If It Doesn’t Challenge You, It Doesn’t Change You
Working in test prep is often inspiring because so many of our students are striving to surpass their personal bests to redefine what they are capable of achieving. Admissions exams are, by nature, challenging, in the way that all great tests are. The process of studying for a test should instill greater competence and understanding, just as rehearsing music cultivates virtuosity and practicing sports develops athleticism. If you’re feeling challenged, get psyched… that’s where real growth begins!
Stay Positive. Stay Fighting.
Any effort we undertake to improve or excel invites both the possibility of failure and a guarantee of struggle to surpass current limits. Don’t give up! What doesn’t challenge us cannot change us, so expect to be tested. Even better, pursue these sometimes painful growth opportunities with enthusiasm and excitement! Norman Vincent Peale may have popularized the power of positive thinking, but you don’t need to read the classics to master their essential lessons. Our words, deeds, and even thoughts determine our direction, so always stay positive.
With Hard Work, There Are No Limits
Happy Labor Day! This holiday deserves a special place in our hearts, and not just because it marks the point at which all New York state students return to school. On Labor Day, we honor the contributions that workers have made–and continue to make–to society. We are all, in a very real sense, workers. Where our labors take us depends entirely on our sense of purpose and the clarity of our goals. Once you’ve fixed your eyes on a worthy prize, be smart about your efforts and try to have some fun, but, more than anything else, commit to doing the work.
The Hard Work Puts You Where Good Luck Can Find You
As another academic year draws to a close, we should all reflect on how much effort, enthusiasm, and endurance is required to succeed in anything. School will end all too soon, but staying strong to the very end–playing to the final whistle, if you will–demands hard work. Here’s some encouragement to keep working! And lest you forget why you are working so hard in the first place, remember this…
Thinking About What Matters
As we enter the strangest holiday season in recent memory, we’re seeing many of our cherished traditions and travel plans fall away. But are sacrifices made in the spirit of helping others through responsible social distancing really something to regret? In a sense, a crisis like a national pandemic forces us to pay attention to what truly matters… Nobody can tell you what really matters to you, but setting clear, unassailable priorities is the path to both success and happiness on your terms. When it comes to test prep, coaching matters. In college admissions, what matters is mostly what you’d expect. But what matters most in your life? That’s up to you to decide…
Fight Your Fears
Happy Halloween! As we’ve learned so dearly in 2020, some years are scarier than others. But we must not let fear be the reason we fail. So how do you handle the terror of a big test, an important task, or the first step on a journey that will change your life? 1. Don’t let stress make you N.U.T.S. 2. Take a deep breath. 3. Just begin!