The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens

by Sean Covey

  7 Secrets to Getting Good Grades

  Secret 1: Believe you can

  Secret 2: Show up

  Secret 3: Do extra credit

  Secret 4: Get on your teachers’ good side

  Secret 5: Be strong in the red zone

  Secret 6: Gather your resources

  Secret 7: Develop smart study habits

  Off to College

  As I was nearing high school graduation, I remember thinking, “The party’s over. My friends are all scattering. I have to be responsible now and get a real job someday. I may even have to grow up. I’m so depressed.”

  That said, if I have to leave you with one piece of advice it would be: Get as much education as you can. Finish high school. Then, get a four-year college degree and more if you can. If that feels like too big a leap for you, at least get a two-year college degree. (In this chapter, I’m using the word “college” in a broad sense. I’m really talking about any education after high school, whether it be a technical degree, a military degree, a trade school, a community college, a distance-learning program, or something else like it. They’re all good.)

  Does going to college really pay off? Absolutely! A college education offers three big benefits:

  1. A college education will enrich your life!

  I remember taking an English class in college on the short story. Our first assignment was to read two short stories and then discuss which one was better. After reading both, I wasn’t sure. Over the next several months my professor taught me why one story was so much better than the other. One was rich in metaphor, symbolism, and character development. The other was entertaining but shallow. I couldn’t see this at first. Yet, in a few months, my brain got reeducated and I could begin to see the difference between good and bad writing and could appreciate literature at a whole new level.

  So it goes with education. It gives us the ability to understand and appreciate all of life—music, art, science, people, nature, ourselves—at a whole new level.

  Never forget: The primary purpose of going to college isn’t to get a great job. The primary purpose of college is to build a strong mind, which leads to greater self-awareness, capability, fulfillment, and service opportunities, which, incidentally, should lead to a better job.

  2. A college education will open doors!

  Imagine reading about a great job online. It looks like something you’d love to do and you’d be good at. You’re excited to apply and have an interview. But then, you read, “This job requires a bachelor’s degree.” You’re heartbroken. You may even be more qualified for the job than anyone else who applies, but it doesn’t matter. They won’t even consider you. More and more, job offerings are limited to applicants with college degrees. There are always some exceptions, but why take the chance?

  3. With a college education, you’ll make more money!

  Now, there are many more important things than making money. And there is no shame in being poor. But, in general, more money means more opportunity, options, and chances to help others. And a few extra bucks never hurt anyone. Are you ready to be shocked? Just peek at the difference education makes in two different jobs. (This data was provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and again, although the numbers will change from year to year, the differences between them won’t.)

  A construction worker with no high school diploma earns a median income of around $30,000 per year, making it among the better-paying jobs for someone with that level of education. However, construction inspectors, who need a high school diploma or its equivalent to perform the role, earn median salaries in excess of $60,000. Meanwhile, construction managers, who have to earn a four-year degree, earn median salaries of $75,000 or more. Some difference!

  An electrician without a high school education has a median salary of about $45,000, which is a really high-paying job for a high school dropout. On the other hand, with more education, you could become an electrical and electronics engineer and earn $95,000 with a four-year degree. That’s more than double the income. Do you really want to work with the same scary high voltages for half as much money as the person next to you is earning? College is over in four years—your salary will hopefully pay out for forty. Now, if that doesn’t motivate you to stick with school, what will? And if these numbers still don’t convince you to get more education, just look at these babies, also provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE MAKE WHO HAVE:

  EACH WEEK

  OVER FORTY YEARS

  No high school diploma

  $

  493

  1,025,440

  High school diploma

  $

  678

  1,410,240

  Associate’s degree

  $

  798

  1,659,840

  Bachelor’s degree

  $

  1,137

  2,364,960

  Master’s degree

  $

  1,341

  2,789,280

  Professional degree

  $

  1,730

  3,598,400

  BEATING THE ODDS

  Now, for many teens, especially those from poor homes, unsupportive homes, or developing countries, going to college may seem impossible. Even then, there are ways, if you want it badly enough. Just ask André Marroquín Gramajo.

  André was born in Guatemala in a town near San Marcos. He was dirt poor. In Guatemala, less than 1 percent of kids have access to a university education. Yet André always had this unusual desire to go to college.

  He told me, “When I was eight years old, I knew that the only way to improve my possibilities and help my family was to do well in school. In elementary school, I was the first in my class. Not because I was smart, but because I worked harder than everyone.”

  André continued to work hard and excel. “My friends often went to play basketball, and I said no a lot so that I could study. I had no father and that was hard. But I replaced the lack of a father with success stories I learned about in books, movies, and on TV.”

  During his last year in high school, André set the goal to go to one of the best universities in Guatemala City. Everybody, even his teachers, told him: “Come on, André. That is an impossible dream. All of us had that dream, and look, we’re all teaching and working here in San Marcos.”

  But André was focused. There was just one problem. He had no money. So André got proactive and creative. “I called up about fifteen embassies in Guatemala and asked if they had any scholarships for college students. None of them did. I then found the name of the brother of the president of Guatemala in the phone book, and called and told him that I really wanted to go to college and needed a scholarship. He agreed to help me but then his brother left office and that put an end to that.”

  When none of these methods worked, André took the admissions exams to the three best universities in Guatemala City, hoping that if he did well, something good might happen.

  One of the schools he applied to, Francisco Marroquín University (UFM), is the most prestigious and expensive university in Central America. An admissions officer, Mónica, recalls:

  “I remember when we were checking the results of the admission exams from all the applicants. André scored a perfect 100 in the math exam and scored very high on the rest of the exams. We investigated but soon realized he would not be able to pay his way. We then interviewed him as part of the admissions process. My team and I were so impressed with André that at the end of the interview we told him, ‘André, you are accepted.’

  “I remember him saying, ‘Oh, thanks, now I can go back to my small village and tell everybody that I was accepted to this excellent university. But you must know that I can’t afford it, so you can use my space to accept someone else. At least now, I am happy that I achieved my goal, even though I can’t enroll.’

  “ ‘Don’t worry, André. You will be the first one accepted into our new scholarship program, and it will pay
for everything, your tuition, a place to live, books, and a generous amount for personal expenses. Congratulations!’

  “André was overcome. And, for the next three minutes, he didn’t say a word.”

  A few years later, André graduated from UFM with a degree in economics. He went on to earn his PhD from George Mason University and today he is a professor of economics.

  André could have whined about all the obstacles he faced: “I’m poor,” “It’s too hard,” “It’s never been done.” Instead he focused on the things he could control—his attitude, his initiative, and his goal.

  CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE

  What college is right for you? Only you can decide that. But here’s what not to do when deciding. Don’t go to a college just because a friend is going there. Don’t choose a college because it has a reputation for being a party school. There are more important things to consider, like how hard it is to get into, how it ranks, where it’s located, the physical campus, the cost of tuition, the living conditions, and what the school is known for. If, for example, you plan to get a degree in music, apply to a school that has a strong music program.

  Choosing the right school is a big decision, so make sure you check out all your options. You may want to:

  • Attend a college fair.

  • Talk with your parents.

  • Talk with several people who are attending or have attended that school. Ask them what they like and don’t like about it.

  • Read college catalogs and visit their websites.

  • Visit the campus. Nothing will give you a better feel than paying a visit to the campus. Walk the halls, attend a class or two, go to the library, stop at the dorms.

  • Try a concurrent enrollment class, which is a college-level class offered to high school juniors and seniors. You can earn both high school and college credit and it gives you a chance to try out a college-level course.

  GETTING ADMITTED. YIKES!

  So, how do you get admitted to the school of your choice? Although it’s a little different at each college, they are all looking for the same basic things, including:

  Desire: How badly do you want to get into this school? If you are truly enthusiastic, it will come through on your application and in your interview. You can’t fake enthusiasm.

  Standardized test scores: How well did you do on your SAT or ACT or other standardized tests?

  Grades: What is your overall GPA? Did you take some hard classes?

  Extracurricular activities: What other activities were you involved in, such as sports, clubs, drama, band, student government, church, or community?

  Service: Have you volunteered for worthy causes?

  Letters of recommendation: What do other people think of you? Choose people who know you well to write your letters; don’t just go for the big names. Also, choose people you know will write you an outstanding letter, not just a good one. Don’t take chances on this one.

  Communication skills: How well can you express yourself in writing (based on your application essays) and verbally (based on the interviews that some schools do)?

  If your GPA or standardized test score is lower than you’d like, don’t fret. You can still get into a great school if you are strong in other areas. The admission offices look at the whole package, not just one area. They also look for trends. For example, if you started off poorly in school but ended much more strongly, that will play in your favor.

  If you’re a late bloomer who did terribly in school but now sees the light and wants to go to college, don’t think you can’t make it. You can. Remember, a college is a business, and they want your money. They’re always looking for new students. You may not get into the very best school or the school of your dreams, but there are many other good schools out there.

  PREPARING FOR A STANDARDIZED TEST

  There are only two things in life worse than taking a standardized test—parallel parking and eating liver. It didn’t seem fair that my entire future depended upon how I did in a four-hour test. It made me feel better to think that Olympic sprinters only get 10 seconds to make or break their futures. At least I got four hours.

  How can you prepare? It’s simple. When you get into ninth grade, start picking challenging classes that stretch your mind and teach you how to think. There’s no substitute for this.

  Unlike other tests, you can’t really cram for an SAT, ACT, or any other standardized test. So start practicing months before you take the real thing. There are numerous resources to help you. Just google “Preparing for the SAT or ACT.” Ten million entries will appear and you can choose from among them. Many are free.

  FoxTrot © 2003 Bill Amend. Reprinted by permission of Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved.

  A common mistake teens make in their preparation is that they practice in short chunks of time, an hour here and an hour there. Don’t forget that these tests last for about four hours, and you need to condition your mind to focus for four straight hours. I recommend doing at least two full dress rehearsals of the exam. If the test runs from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. on a Saturday morning, then practice doing a full test from 8:00 to 12:00 on a Saturday morning, at least twice. When you take the real one, there will be no surprises.

  Keep in mind that you can usually take these tests as many times as you want. Knowing this may help you not freak out while taking it the first time. Oh, yeah, get a good night’s rest and eat breakfast. That helps, too.

  HOW WILL I EVER PAY FOR IT?

  College is expensive. The good news is, there are boatloads of scholarships and grant money available. In his book How to Go to College Almost for Free, Ben Kaplan shared how he did just that.

  Reality has just bitten me—and bitten me hard. It happened one day during my junior year in high school, as I was leafing through glossy catalogs with dreams of wild collegiate adventures dancing in my head. Suddenly, I felt the reality of having to pay for my undergraduate education sink its ugly teeth.

  What I hoped to do was enroll at a top university, but how would I ever pay the six-figure tab at the school of my choice?

  One day at my high school’s college and career center, however, I came across a stack of colorful applications for a nationwide scholarship program called the Discover Card Tribute Awards. As I held the application in my hands, my mind raced with questions. Were there a lot of scholarship programs like this one? Did a kid from a public high school in Eugene, Oregon, actually have a chance?

  Despite my doubts, I decided to give the scholarship application a try. So I wrote a couple of short essays, diligently filled out the forms, and rounded up a few letters of recommendation.

  A couple of months passed. Then I get a letter in the mail that changed my life: “Congratulations,” it said. “You’ve just won a $2,500 scholarship.” The story gets better. A few weeks later, I received a phone call notifying me that in addition to the first award on the state level, I had just won another $15,000 in the national portion of the scholarship contest! You should have seen my parents dancing around the house.

  Then I made another life-altering discovery: Plenty of other corporations, associations, organizations, institutions, and community groups can’t wait to give away college money. So I filled out more forms, crafted more essays, gathered more recommendation letters, and started expanding my involvement in school and community activities. Applying for these awards took a good bit of work, and I lost my share of scholarship contests. But by sticking to the process, I ended up reaping enormous rewards. By the time I headed off to college, I had applied for about three dozen merit scholarships, and amassed nearly $90,000 in scholarship winnings—funds that I could use at any school I desired. Thanks to these funds, virtually the entire cost of my college education was covered.

  As Ben discovered, there’s a ton of money out there from all kinds of organizations to help you get educated. Most scholarships come in two ways. First, need-based scholarships and grants, targeted to teens from low income families. Second
, merit-based scholarships and grants, based on all sorts of talents, not just for getting high grades and test scores, though there are scholarships for that too.

  To learn more, I recommend meeting with your high school’s career counselor, talking with the financial aid department of the school you’d like to attend, or buying Ben Kaplan’s book. (For more information, visit the Help Desk in the back of the book.)

  Don’t let a lack of money be the reason you don’t go to college. I repeat, don’t let a lack of money be the reason you don’t go to college. If you need to take out student loans and work while in school, do it. It will pay for itself many times over. There are only two things ever worth going into debt for: a home and an education.

  Finding Your Voice

  “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked some little kids. They said:

  • “I want to be one of those guys in the brown truck who bring boxes to your house.” —Nathan, 6

  • “I want to be happy.” —Mariah, 10

  • “I want to be a harp teacher and a mom.” —Beth, 11

  • “I want to be a pizza man.” —Mitchell, 8

  • “I think it would be fun to be a nuclear scientist.” —Peter, 11

  • “I really, really, really, really, really want to be a computer tech guy.” —Michael, 11

  • “I want to be a photographer and travel everywhere, maybe even space.” —Daysa, 10