to be done. This lesson will help you get maximum work done from your groups, get you the good marks you desire and will also help you work better as a member of a team.

Want to learn? 

Check the next article.

LIFE VS SCHOOL? BUT YOU CAN DO BOTH WELL!

If you are like many others, you don't believe that exams are the true test of knowledge. I do not disagree. But you will not be able to name a better medium for testing what students have learnt. Exams may have several disadvantages, but then there is rarely any perfect medium or process for testing how well a person has learnt.

From observation I have realised that most of those who complain about the imperfections of exams are those who fail them. I see that happen over and over again. They complain because they cannot surmount it. You need to learn how to pass exams even though it is not the true test of knowledge. Decide to do well in it since it is something you cannot avoid.

There is this opinion that is increasingly getting popular; that exams do not determine your fate in life. My perspective is why do badly in exams, in school, when you can do absolutely better. What is stopping you? What is the obstacle preventing you from achieving academic excellence? 
Many people like to support their claim my saying that many successful people are dropouts. They begin to mention names like Bill Gates to back up their point. My response to them is "but many more successful people are graduates." And even those who dropout (for diverse reasons, not just limited to poor performance) prefer to employ those who have attained the zenith in educational qualifications. 

Before you set up a movement for the scrapping of all forms of exams, pass those exams first. You are more likely to be listened to when you point out the flaws in a process where you succeeded, instead of one where you failed woefully in. But some will still insist that school doesn't matter; that education is a scam. They say what really matters is succeeding in life. I totally agree that life is more complex than school. It is, really. If you can succeed in life, however that is defined, then you have no excuse for failing in school. You can be both successful in school and life. Many have done it before you, many will do it after you; you have no excuse not to do it too.

Life doesn't give you a scheme of work before it throws test at you. It has no predetermined syllabus, no room to revise before its trials; all its test are improptu, no timetable whatsoever. Inspite of all those shortcomings, if you can go ahead to succeed in life, then passing exams should not give you a tough time. In school you have scheme of works, timetables, and most of the tests and exams aren't  impromptu. So please don't give any excuse again. 

THE ONE THING THAT GUARANTEES YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Straight to the point: the one thing that guarantees your academic success is knowing that there is no one thing that guarantees your success. Shocked? Surprised? Don't be. You see success is built on many different factors that you must not be ignorant of. Several unified collective activities are necessary to be successful, and those activities have to be done consciously, deliberately and consistently.

It's just like building a skyscraper. It takes a lot of tasks and processes to get it done. You can't just wake up to see a skyscraper built overnight. Okay, you can see them in movies, but hey, this is no movie. This is life, real life. A lot has to go into getting the building done. From getting the supplies to laying the foundation and so on. It involves many people, many processes and a lot of time.

Many people get frustrated when they do not experience academic success. They seem passionate about getting it, about doing better, but it just seems that all their effort is like punching the air, nothing achieved. They give in to the voice of frustration and decide to give up. They can take it no longer. Why should they keep trying when nothing seems to work out? Wasted time. Wasted effort. Wasted hope. Or so they think.

There are usually two things common to such people:

1. They Aren't Doing Something Right
Their expectations are not met because they do not do the right thing. Fine, they carried out certain steps and activities that could have propelled them but they left out some vital activities. It's just like an automobile; if it is fueled, but with the tires removed, it still will not move. Yes, you fueled it. But no, it won't move. And that's because you left out something, as vital as the fuel, the tires. 

Something similar happens to those students; they leave out something vital. It may not be deliberate but it's omitted nonetheless. 

2. They Are Expecting Magic
Strange right? But true nonetheless. Some students believe that effort must produce immediate result. If it's not immediate, it's not valid, and they stop doing it. But that's why they keep getting frustrated. They expect to plant, and reap the harvest on the same day!

HOW TO OVERCOME THOSE PROBLEMS

1. Find Out What You Are Missing
It is vital to open up to the possibility that there is something you are not doing, or not doing well; that there is something you are missing out on. When you admit that, half the problem is solved. You just need to be able to point out how to get answers to the problem even you are yet to properly diagnose. 
Keep asking yourself: what can I do to be better? Ask other students you look up to too. Ask from your teachers, ask from good books. Ask from whoever you know can help you figure out the answer. If you are not doing well, do not assume that you have done all you needed to do. Seek counsel from the right sources. It helps.

2. Give The Fruit Time To Grow
The result of effort is seen overtime. It may be that you just need to give yourself more time. It's just like a growing seed: the fact that you can't find any fruit does not mean it isn't growing. The root can be growing downwards while nothing shows above the soil. This is where patience is required. Keep doing the right things even though it seems to have no immediate effect. Keep at it. The growth will compound and before long  you will begin to see tremendous progress. 

You don't have to get frustrated anymore. Find out what you have to do, and do it. It helps you to prepare better, and with time you will reap the reward of your diligence.

BUT THEY ARE JUST TOO TOUGH...OR ARE THEY?

Sandra reluctantly walks to the library. She is dragged there by Tolu, her roommate, who insists that they both must study. They are surprised by the crowd already reading in the library by the time they get there. It's rare to have such multitude. Oh, it's because the exam is just three days from now. No wonder it's jampacked, almost like a world cup final.
They manage to get a couple of seats at the back of the library. Tolu brings out the Maths textbook they are to study, the one Professor Ade had said he would set his questions from. She begins to tackle the questions straightaway. Sandra looks away, uninterested. Tolu tries to get her to concentrate on studying but it just doesn't work. She asks Sandra what the problem is but doesn't  get a reponse. After consistent prodding, Sandra finally opens up. "Maths is just too tough. I hate calculations, always have and always will. I just don't see myself ever passing this course".

Have you heard someone say similar words? Have you said such words yourself? Have you ever been in a position where you gave up all hope about learning a subject? Where you decided there was no point trying to learn anything because no matter how you tried, there was just no way out, no light in the tunnel. Especially when everything you have tried have seemed futile, like trying to touch a rainbow, like catching smoke. Have you ever given up because there was nothing else you could give? You are not alone.

Subjects and courses differ from one another. Some are generally more difficult than others. Subjects may differ in their rules, modalities, equipments. Some involve intensive calculations, others are subjective in approach. Some are written while others can be majorly oral.This implies that the strategy for learning one subject will be different from others.

I believe that there is neither a tough subject or an easy one; there are only subjects or courses that are tough or easy to you. Admittedly, some subjects are renowned for their level of difficulty. However there are students that still go ahead to pass them remarkably well. This means that all subjests can be cracked, can be learned well. This means that it is possible to do well in so-called tough subjects.

If you currently find some courses to be hard, here are some things you can apply to help you prepare better:

1. KNOW IT HAS TO BE DONE
The reason many don't give their best towards learning those tough subjects is that they conclude that they can do without it. They have alternatives. They don't see learning it as the only way to know it. They give up easily because they have made it so easy to give up. When you decide to learn the subject, no matter how hard it looks, you will find out it begins to get easier. Your mind opens up to the possibility of understanding it well, and you begin to progress from there.

2. LOOK FOR GOOD EXAMPLES
If you find a subject tough, look out for people who have done such subjects before, and did them well. Or search for current students who find the course interesting and learn from them. Stay close to them. Ask questions. Find out why they love the subject that much and how they consistently do well in it despite the fact that others find it tough. When you rub minds with them, you will learn how best to approach the subject.

It's time to do away with "tough". Go ahead and enjoy the subjects, all of them. Because you can.

WHAT'S THAT YOUR OCCUPATION AGAIN?

Yes, what is your occupation? 

Musician?
Writer?
Comedian?
Poet?
Banker?
Engineer?
Playwright?
Actress?
Artist?
Footballer?

STUDENT?

Whenever we were asked to fill official forms, and there was a space for occupation or profession, we were swift to fill in STUDENT. After all we were undergraduates, not yet working, at least most of us in the school then. It was a default answer: STUDENT. Any other option was wrong, any other answer was invalid. Yes, we were members of the noble profession of studenthood. Or were we?

A profession is an occupation or activity that a person has expertise in and regularly practise. Most people spend an average of eight hours a day, or forty hours a week on their jobs, on their profession. They diligently keep at it. They do not give excuses for not showing up to work, for not performing them. It is an integral part of their daily routine. They want to do it  because they absolutely have to do it. No if's, no but's. It is their profession, not a guest-activity.

Students have to borrow a leaf from that. If your profession is "a student", then be committed to it. Stick to it. Do something everyday that points to the fact that you are actually a student. A student studies. A student studies regularly. Do you? 

You have to fit in studying into your schedule, and actually study no matter what. You are not a student because you have been enrolled in a learning institution. I will repeat that. YOU ARE NOT A STUDENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN ENROLLED IN A LEARNING INSTITUTION. YOU ARE A STUDENT BECAUSE YOU STUDY. It's your profession. Live up to it. There is no point calling yourself what you are not. 

Next time you call yourself a student ask yoursef if you truly are.

THE ART OF PRODUCTIVE PROCRASTINATION

"But I do not have enough time". How many times have you heard those words? How many times have you said it? How frequent do you utter those words especially when it involves important activities that you ought to do? And what line of action do you take after saying them?

All activities do not have equal importance. And some are more urgent than others. This implies that there is a need to have established prorities as regards what needs to be done. You can't do everything at once. The issue is that many resort to doing things that relatively do not matter and give sweet, and sometimes sincere, excuses why they will do the important things later. Afterall, there is no time. Right? Wrong!
You will always have time for what is important to you. You will not have time to do everything, no one does. And no one expects you to. But if it is something important, there will always be time. The issue is that many cannot tell what is important from what is not.

There is a theory in Economics called the Revealed Preference Theory propounded by Paul Samuelson and it simply states that CHOICE REVEALS PREFERENCE. In other words what you choose to do with your resources is what is important, at least to you. It is not what you say is important that is important; it is what you do that reveals what is important to you.

Haven't you seen people who cry about not having enough time yet tend to fit everything into their schedule, except the important things. It meant that those important things were not really important to them. If it was, they would find a way to fit it into their schedule.

TIME IS A COMMODITY 

You become what you exchange your time for. We procure activities with time. And what you spend a bulk of your time on consistently is what you become. A student is a student not because he attends a formal learning institution but because he spends time doing what a student does. You must be ready to exchange a bulk, not crumbs, of your time on the very activities you claim to represent. If you are a student spend time studying. You can't continue to go on complaining about not having enough time for what you absolutely need to do while having ample time for other things. It is an abuse of priorities.

BUT WHAT ABOUT MY HOBBIES?

Many people tend to cover up time wasted by claiming that they are spending time on their hobbies. Hobbies are good; you should have some. But the last time I checked a hobby was what a person did in his/her spare time.

SPARE TIME

SPARE TIME

SPARE TIME

Hobbies are not to interfere with what you have to. They should come up after you are done with what you need to get done. If your hobbies are the same as what you need to get done, lucky you. But if there are separate, then keep your hobbies for spare time. This will help you escape from the disease of wasted time.

I like to think of wasted time as time spent doing what you don't need to do that stops you from doing what you need to do. You can be free from that illness. One way to overcome that is to be skilled in the art of creative postponement, or you can call it productive procrastination. The concept is to postpone till later what you absolutely don't have to do now. Leave them out; let them go. This will help you have enough time to do what you absolutely need to do now.

Use this concept as the principle on which you base your daily activities. It will help you prepare better for whatever you need to get done.

WHY SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS CHOOSE TO FAIL MORE

It is almost unimaginable to think that excellent students fail more than others. But that does not stop it from being true. It's strange, yes. It's unexpected, yes too. But it is still true. They get more questions wrong, make more mistakes but still score more marks than their peers. How they do this is an open secret, but many are not aware because they do not pay attention; they don't observe closely enough. But that's why I am here, to help you figure out how they do it so that you too can benefit from applying it.

KNOW WHEN FAILURE MATTERS, AND WHEN IT DOESN'T

All forms of failure do not have the same consequences, and these students know this. They take that knowledge and spurn it into an advantage that yields tremendous positive rewards for them. So what's that secret? What's that hidden recipe that makes them prepare better and achieve excellence? What exactly makes them standout?

It's simple. They fail more before the exams.
They fail more when it doesn't matter and that helps them get prepared for when it does matter. They activate practice mode early enough, try more questions and exercises and fail a lot of them. But the good news is that it doesn't affect them there. There are never marked down for the number of questions they failed or for the things they have no answers to during this period. In order words, they can fail with ease.

THE PARADOX OF JOYFUL FRUSTRATION

I don't  know about you, but for me I would rather pass than fail. I would rather be tops than bottom. I absolutely prefer having less answers wrong, or less questions unknown. I would love to be on top of my game, everytime. But you see, it doesn't always happen that way. We all do slip from the ideal. But if given the choice, I'll rather fail now, if it will stop me from failing later. And that's the choice excellent students take.

They enjoy the frustration of spending time studying, practising more questions and taking mock tests because it makes them better for it. Admittedly, they get many answers wrong and are often confused when served with certain academic exercises. But due to the exposure they now have, they go ahead to work on areas they are weak and this helps them to be well prepared when it absolutely matters. They fail when it doesn't matter, and that makes them succeed when it matters.

Excellent students are less prone to be caught unawares by seemingly  strange questions during exams. This is because they already met similar ones while preparing. Someone you have met before can be a stranger to others, but not to you. Interaction is what separates strangeness from familiarity. And because they have interacted with such questions before, it becomes very easy to them. It may not have been that way the first time they saw it. It may have been strange to them then; they may have failed it. But that gave them an insight on areas they should read on, and that is what makes the difference.

In other words, they have learnt to use failure to their advantage. They get frustrated before the exams so that they do not get frustrated  in the exams. This is what makes them stand out. They become masters of success because they have learnt to master failure by knowing when to fail. They get better grades, not because they don't fail more questions but because they know when to fail successfully. They have learnt to use failure and setbacks to their advantage.

And if they have, and if they can, so can you. So must you.