7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens

Habit 5

5. Seek First to Understand, and then to be Understood because most people don’t listen very well, one of the great frustrations in life is that many don’t feel understood. This habit will ensure your teen learns the most important communication skill there is: active listening.

Why is this habit the key to communication? It’s because the deepest need of the human heart is to be understood. Everyone wants to be respected and valued for who they are- a unique, one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-cloned individual. People won’t expose their soft middles unless they feel genuine love and understanding. Once they feel love, however, they will tell you more than you may want to hear. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Listen with your eyes, heart, and ears. 7 percent of the communication is contained in the words we use. The rest comes from body language (53 percent) and how we say words, or the tone and feeling reflected I our voice (40 percent).

Most people are eager to talk and had rather talk than listen. We have one mouth and two ears. This means we should listen twice as much as we talk. We actually learn more while listening rather than we talk. Learn to listen and listen to learn.  Listen, really listen, for understanding.

Seek first to understand then to be understood- LISTEN.

Profile of a Successful Student

Part 1

{HYPERLINK http://www.plymouth.edu/office/online-education/online-learning/profile-of-a-successful-student/}

A successful student…

…takes responsibility for his/her own learning

Online learning can be a powerful, stimulating, engaging experience for the student who can work and think independently. However, since most-if not all-of the learning takes place on your own time, you will not have the kind of direct supervision you would in a classroom. Online learning therefore requires a significant commitment from you. All education comes down to what you’re willing to invest in the experience-this is particularly true in the online environment. Commitment, self-discipline and self-motivation are all key qualities to ensuring success in an online course!

…is comfortable and confident with written communication

Reading and writing are the basis of most online courses, so it’s critical that you feel comfortable with this form of communication. While some courses contain modules that include videos or other activities all of them require significant amounts of reading. And nearly all of your communication with your classmates and your instructor will be in writing. If these are weak areas for you, you will want to address those issues prior to enrolling or while enrolled in an online course. The PSU Writing Center is available to assist you.

…is willing to be a member of a learning community.