School can be a weird place. Where else can you meet the person of your dreams, or Mrs. Rotunda The Terrible as one of your teachers? It’s definitely a mixed bag. But school is important, even though many days it seems irrelevant. You may not use the Pythagorean Theorem in your day-to-day life when you graduate; but you will use the discipline and focus it took to understand it.
   
Here’s what I discovered, once I survived school:

It’s not always the courses or the content that become what’s useful, but how they change us.

In spite of all drama and craziness, school is really important. It influences your future. To maximize success in your future, let my humbly introduce my Ten Tips For Surviving School – somewhat adapted from another 10 list:


I. THOU SHALT GO TO SCHOOL
Someone said, “Half of success in life is showing up.” Make sure you show up for class. Teachers like that kind of thing.

II. THOU SHALT BE PREPARED
Boy Scouts have been using this motto for years. Now it’s time to use it in the classroom. So, bring your poncho, matches and hatchet to class. No wait, be prepared with your books and all the materials you will need in class. Thou shall not mooch off of thy neighbor.

III. THOU SHALT HONOR THY TEACHER
Honor means to show respect for the position and the person of the teacher. It literally means to ‘make heavy’. It comes from weighing gold. Something heavy is valuable. Consider your teachers, their preparation and their lesson plans as valuable. Honor them. If you honor a person, you can learn from them.

IV. THOU SHALT BE ORGANIZED
Assignment notebooks are the greatest tools to help you remember schoolwork. Write every assignment in one notebook and include all instructions and due dates. Then, at the end of the day, read the assignment book and take home all the stuff you will need to work on that night. Program your cell phone with key due dates and deadlines.

V. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
I must admit, this one isn’t original with me. God came up with it. Cheating is stealing. It is benefiting from work you didn’t do. I know some people who work so hard at cheating that it would have been easier to actually study! Cheating is dangerous because it is a deception and can become addictive.

VI. THOU SHALT DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Most students who struggle with school don’t do their best when it comes to their homework. They tend to blame others:
    “I forgot my book and the school was locked”
    “My dog ate my homework”
    “I’m too busy feeding the homeless to get it done”
    “Being in Javelin Catching takes all my time”

Free Tip: Schedule time every school night to get your homework done. Block out the time you think you need then add a _ hour. If you get done early, use the time to organize your notebook or read. You can read ahead in your text or in a book of your choice. But spend the full time doing your work. Take a few breaks for a snack, but don’t watch TV during homework time.

VII. THOU SHALT NOT FIGHT
All it takes is one fight to get out of hand and you are dusted as far as your high school career. Even though you may feel like pounding a classmate, teammate or teacher; don’t. San Quentin prison has a lousy educational environment, but they do have a nice kiln for pottery projects.

VIII. THOU SHALT DRESS
Don’t sweat it! I’m not talking about guys wearing dresses. I’m talking about suiting up for PE. Gym clothes are carefully designed to be uncomfortable and to make you look like a geek. The coach with the funny, too-tight, polyester shorts has a clipboard and will mark you down points if you don’t “suit-up.” Grin and bear it. Everybody else looks as silly as you do. The more people suiting up, the more people to blend in with (or laugh at)!

IX. THOU SHALT HANG AROUND WITH LEARNERS
Try to hang with some students who are actually learning something at school – it might rub off. If you only hang with the spit-wad brigade or the Principal’s Pals Posse, you may be in for some trouble. You don’t have to do anything wrong at school to get in trouble; you only have to be accused of it.

X. THOU SHALT SEEK HELP
“The only stupid question is an . . .? What class? Bueller . . . Bueller?”
That’s right – the only stupid question is an UNASKED question. If you need help, simply ask for it. Put your pencil down. Stand on top of your desk and scream, “HELLLP!” Make sure you say the ‘p’ clearly! Actually, I am kidding about the screaming, and the standing on your desk for that matter. But you can still ask someone for help. Try talking to your teacher, a counselor or ask about tutors. The number of students who have undercover tutors might surprise you.

Hope these tips help you survive!

- Stan