From Failure to Success

Many people do not understand that failure has no legal ground in their lives. Such people accept failure as their lot. Others, because of repeated failure of the past, see success as impossible for them. All these are erroneous and must be rejected. The Promise of God establishes that success is God’s portion for every believer.

Milton Carlton, who as an eleven years old boy won a speech contest in a California (U.S.A) school, said that “In speaking of men who’ve made outstanding success, they had a burning drive to succeed. They refuse to accept failure as their final answer; they often turned physical handicaps into asset, they had concern for other people, and they worked hard and constantly…” What a speech by an eleven-year-old boy. He said, “They refuse to accept failure as the final answer” there is nothing glorious in failure. You must reject it as from today.

PILES OF REASONS FOR FAILURE

The underlisted are the causes of student’s failure.

Procrastination i.e. when you postpone what you should do now.
Laziness / Slothfulness
Ignorance of the subject and unwillingness to acquire knowledge of it because of lack of interest.
Distractions of the social life in school and misplacement of priorities.
Mismanagement of time.
Absenting self from class, refusal to do assignment or submit at the appropriate time.
Hatred for Teacher or the subject itself
Lack of confidence in one’s ability due to past failures.
Lack of determination and discipline.
Fear, anxiety or worry.
Overconfidence
Sin / Examination Malpractices
Satanic attack
Evil companion
Inadequate Preparation
Lack of concentration in the class
Noise making (Too much talking and laughing disturb thinking)
Wrong views and attitude. For example, Maths is too difficult, and I can’t make it.

ACTIONS AGAINST FAILURE

You already know the reasons for failure. A problem well stated and defined is half solved. Determine now to do away with those ones affecting you. Do all what it will take for the correction. Understanding yourself is very important. You must understand and discover yourself in order to know how to develop yourself. In developing your mental ability, you will deliver yourself. Do all things to set your mind free. If your case requires serious prayers in the church, do it. Leave no stone unturned to make sure you have a free mind towards your education. You must be focused and diligent in your study, participate fully in class activities and complete all homework and assignments in time. Also spend quality time in the library to learn extra details, have the right attitude to teachers, attend school regularly, commit important facts to memory then depend on God and have faith in His promise.

Things to do before Examination.

Attend classes regularly and read very hard. Remember that the average person uses less than ten percent of his total mental capacity.
Use the current syllabus to read and make sure you cover all the topics.
Use past questions to study. The use of recommended textbooks is also very important.
Develop confidence in yourself. Never expect help from anybody during examinations.
Start to prepare for exams early. You may have reading group.
Learn to trust in God.

How to Improve your Memory

Here are some ‘natural laws of remembering things’ that you need to know and apply.

Write down the facts/definitions you want to put in your memory. Writing things down help you to remember them.
Read aloud the facts. When you read aloud, two senses catch the idea; first you see what you read; second, you hear it, and therefore you can remember better.
Fix your eyes on the facts for some time. Eye impressions stick more than what you hear.
Repetition. You have to read and re-read what you want to store in your memory. You can memorize many things if you repeat them often enough.
Close your book and use your inner eye to read. See the picture again and speak out the facts. Check your book to know where you made mistakes. Master yourself and correct the mistakes. Do this again and again.
Now that the record is saved in your memory, employ it in your conversations. Tell your friends that you have heard a new thing and let them hear you.
In case you want to memorize short words/points; you can use acronyms to remember them. For example, MR NIGER D. stands for eight characteristics of living things.
Lastly, put all the principles into practice and you will witness a change in remembering things.

Good Memory Requires Concentration

Your maximum concentration is needed in the acquisition of knowledge. Infact it is the most important aspect in improving your memory. It is the crux and bedrock of learning without which retention cannot take place. Below are the points to help you concentrate while learning.

Set a goal of what to be learnt within the allotted time of study. Let your goal be moderate and achievable.
Develop interest in learning during your study time.
Approach your study time with interest and zeal and not when you are tired.
Forget about all emotional and psychological disturbances during your study time. Do away with all things that could cause distractions.
Let your place of study be quiet and conducive to learning.
Get all materials needed during your study time ready to avoid frequent movement.

Revising for Examinations

Revision means to study again the things you have learnt. Here are some tips that will help you in revising your work.

Plan first by making a revision timetable. You must know the number of days from now until your exams so make sure that you include and revise all your subjects within the short period.
Have a notebook for the revision and write down the summaries (in your own words) of the most important things in each topic. This makes you understand the topic and you can quickly read these short notes on the day before the exams.
If you come across something which you do not understand, write it down and ask a friend or teacher to explain it.
Sometimes work with a friend. Ask each other questions about the subjects.
Have a rest. You can stop after two hours and walk around, thinking about what you have read.
Do not drink too much coffee or cola to stay awake.
Ask for old exam questions and practice writing out answers. Behave as if you are already inside the exam hall. In other words, set time for yourself.
Go to bed early in the night before an exam. Your mind and body need rest.

What to do during Examinations

Don’t come late to the exam hall.
Make sure that you are with good writing materials – Biro, Pencil, Ruler, Eraser etc. you also need watch, or you make use of the clock in the exam hall.
Pray (very short). Ask God to help you stay peaceful and remember what you have learnt.
Make sure you read, understand, and obey all the instructions in the questions.
Decide how much time to spend on each question.
Attempt easier questions first.
Take time to think about what you will write. Make short notes of the things you will put in your answer and the best order to write them in.
Be wise and pay attention to your own work. It is advisable not to spend too much time on a question, attempt others.
Don’t use “lucky charm” and don’t cheat.
Write fast and review your work before you submit.
If you are worried or depressed before or after an exam talk to someone who can help you.

What to do After Examinations

Do not discuss your past papers if you still have papers to write.
Pray for your examiners.
Give thanks to God, reminding Him concerning your success.

Promise of Success Assured

After you have done all then depend on God. He has promised to give us success in anything (good things) we do, and He cannot fail when we do our part. However, before we can enjoy the blessing of God. There must be holiness.

All what we need to achieve success is wisdom and it is God that gives wisdom. With God all things are possible and without Him, you can do nothing. God has good plans and promises for His Children, and it is only when you associate yourself with Him that the promises can be yours. No one can make you great except the Almighty God.