Hodgson The Brain Box

The Essential Guide to Success at school or college
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-1-78135-167-3
Verlag: Crown House Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 192 Seiten

The Brain Box - a personal journal for each student to be their best at school - boost grades, improve motivation, memory, learning and understanding, exam techniques. It will help teachers prove they apply many Ofsted guidelines, but will also appeal to parents. By using Neuro Linguistic Programming and explaining neuroscience the authors take students on their journey from building their profile to looking at what motivates them, their ambitions, and their future goals. Case studies, anecdotes of 'success'/motivation are littered throughout and questions are posed to get students thinking about their journey.

David Hodgson is a training consultant and author who works with teachers and students across the UK and abroad. He has written a number of books to help teachers and students thrive in the classroom and beyond.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hodgson, David

Leseproben

INTRODUCTION

The rules for this book – there are no rules!

This book is yours.

That means you can do what you like with it.

Grab a notebook and use it with this book to interact, answer questions, make notes and to doodle.* There are quizzes and other tools that will help you get to know yourself better.

By the time you’re finished with it, this book should be a mess. It will have been your companion through your exams and, like a good friend, it will have helped you get through the tough stuff.

Love this book. And make it your own.

WHAT DO YOUR DOODLES SAY ABOUT YOU?

ONE OF A KIND

There are seven billion people on this planet, yet we’re all unique! We have different talents and abilities. We all have something positive to offer the world.

Just take a look at the end of your thumb. There’s the proof, right there! Your fingerprint is unique to you. No one else has it. No one ever will.

That makes you to everyone else. But in a good way.

We’re all different.

There are some people who like cheese. Others hate it.

Some people love thrash metal, others indie, some just want to listen to chart stuff.

Some people love to play computer games all the time, some just like to watch TV or hang out with their friends.

It would be a boring world if we were all the same, if we all thought the same and wanted to do things in the same way.

And it’s like that with revision. It’s like that with learning.

How we learn can be as individual as a fingerprint.

Hopefully this book will help you to work out your way of doing things.

Once you’ve worked out the best methods, you’re sorted. You can keep on learning. You’ll do better, get smarter and keep growing.

Then you can make your mark on this world.

Create a profile like this:

Name: .................................................................

Age: ....................................................................

School: ................................................................

Revision makes me (write down the ones which apply):

Relationship status (write down the ones which apply):

My idea of happiness is:

..........................................................

..........................................................

..........................................................

..........................................................

When I grow up, I want to be:

..........................................................

..........................................................

..........................................................

Status right now:

..........................................................

..........................................................

..........................................................

..........................................................

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RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW …

Which one of these statements applies to you, right now at the start of things? Read the section below that’s meant for you.

I’m massively stressed about my exams. Read ‘Stressed’

I’m working well right now. Read ‘Working well’

I want to do well so I’m reading this to find out if there’s anything else I can do to improve myself. Read ‘What else?’

I always do well in tests so I’m not too bothered. Read ‘Not bothered’

I want to revise, but I don’t know how. Read ‘I want to but …’

Nothing works for me, I can’t remember anything. Read ‘Nothing works’

Life’s too short to revise. Read ‘Life’s too short’

I don’t care how I do. Read ‘Don’t care’

I say I don’t care how I do. But I do really. Read ‘Do care, really’

Stressed

So you’re massively stressed about your exams.

You probably have a really clear idea about where you’re heading in life and know that it starts now. Maybe you feel a weight of pressure to do well, either for your parents or your teachers. Maybe you have an older sibling who excels academically and you feel you need to compete – doing as well as them or even better.

You aren’t the first person to feel this stress, and you won’t be the last. There are scores of other young people, up and down the country, who feel the same way. But that doesn’t make your feelings any less real. What you need to do is manage your stress – you are more likely to mess up if you don’t get a handle on your anxiety.

First off, you need to talk about the pressure and how it is making you feel. Talk to friends, a teacher you get on with or a parent. Maybe there is a school adviser or counsellor. Just talking about your anxieties will help.

There are bits and bobs in this book that you should read – browse the stuff about the brain (and read all the ‘Inside the Brain Box’ sections), particularly the bits on what stress does to you. Forewarned is forearmed! Read about motivations – do you want to do well for the right reasons (see page 62)? You might have always got good grades at school and haven’t really experienced failure. However, we all fail sometimes. That’s just life! We need to know how to deal with it and, more importantly, know that it isn’t the end of the world. Even if you fail all your exams (and we doubt you will), you will find a way to move forward. Read what we have to say about dealing with failure (page 58) – it will help you to realise that there is a way forward.

If you need specific revision tips, look at our suggestions in Chapter 4.

If panic is making you avoid revision, read our thoughts on that too (see page 106).

Also read what we have to say about time management and making sure your life is in balance (see page 137). If all you have is great exam results, you may not have all you need …

Working well

You’re thinking, I’m already working well right now.

Hey! Good for you. But don’t get complacent! Pace yourself. Read what we have to say about making a planner (see page 111) and keep going.

There is a danger that you’re working not , so check out what we’ve got to say about revision (see Chapter 4). Also, if you’re doing the same things all the time you might get bored, so make sure you’re shaking it up from time to time. Read what we’ve written about keeping it fresh in Chapter 3.

What else?

You want to do well, so you’re reading this to find out if there’s anything else you can do to improve yourself.

Great attitude! What you’ve realised is that success comes in many forms. Good grades are part of this, and you’ll find some brilliant tips to sharpen up your revision sessions in Chapter 4.

But it’s also important to be a rounded individual. Have you considered work experience? Is your only hobby getting to the next level on ? How do you spend your spare time and holidays? What are you putting out there on Facebook or Twitter? It’s no good having great grades if the Internet is awash with reasons for future employers not to give you a great job! Have a look at our thoughts on this (see page 62).

Why not try out some of the suggestions for time management (see page 137)? These could help you raise your game.

Make sure, of course, that you also follow our advice for exam success in Chapter 5, because that will be a great start.

Not bothered

You always do well in tests so you’re not too bothered.

Oh, so you’re a clever one! Good for you! But that won’t always be enough. At some point, we all realise that we need to work harder at some things than we think we do. Some of us have always done well in school, but then find GCSEs need more work than we thought. Others discover this at A level – many people come unstuck in sixth form because they got their GCSE grades with little effort. Some people reach college or university before they realise, for the first time, that they have to work hard. Others get their first job and then discover they aren’t as brilliant as they always thought they were.

Why take the risk? Work hard now. No one ever looks back at school and thinks, ‘I wish I’d worked less!’ No one ever gets the top grades at GCSE with little work. No one achieves the top grades in their A levels without serious hard graft.

Read what we have to say about your competition (see page 64). Being good isn’t enough any more. You might find this section a real wake-up call.

I want to but …

You want to revise but don’t know how.

Well, good news! You have this book! Schools are...