:: papaphysix's blog ::

When you put in effort and you did not get what you have expected for your tests or exams, how should you react?

naturally, you will be disappointed, frustrated or discouraged about it... that's normal, that's human... but after all the negative feelings have subsided, what are you going to do about it? for some, they decided to give up and not try anymore... for some, they turn their disappointment into hatred and dont want to have anything to do with the subject anymore... to some, they humble themselves and possess the passion and drive to learn from their mistakes and improve on their understanding and fill up their pockets of holes in their knowledge... from there, they emerge stronger and rise on the next occasion to clinch the fruit that is worthy of their effort.. when we did not reap what we sow in the first round, NEVER give up! we are actually half way there towards excellence! the only sensible thing to do now is to know what went wrong and not to repeat the same mistakes again!

If it's carelessness and insufficient time to complete the paper, then it means a lack of practice... work harder and do more! in that way, you will become more familiar with your stuff and be able to understand questions more easily and correctly!

If you dont understand the questions asked, read once through to have a brief overview of the question. read again but do it sentence by sentence. extract out the key info in each sentence and write it down in point form or in simple equations what is given. finally, look at the last part of the question, which usually tell you what the question is asking for. compare what is available and what is required. think through if there is any concepts or equations or knowledge that can be used to link what is given in the question to what is required to be solved in the question. the more you have practiced and understand what you studied, the more options you have to solve the problem at hand! and many a time, think simple.. problems are not as complicated as you think!

end here with my all-time favourite story of the way of a champion :)

THE WAY OF A CHAMPION

“How much further to the waterfall?” the little boy asked.
“Up around the bend, champion,” the old man answered with a chuckle.
“That’s what you said last time, Paw-Paw.” The boy paused. “What’s a champion?”

The old man gazed down upon his grandson before answering.
“A champion is someone who believes they can win and who keeps on trying until they do,” he said.
“You mean champions don’t always win?” the boy queried.
“No, son. Champions don’t always win—but they believe that they can and eventually they do. Most champions lose many times before they win.”

“That sounds hard, Paw-Paw,” the boy remarked.
“Sometimes. You have to grow a champion muscle.” The old man pointed down the path. “Do you see that butterfly?”

“Yes, sir.”
“Where did it come from?”
“From a cocoon,” the boy replied. “You showed me that on the purple butterfly bush.”

“How did it get out?” the old man continued.
“It grew its wings and broke through.” The boy beamed.
“What happened when you helped one of the butterflies break through?” the old man prodded in a soft voice.

The boy’s face dropped. “Its wings weren’t strong enough and it fell to the ground where it died.”
“That’s right. In order to fly, butterflies need to first grow strong.” The old man placed his palm on the boy’s shoulder. “People are the same way. To be a champion, we have to become strong. Usually though, it’s not the actions that need to be strong—it’s the belief.”

”What do you mean, Paw-Paw?” the boy asked.
The old man stopped and bent down to eye level.
“Do you remember when you learned how to ride your bike?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you remember how you fell down?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you remember how you had cuts and scrapes and had to go get Band-Aids and even cried a few tears?”
“Yes, sir—but not that many,” the boy declared.
“Why did you keep getting up?” The old man pushed.
“Because I knew I could do it,” the boy stated. “If Sammy could do it, then I knew I could, too.”

“That’s right,” the old man nodded. “Sometimes you have to borrow somebody else’s belief until yours becomes strong enough that you don’t need it. You saw Sammy do it and you believed that if he could, so could you.” The old man grinned at the boy. “Was is that hard to get up after you fell?”

“No,” the boy barked.
“Of course not,” the old man affirmed. “It never is if you believe. Champions know that.”

The old man took the boy’s hand and began to stand.
The boy tugged on his finger and held him still. His brown eyes looked straight at the old man.
“I’m always going to be a champion, Paw-Paw,” the boy declared. “’Cause I can always get up.”
“Yes, you can,” the old man smiled. “Yes, you can.”

Categories: champion [t], lesson [t], learn [t]