LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, or Manu Ginobili are all NBA champions. These same 6 professional athletes are going to be competing for a championship in the NBA finals in 2013. Dwayne Wade spoke a great quote at his press conference after a game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers which resonated with me: "We have champions in our locker room. You know you don't become a champion by luck."
You don't become a champion by luck. It's so true on many levels, in any field. You can not reach the top of your field, or become a champion, by pure luck. It takes hard work, dedication, and determination. Dwayne is playing through injury, night after night. Ray Allen takes 1000 extra jump shots every practice, for the past 15 years. Tim Duncan has been perfecting his craft for 17 seasons and has won 4 NBA titles. All of these players have one thing in common beyond natural talent: hard work, love for the game, and dedication to greatness.
Our students need to approach their finals like it were the NBA finals. Now, the difference between school finals, and NBA finals, is that everyone makes it to the school finals. Maybe if it were more of a competition, students would try harder to make it there, but regardless, all students must take their finals.
In order to succeed on a final exam, it is just like succeeding in the NBA finals - it takes hard work and dedication. Instead of 1000 repetitive jump shots like Ray Allen, do 100 chemistry problems of varied problem types. Instead of playing through injury - study through sickness, friend and family obligations, and other distractions. Do you think Ray Allen loves to take 1000 jump shots after each practice? He will be the first to say that no, he does it because he has love for the game. Students need to practice their chemistry, algebra, and calculus problems not because they love homework, but they love themselves, and they want to become the best they can be. Do you think Dwayne Wade wants to play through his nagging knee, painful injury night-after-night? He does it for the love of the game.
Stay focused. Work hard. If our students understood that studying for finals is just like competing for an NBA championship, maybe they would try harder, take it more seriously, and have more long term success.
If you need help preparing for your finals like a champion, please visit us at www.triedandtruetutoring.com
