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Base
Building Basics | 1. Why
Ask Why? | 1a.
Why Ask Why Action Steps
Trick
1: Why Ask Why?
The
first step to achieving academic success in college
is to establish a red hot "Why Statement" for
yourself.
I
intentionally listed this strategy first because
I believe it's the most important strategy in
this entire book.'Sure, the other strategies will
get you excited and hyped about applying them
in class, but without this element, the first
sign of danger or trouble in college will send
you running for cover.
Let
me start by asking you a question.'When you first
applied to the college, what kind of information
did your admissions application request?'Other
than your name, social security number and mailing
address, the application probably asked you for
your SAT/ACT scores, previous classes taken, overall
grade point average, maybe extracurricular activities,
your proposed major, and some other irrelevant
junk.
I'm
sorry for calling it junk, but I believe we could
save the world a lot of trees if colleges asked
students what I believe is the most important
question before entering college: Why do you
want to go to college?'Think about it, if
you had the highest grade point average in your
high school class, perfect standardized test scores,
and you were voted most likely to succeed, but
the only reason you were going to college was
to get away from your parents, do you really think
you would perform at your peak in college?'Even
if you did, you'd be miserable trying.
College
is not difficult, but it's not a piece a cake
either.'You have professors (present company included)
who have tough course requirements which they
expect every student to meet.'If you are not focused
on your purpose for being in that classroom, procrastination
and frustration will begin to set in.'Before you
know it, college will swallow you up before you
know what happened.
If
I was the president of a university, other than
your name and social security number, I would only
ask you one question on the application: Why
do you want to go to college?'Read that question
again; I didn't ask why my college or university,
but why any college or university.'I would base
your admission to my college on the quality of your
response to that question.'Why, you ask?'Because
if you show me a student who is excelling in college,
I will show you a student who has a red hot desire
to graduate.
Just
think about it for a second.'Have you ever wondered
how certain students even got into college in the
first place?'They don't show up for class, they
don't study, they don't turn in their assignments,
and the list goes on and on.'Now understand, these
are not bad students; they managed to get out of
high school, didn't they?'They just lack a strong
purpose for being in college.'Some of these students
figure it out later and, unfortunately, some never
do.
The
Non-Traditional Approach
Don't
take my word for it, just look around in your next
class.'If your college is anything like the ones
in which I've attended and taught, you will find
a handful of what colleges call "nontraditional
students." And if you don't know, a non-traditional
(NT) student is a student who is older than most
of the students at the college.'I've met some NTs
as young as 30-something and as old as 60-something.'
Have
you ever noticed when an NT is in your class he
or she seems somewhat nervous.'And when you think
about it, could you really blame them?'They're sitting
in a classroom filled with students half their age,
some young enough to be their children.'Do you think
that could make someone feel a little self-conscious?'Of
course it could.'These type of students have been
out of school, on average, about 10 or more years.'A
personal NT friend of mine had been out of school
for over 40 years before she decided to attend college!'No
joke.
Well,
on the first day of classes, you've probably noticed
that NTs are not shy when it comes to standing up
in class and introducing themselves.'They are usually
quick to tell you their age and how long they've
been out of school.'The scenario goes a little something
like this.
Hello,
my name is Jane Doe.'I'm from Miami, Florida, and
I'm 42 years old.'I've been out of school for over
20 years, and now I'm back in college majoring in
accounting.'I have two sons, one has already graduated
from college, and the other is a senior in high
school.'Although I'm a little nervous, I'm really
excited about being back in school.'I just hope
I do well."
We're
all familiar with this routine.
I
don't know about you, but every time that scenario
took place in class, my heart just went out to those
NTs.'Think about it, they haven't had algebra and
chemistry in over a decade, and we know friends who
just had those classes last semester and still failed.'So
it's normal to think that these NTs don't have a chance;
or do they?'Yeah, that's what we think until the end
of the semester or graduation day rolls around.'Have
you ever noticed that those NTs usually end up receiving
the best grades in the class, and they also manage
to graduate with honors.'
Now
you may call it a coincidence, but not me. Because
after I saw my 60-something friend get the top grades
in our class, I didn't hesitate to ask her about it.'I
would encourage you do the same.'Instead of marveling
at how "old" they
are, talk to NTs and see what makes them tick.'You
will be amazed.'My NT friend didn't give me any mind
blowing study strategies; matter of fact, she wasn't
even aware that there was such a thing called "study
strategies."
So
I asked her a question that had burned on my mind
since the first day I saw her, "Why are
you in college?"'Her
answer astounded me, thus the reason why this is the
first trick of the grade.'She said that when she was
in her early twenties, she was married to a man who
did not believe that a woman should go to college.'Therefore,
he made her stay at home and raise the family, even
though she wanted to pursue an education.'Not only
that, he didn't even want her reading educational
books in their home.'In her own words, AHe
was a very controlling man."
Unlike
today's society in which divorces are requested if
your mate sneezes too loud, she refused to ask him
for a divorce.'She continued to raise her four daughters
while he continued to work his blue-collar job.'All
the while, she longed to pursue her dream of becoming
a writer (her major was communication).'
As
fate would have it, after her children moved away
from home, her husband became ill and eventually died.'Although
under his control for over 40 years, she still loved
him and missed him.'She found herself alone with only
his memory and a fading dream of becoming a writer.'But
instead of feeling sorry for herself, she decided
to take control of her own destiny and pursue her
passion for writing.'She applied for admission and
was accepted, and the rest is, as they say it, is
history.'By the way, she ended up graduating with
honors.
This
is what I mean when I say that school is not about
aptitude, but attitude.'This woman didn't even have
SAT/ACT scores, but she achieved a higher grade point
average than 90% of her peers.'I'm sure she, if you
asked her, would attribute her academic success to
having a strong WHY.'I've asked other NTs during my
years of studying and teaching about their "whys"
for college,'and I've received some of the following
responses:
"I've
hit the glass ceiling on my job, and I need a degree
to get promoted."
"My
spouse died, and the money he left won't be enough
to support me and the kids."
"I've
always wanted to become a teacher, but I got pregnant
when I was in school and dropped out.
"I
have a little boy, and I want to provide a better
life for him than I had."
"My
boss told me that I've maxed out my pay potential,
and a degree will allow me to make more money."
"Someday
I want my children to get a college degree, and I
don't want them to ask me why I didn't get mine."
Now,
ask yourself, how do the above responses compare
to the ones we've heard before from our younger
classmates:
"Man,
my mother made me go."
"My
dad said that it was either this or get a job."
"I
couldn't think of anything else better to do, so
I decided to try the college thing."
"I
wanted to be with my friends so we could pledge
together."
"I'm
here so I can figure out what I want to do with
my life."
"Man,
I'm here to meet the babes."
Do
you see the difference?'If you have a weak "WHY," college
will only become a nuisance and a four-year pain in
the neck for you.'The entire four years you're in
school you'll be asking the same nagging question,
"Why
am I putting myself through this?"'And
if you don't think the college ordeal is worth it,
you'll either quit or become a career student (you
know, the 7-year plan to get a four-year degree).
But
if you establish a strong "WHY,"
you'll have the energy to put up with the crap in
order to graduate.'Your WHY gives you a reason to
keep going even when the going gets tough.'I know
because I've been there many times.'See, you have
to understand, there is no right or wrong WHY, just
a strong or weak one.'Look again at the examples above;
technically, there's nothing wrong with any of those
responses (maybe the babe one), the first group is
just stronger than the second group.'Because of that,
the second group will always have a tougher road academically.
The
Shot in the Arm
Allow
me to give you a personal example from my college
days.'I mentioned earlier that I grew up in one of
the toughest ghettos in Miami,
Florida
.'Since
I went away to school, like most students, I called
home quite frequently to keep in touch with my family.'
Since
my finances (and my mom's) were limited, I could
only afford to talk to my mother about once every
two weeks.'I'd talk to her on the telephone usually
on a Wednesday. Every week we talked I could hear
gun shots and sirens in the background.'Since I
had been away from home so long, these noises caught
me by surprise.'I'd ask my mother, "What's that
noise in the background?" She would calmly
respond, "Oh
baby, they're just shooting."She
would say it so casual that I thought I was in an
episode of the Twilight Zone.
Why
do I tell you this, because if you'd ask me when
I was in college, "Why
was I in college,"
I would have told you, "to
move my mother and younger sister out of the ghetto."
That's
not a right or wrong WHY, but it sure was a strong
one for me.
While
my friends complained about our classes and our
teachers, I was focused on one thing and one thing
only, graduate and move Mama and Penny out of there.'My
WHY was so compelling that I couldn't help but succeed.'My
WHY was bigger than any obstacle, teacher, course
or circumstance that was in my way.'My WHY helped
me to overcome racist professors, boring professors,
irrelevant courses, difficult courses, personal
problems, financial problems, you name it.'My classmates
marveled at my motivation, but if the truth be told,
it was more of my desperation that helped me to
graduate with honors.'My WHY told me that I only
had one chance to make this opportunity count, and
I wasn't going to blow it.
So
the first step in "Tricks of Grade" is to establish
a strong WHY that will help you weather the storms
and turbulent waters of academia.'Ask yourself,
"Why are you in college anyway?" If you can't
come up with something compelling, something that
burns inside you, something that's bigger than
your problems, you will find yourself in the sea
of mediocrity hoping someone saves you before
you drown.'The only alternative would be to quit
college and return when you've found a strong
enough reason to attend.
So
write down your WHY statement in the action step
for this section (length doesn't matter), and
make sure it's in a place you can read it every
day of your college career.
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