By: Joey L.
What is success to you? Is it getting a better score on a test than your friend? Is it getting a passing grade in a course? When one hears the phrase "being successful", it is usually associated with earning money or being as close to perfect as possible. But does that really give you satisfaction inside? Money does not create happiness. It has been proven over and over again, and is visible in modern day politics; money creates greed and a sense of need. According to Princeton's Wordnet, the definition of success is something that accomplishes its intended purpose. The definition never says being better than someone else, or even being the best of the best. Success is accomplishing a task with the desired results.
Successes and failures can be applicable to all classes, but I find them to be much more apparent in online classes. By not having to sit in a classroom and have a professor lecture you, you have the freedom to learn at your own will. Take advantage of this opportunity. You can learn as slowly or quickly as necessary. Another advantage (or disadvantage) is the freedom to do your work whenever you want, as long as you get it in on time.
By this point, you have also probably figured out other things that relate to disadvantages of online classes. Yes, cheating is a DISADVANTAGE. You might ask, "Why? I get the good grades and I don't have to do much work. It's a dream come true." This is no lie, you will get the grades and you won't have to do the work, but what will you really have accomplished? You'll have used your parent's money (tax dollars) to sponsor an online class where you share your work with another student online or use the book during your test, not learning the material. Princeton's Wordnet definition of "fail" is to fall short in what is expected, and if you're doing these things, you fit the definition of a failure.
The point of this Tutor Talk is simply to reassure you that though things may be getting tougher as the semester and year progress, you can still be very successful by setting small goals and accomplishing them. You will be successful if you do all your work and follow the rules. Do your best on tests and don't worry about the grade.
I am confident in saying that if you follow the directions your online instructor gives you and complete all the work, your teacher or a peer tutor will be there to help you if you have trouble. Putting that kind of time and effort into it will make you a successful individual.
Studies show that individuals who are persistent at trying to grasp an understanding of a topic are smarter than those who gave up and waited for someone else to explain it to them. Grades don't represent knowledge well for all individuals because of how the modern American school system is set up, but that's an article for a different tutor talk. Just know that success is not getting the A+. It is simply doing the best you can do.
"Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be." ~Zig Ziglar
