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| Cubs Baseball {2012} |
Guess who we'll be cheering for over here??? My Instagram feed features one Halloween post after another– creative costumes and slightly disgruntled kids standing on the front porch, sometimes holding up pumpkins or signs indicating their character. Pretty much the entire Northern Hemisphere has been watching the World Series. I asked Markus' advisement counselor for her best school advice, today while I was in the office for his high school planning session and you might think she’d focus on study tips, but the first words out of her mouth were…
1. BE KIND! Be kind. Be kind. No one regrets showing kindness; almost everyone wishes they’d offered more. Be kind to your classmates, be kind to your teachers, be kind to your coaches. Everyone on this earth needs affection and sympathy. Markus said, “I can improve on getting my homework done before class.” To which she said, "You're getting all A's and that's a great goal to have."
2. SMILE. Few habits can improve your life more than a smile. Other people will simply assume you are nice and numerous studies prove the simple act of smiling will improve your mood. Markus makes a special effort in the hallways and when seeing friends at lunch, he likes to smile as often as possible. School is stressful; life is stressful, everyone needs to see a friendly face– especially in the mirror.
3. THROW AWAY STEREOTYPES and JUDGMENTS. Scholarships come from a lot of different places. Sports scholarships are just as important as the AP scholarships. She shared how she paid for all of her college with scholarships from music and academics.
4. BRING COOKIES FOR LUNCH. If you have a really crappy day you’ll have something to look forward to and you can brighten everyone else’s day by sharing. Chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, oreo, pumpkin spice…
5. DO COOL STUFF NOW. Why Markus likes his male teachers, he said "The don’t wait to do things they enjoy." Mr. Jewkes takes photos, write stories, climbs up Mt. Olympus after school. Get involved in school activities: go to games and dances, help with fundraisers, run the school 5K. Every activity enriches your life and increases your circle of friends.
6. BE HONEST. Markus doesn't make excuses since that just increases your problem. Admitting faults makes you look smart. He went down a check list today of the things he does well and things he can improve on, one of his strengths was honesty.
7. TAKE HARD CLASSES. Morgen, my academic superstar agrees, if he wants to do well on standardized tests, take classes that will prepare him. It’s tempting to go for the easy A, but much more satisfying, interesting and educational to engage in challenging classes. And while we were there she added – Markus usually raises his hand, engages in discussions, and joins study groups.
I'd feel pretty proud of myself if I were Markus. He has a whole group of people cheering him on. I know I sure am...
