Success in Education - Essay Example

Success in Education Education has been tagged as the key to success in people’s lives. This brings out the need of establishing the best ways through which one can succeed in education. In order to succeed in education, there are several things that a student needs to put into consideration. A lot has been said about the same, but there are some fundamental considerations that are being highly ignored. This paper aims at bringing an illustration of how the best can be achieved in education. To begin with, the psychological readiness of the student is of fundamental importance. (Jensen). The student ought to be ready to learn by doing away with all the psychological detractors that can prevent them from concentrating on their studies. Within and even outside the learning environment, there are a number of psychological detractors that can deter a student from getting the most out of education. This is one contributory factor to the widespread gap that exists between the high and low achievers within schools. Students should therefore avoid all those things that can make them lose concentration while in school. One of the most common psychological detractors is intimate relationships among students. (Jensen). Falling in love while in school creates an extra responsibility to the mind of the student that may prevent them from concentrating in studies. Another example is family strife. Students who have domestic problems are most likely to have low concentration levels than those that live in calm families. The two examples are a pointer to the fact that a stable psychological state of students is a joint responsibility of the students themselves, their parents or guardians and teachers. Secondly, there is need for a good learning strategy for success to be realized among students. (Seidman 7). Most of the time, students are encouraged to work hard but without being told what working hard is all about. What most people who advise students fail to point out is the fact that students should have a strategy that they should be using for better learning. (Seidman 8). Most students spend sleepless nights with their heads buried in their books or on computer screens attempting to memorize what they have learnt. At the end of the day, they end up fatigued and with little knowledge gained through such a strategy. In schools, emphasis is laid on teaching the student the content rather than teaching the student how best to learn for themselves. Even for those who pass their examinations through such hard systems, they come out as less independent people since they were never taught how to learn for themselves. (Jensen 29). Although many teachers insist on this, they rarely demonstrate to the student how the same can be done in a beneficial manner. Most of the lessons offered on the same are usually in a passing manner and might not be well nurtured into the learning culture of the students. Students should therefore learn to make use of the best strategies that befit their abilities in order to achieve the most. Teachers on the other hand should support the students by suggesting and demonstrating to them effective learning strategies. Thirdly, there is need for team work for a student to succeed in education. Working together to solve problems and brainstorming ideas is an easier way of learning in addition to being an eye opener to many other possibilities. (Jensen 34). While working as a team, students learn essential survival skills such as healthy relationships, communication skills and conflict management. Another advantage of working in teams is that students tend to learn better from their fellow students since they are free to seek for clarification on anything they do not understand if compared to when they are with their teachers. In addition to this, team work creates a relaxed learning environment since it is less formal and students are able to share their ideas in a free manner. Finally, team work allows for testing and verification of ideas since a lot of exposition on an idea can be done when several people are working on it in a contributory manner. Another way through which students can succeed in their education is through being practical with what they learn. Not all that is learnt in school finds a place for practical application in the life of the student. (Seidman 49). As such, some materials or content taken might turn out to be irrelevant. The system of education that concentrates most on making the students pass examination only gives them less time to experiment or find use of the knowledge learnt in solving real life problems. (Seidman 50). Given this, there is need for students being given a chance to experiment with whatever they learn in order to find education a meaningful endeavour. In addition to this, if whatever is learnt is usable to the real life of a student, they will find learning such an interesting venture and therefore end up fulfilled people in their lives. Engaging in games and physical activities can also help students not only to enjoy their life in school but also to achieve the best that they can. (Jensen 33). Firstly, physical activities are a booster to the development of both the body and mind of the student in addition to accelerating his or her activeness. In addition to this, talent and skills in games and sports are nurtured and developed through participating in games. Apart from this, games are a catalyst to learning in that a student who takes part in games becomes even active in his or her studies. The control of diseases such as obesity that can deter a student from achieving their best in education can also be achieved through the use of games. It is of worrying concern that most schools only have games as a matter of formality and others do not care a thing about it. In addition, some students deliberately shun away from games oblivious of the benefits that they are missing out on. Another way of achieving the most in education is through persistent guiding and counseling. (Jensen 21). Students always need direction in matters that appear conflicting in their lives which can create a barrier to achieving their goals. In the recent times there are a number of issues that affect student’s ability to learn such as early pregnancies, abortion, health issues, identity crises, career and family conflicts among others. (Jensen). Some students may open up when they encounter such issues while others, especially the majority, shy away. Teachers and parents who get to know of it might also fail in guiding or counseling the students as is necessary hence allowing such problems to hatch into more disastrous issues that may prevent the child from achieving the most from an education system. Several measures need to be taken here. Firstly, parents and teachers should work hand in hand in both sharing information about the student and offering guiding and counseling where such matters arise. In addition to this, students should also be encouraged to counsel their fellow students when such problems occur since, as mentioned earlier, peers feel free with another and therefore sharing out problems becomes so easy. Finally, there is need for spiritual education for every student who aspires to succeed in their life. The spiritual touch that individuals have with the Creator is important in supporting their success in education. Students should therefore be trained to learn and respect the teachings embodied in their religion and encouraged to live a meditative life. Religious virtues such as forgiveness and generosity can also be pegged to education programs, not necessarily in Religious Education alone but in other subjects too. This will in turn lead to an all round student who respects their religion to its fullest. There are several challenges that come with teaching religious education in schools. Firstly, the duty of religious indoctrination is assumed to lie in the hands of those people who are dedicated to such endeavours such as pastors and Imams. However, this need not be the case as every human being is responsible for their own spiritual growth and those of others. In conclusion, learning is an important aspect of a student’s life and therefore, a lot should be done to ensure the student achieves the most out of any education program. A number of approaches of achieving this have been heighted in this paper but are by no means explicit given the scope of the paper. Of importance is the incorporation of any supportive measure that may see into the growth and development a student, not only in education but in life in general. Works Cited Jensen, Eric. Student Success Secrets, 5th Edition. New York: Barrons Educational Series, 2003. Print. Seidman, Alan. College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012. Web. 11th , March 2013. Read More