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students: students who learn through doing things, and students who learn by hearing or reading things. For a long time, just about all classes were built around the needs of reflective learners. Students that learn easily through reading, writing, lecturing and testing on subjects tend to do well in these situations. Unfortunately, students who are active learners can grow terribly stagnant in reflective learning environments. For these students, once more hands-on learning opportunities and real life projects and applications are introduced into the curriculum, their learning retention and grade point averages skyrocket. If you've been struggling through school, and are constantly plagued by the feeling that you're "just not getting it", it might be because you're an active learner restricted by a reflective environment. Make it a point to meet with your teachers before or after class to discuss your frustration with the current curriculum and ask if there's any way they might consider adding in more kinetic, or hands-on opportunities. You might just be surprised what happens...

3. Think about the "Big Picture." Whether you like it or not, a huge investment of your time and effort are going to be spent on your primary and secondary education. Before you graduate, you'll have spent a minimum of 13 years of your life in school. More importantly, what you do with those 13 years will determine how you spend the last 50, 60 or 70 years of your life. Since you've GOT to invest those 13 years anyway - whether you turn out to be a "success" or a "failure" in life - why not milk them for EVERYTHING they're worth!? Your high school grades and extracurricular activities can spell full-ride scholarships to great schools. Those great schools can help land you the job of your dreams, or prepare you to fulfill another big dream - starting a company of your own. You've got goals for who you want to be, what you want to do, and where you want to go in life. Education (or the lack there of) will determine whether you reach those goals or not.

You'll hear politicians and hot-heads out there talking about education being the government's responsibility, or education being the parents' or the teachers' responsibility... However, in the end, the education you do or don't get is YOUR responsibility! You are the only one who'll live with the rewards or consequences.

Put your life on the fast track and start developing the qualities and characteristics of an active student. Don't just let your education passively pass you by...

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Gibbs.
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