Ever thought of outperforming your peers in secondary school? No, I'm not talking about studying. I'm talking about skills to gain an edge for life. Let's face it, school only lasts for 11 years. However, the main goal is university and your future career. For that, studying is only part of the full skill set that you need.
As such, if you are keen to find out, then read on!
Public Speaking
A lot of my students who enter university always get the shock of their lives. They assume that since memorizing is needed to pass exams, surely university is no different. However, a lot of university evaluations are assignment based. Meaning, your exams may only be 50%, if not 40% of your overall grade. The rest depends on written work and of course, presentation. Thus, rather than waiting for that day where you have to go on stage, you should start it in secondary school.
Of course, doing so not only helps you overcome that dreaded stage fright, it also helps in gaining confidence. Furthermore, this skill comes in super handy when interviewing for scholarships or for your first job. Also, it is highly likely that you will be asked to conduct presentations when you start working. Thus, get on that stage and start practicing!
A MEAN Skill
Of course, public speaking is not enough. Thus, why not try picking up a MEAN skill. Ok, let me define what a MEAN skill is. MEAN is an acronym for:
- Meaningful
- Expert
- Actionable Plan
- Needed Skill
Next, you have to be an expert in that sphere. So, if you pick gaming to be your MEAN skill, do bear in mind that you would have to represent Malaysia. To do so, you have to rank at least top ten in the country to be considered an expert.
To do that, you may need an actionable plan. Here's the part where I tell you not to give up on your study and have a plan to focus on your skill as well as your study. Doing so does help build your time management skill which is a great skill to have for life, not just until SPM.
Finally, this skill has to be needed. Thus, if your skill can help you land a job or a scholarship, it is a needed skill. Coding for one has been all the hype and programmers are known to be paid rather well. Such a skill is considered needed even in the very near future.
Strategizing
Last but not least, learn how to strategize, not just in your studies but in planning your life. You would have noticed that studying is not mentioned much in this post. That's because studying is not the most important thing. Sadly, it is the only thing assessed in your final exams.
However, you have a full life ahead of you which does not consist of studying only. Thus, strategize on the skills you need and the knowledge you need. Sun Tzu said if you know yourself and your enemy (your weakness) you can win a thousand battles. So when you see that you are failing a subject in school or losing in a particular tournament. Instead of reading more or practicing more, take a step back, reevaluate your strategize and try to achieve the most with the least amount of time needed.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://althed.com/2018/09/16/top-3-skills-a-malaysian-secondary-school-student-needs/