Seton Home Study School Study Skills Online

Lesson 2 - Your Attitude Is Important

A poor attitude will get you nowhere. If you have negative feelings about yourself, if you think you cannot do well, that is exactly what will happen. If you think positively, if you believe in yourself because God made you and because He loves you, then you will do better in your studies.

Keep trying to accomplish your goals. Don’t give up. So many times a person thinks things should come easy. But that is not life. St. Paul said that life is supposed to be like a race, with many obstacles to overcome. Paul was proud of his "hurdles," his sufferings in shipwrecks and his times in prison, because he realized they were obstacles to be overcome in order to win the race, the ultimate goal. We should look on our studies as hurdles to proudly overcome to reach our goals, some relating to this world, and some relating to our ultimate goal. If you need help, ask your parents to help you set your goals.

Have a positive attitude about what you are studying. Become interested in your lessons. Everything around you is interesting because God made it. When you read an assignment, look up more about it in the encyclopedia. Look for a library book or look online to learn more interesting things about what you are studying.

Become interested in something special for you. Follow your interests. You might like to play chess, you might like to play a sport, you might like to hunt or to hike. Many students play a musical instrument and continue it right through college. Think about your special interests or abilities; become an expert in something that fascinates you.

Do not allow social activities or time on Facebook or similar activities lure you away from what is important in the long run. Successful people are very dedicated to achieving their goal. Do you want to just get by with the minimum, or to accomplish something that you can be proud about? Deny yourself some day‑to‑day pleasures in order to accomplish your long‑term goals.

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Next: Lesson 3.