From Average Grades to Honor Roll, Former A.Y.P. Academy Student Fills Us In

At Eldridge Overton Educational Programs (EOEP), we have enjoyed the privilege of keeping contact with many of our former students and hearing about their growth and accomplishments as successful young men and women. 

Recently, we were pleased to hear about how former student, TeSean R. Jones, has been excelling through his coursework in high school thanks to the skills he had acquired through the A.Y.P Academy. TeSean joined EOEP as a student at Rahway Middle School, where he was receiving average grades in his classes. Now, TeSean is a rising junior at Linden High School, a member of the Honor Roll, and on the fast track to college. 

The following is a questionnaire which TeSean and his mother, Darnea LaPierre, were so kind to answer. It reveals the concerns and expectations which were present as we began working together, the experience of tutoring and educational support with EOEP, and the successful aftermath:

Questions for Mrs. LaPierre:
What were your concerns as a parent regarding Tesean's academics? 

TeSean did not like reading & was receiving C's. I knew he was capable of more.

What were you hoping to get from EOEP? 

Excellence.

Were your expectations met/ exceeded? 

Yes. I felt the experience was very beneficial.

Were your concerns addressed? 

Yes. All of my concerns that I initially voiced were addressed & I felt that the staff was attentive to TeSean's needs.  

Would  you recommend EOEP to a friend? 

Yes. Actually I have

Questions for TeSean:
What grade are you in and which High School do you attend?

I'm in the 11th grade. I now attend Linden High School.

What is your current favorite class? Why?

Algebra because it's my favorite subject and I get really good grades on my test & quizzes.

How were you doing academically, prior to enrolling in SES tutoring with EOEP?

I was getting average grades like B’s C's.

What were you hoping to get from EOEP? 

I was hoping to get better grades and learn better study habits.

Were your expectations met/ exceeded?

[TeSean’s Mother:] Yes, his expectations were met, his study habits improved and he still uses them today.

Please share a quote about your experiences as a student working with EOEP:

The Greatest Barrier Of SUCCESS Is The Fear Of FAILURE.

What are your ambitions and goals for the future?

To become successful live in a condo in Manhattan NY & drive a Range Rover & to buy my mom & step-dad luxury cars.

What would you like to study in College?

Math so I could become a teacher and [also how to produce] music with computers & musical instruments.

Four Basic Steps Towards Time Management Success: Setting Realistic Goals

In our last post, I discussed a few organizational tools that can give any student a great start to better time management. I personally prefer a combination of a calendar for visual reminders on due dates and long-term projects and a task list for quick updates on completed and upcoming short-term work. Students will not be able to gain the greatest benefit from either of these tools or any other, however, unless they are able to set realistic goals as a guideline. In order to make any technique truly effective, it is necessary to break down goals into manageable chunks of work, set within practical time frames.

College students are often assigned, usually in addition to daily work, small projects that are due only a week or two later. Initially, I would fall into the trap of viewing the individual assignments as one large task, which was intimidating to begin and usually made procrastination seem a lot more appealing. But after a few tries with this approach, I realized that breaking down the projects into manageable, smaller tasks was a better way to avoid procrastination and complete the tasks efficiently. Smaller goals also tend to take less time to achieve, so there’s no worn out feeling as I progress towards the larger goal of completing the assignment.

Setting realistic goals means making sure they’re reasonably spaced out as well. In college, you’ll have multiple essays and assignments from each of your courses due alongside each other, if not on the same dates, so being over-ambitious and trying to take on a full workload within a short span of time is likely to be more stressful than rewarding. Rather, aim for a moderate pace as you plan when and how you will carry out the tasks for each project. Make sure to give yourself extra time for assignments that you may not be too confident about, not only for yourself to work through them, but also for visiting professors during office hours or, if appropriate, when contacting classmates for help.

Once you’ve marked up your calendar or to-do list with reasonable goals, you’ll find that actually beginning work on them will become much easier. In our next blog post, I’ll share a few tips on working through these tasks effectively, without burning out half way through.

4 Basic Steps for Time Management Success: Organization and Prioritization

 

Despite being a pretty good student throughout my high school years, it wasn’t until college that I really felt the pressure to improve my time management skills. College students like myself often had to juggle commuting between campuses, getting to and from courses and jobs on time, setting aside and committing to the time to study and review course material adequately, completing coursework to high standards, and keeping in touch with friends on top of all that. I’ll admit I didn’t hit the ground running, but with the help of a little guidance and advice, I was able to establish sustainable habits that have helped me become a better, more successful student throughout my 3-going-on-4 years in college. In a four-part series, I’d like to share as a reminder these tried-but-true tips and techniques to becoming a well-prepared and efficient student.

The first step is too-often overlooked, but is possibly the most critical: organization and prioritization. Simple organization techniques can significantly improve your time management performance. Consider organization tools such as calenders and to-do lists to keep track of due dates and upcoming projects and even projects completed. Task lists are great for viewing all tasks at once and crossing off the ones completed. Calendars are great for keeping track of the nearest due dates in relation to other lifestyle priorities. I highly recommend trying out a few different techniques until you find one that is effective for you.

Personally, I found a combination of the two helped me stay organized the most effectively. Marking down due dates on a calendar helped me keep the big picture in mind, while to-do lists helped me tackle the most important tasks individually. The key is to make sure you prioritize each project fairly and proportion the tasks involved practically.

This is where our next blog post, setting realistic goals, comes in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by: Wafa Zahedi

*$250 Give Away

It is a beautiful sunny day today. This has put us in a generous mood.

Eldridge Overton Educational Programs is giving a child a chance to participate in one of our innovative educational programs for FREE! (*Up to $250 value)

We have a variety of programs that your child could participate in:
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Eldridge Overton Educational Programs Please join our mailing list for a chance to enter a drawing for a FREE educational program for your child. (Up to $250 value) You can use this for your own child or give as a gift!
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