4 D'S OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS - PART 2

4 D'S OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS - PART 2

DETERMINATION

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would  not defile himself with the portion of the king’s  delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank;  therefore he requested of the chief of the  eunuchs that he might not defile himself”

After a strong desire for academic success, the next D is DETERMINATION.

Determination is a positive emotional feeling that involves persevering towards a difficult goal in spite of obstacles. Determination occurs prior to goal attainment and serves to motivate behaviors that will help achieve one's goal.

Determination should serve as a propelling factor that will always forge students ahead. Determination is synonymous to decision. In the academic realm, one needs to decide what he wants so as not to be forced to accept what he sees, a determined student will consistently strive for academic success notwithstanding all that stares him in the face. The ability to consistently aspire for academic success lies in the power of determination. Remember you are who and what you say you are. God has given you all you need to succeed in life; it's only required of you to manifest it through your desire to succeed. 

A determined student will always long to demystify all his subjects regardless of the complexities involved. A determined student will love all his teachers so as to have deep interest in their teaching, as you all know the adage that is paraphrased, “If you love your teacher, you will love the subject he/she takes, but hate your teacher, you will inevitably hate the subject”. 

 What is your determination? What is your decision? What is your aspiration as a student? In other words, what do you desire to obtain at the end of your academic pursuit? A man who is determined at achieving something will never allow an obstacle on his path turn him away from his dreams; he looks for a way round it to turn such obstacles to ladders of success. The same goes for every student. It’s never too late to be determined; it’s never late to start aspiring. 

 The time is now, aspire, decide and determine. Remember, man is a product of his imaginations; dream big, think big, work hard, then academic success will be yours. 

DISCIPLINE

1Corthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified”.

Having determined what you want, you need to control your body and emotions to make sure what you get at last is in conformity with what you determined to obtain.

 This in essence launches us to the next concept ‘Discipline’. Discipline is doing what is required to get what you desire. If you desire to be the best among your colleagues by having A's in all your subjects, then you have to discipline yourself in such a way that distractions are totally obliterated, oh! Do I hear you say having A's all through is not possible? Oh yeah! It is possible, trust me. It starts from your ability to see yourself in such realm. 

You need to unleash your refusal spirit, and stop all that could hinder you of achieving your desired goals. By doing this, you are saying "NO" to things that will not add value to your academic success. "Self discipline is the oil that lubricates the wheel of all moral law".  The Bible made us to understand in the book of Proverbs 12:1 that "whoever loves discipline loves knowledge but he who hates correction is stupid". Let me try and explain this scriptural passage a bit further: when you discipline yourself, you are unconsciously correcting yourself on things that are not germane to your academic pursuit. The Bible says love of discipline brings knowledge; meaning when you love discipline, to acquire knowledge will not pose a threat to you. 

A disciplined student will always make sure that he does the needful, no matter the circumstances that may warrant otherwise, such as consistent personal reading period regardless whether examination or continuous assessments are around the corner or not. I tried instilling the spirit of discipline to my students while serving; I often make my assessments an impromptu. At first, they didn't like it but with time they readjusted.  As a student, deem it fit to read on a daily basis. It doesn't matter what your surrounding circumstances are. Be disciplined. 

TO BE CONTINUED