Be a Super Model in Your Child’s Life

Our SuperCamp staff are a unique group of individuals with one thing in common – they practice what they preach. All of our facilitators and team leaders use the 8 Keys of Excellence as well as the many effective communication and interpersonal life skills they teach at camp in their everyday lives. In doing this, they are able to build instant credibility with students and not only teach them these skills, but show them what it looks like to use them in their own lives.

Parents can model the same kind of positive behavior for their students at home. One way is to practice the Four-Part Apology, a communication technique that can be used to settle any type of conflict. Disagreements happen and situations arise where an apology is neccessary to resolve them. Too many times an apology is not given or is done in such an off-handed way that the person receiving the apology feels it wasn’t sincere. As a result, bad feelings linger and rifts between two people, often two family members or friends, widen rather than disappear.

The Four-Part Apology lets the two parties deal with the issue in a thoughtful and supportive manner rather than in an angry or defensive way. Here’s how it works:

1. Acknowledge – Take responsibility for your actions and behaviors using “I” statements, such as: “I acknowledge that I hurt your feelings with what I said.”
2. Apologize – Acknowledge the “cost” to others: “I apologize and I realize I may have hurt our relationship.” If unaware of the “cost,” ask.
3. Make it Right – Deal with the consequences of your behavior: “I want to do something to help maintain our friendship. What can I do to make it right?”
4. Recommit – Make a committment to appropriate behavior and commit to not having the same behavior again: “I agree to Speak with Good Purpose from now on.”

When a conflict arises at home and you have an opportunity to make things right by offering an apology, give the Four-Part Apology a try and see how effective it can be.

7 Easy Steps to College Success

Is your child a high school senior who can’t wait to get to college? Or maybe your son or daughter is already in college but is struggling with grades or is just not focused on preparing for his or her future. College is fun, but it’s also a whole different world from high school. Students have more autonomy than ever before, but with autonomy comes responsibility. Here are some tips that students learn at Quantum U, SuperCamp’s college success program for high school grads and current college students, that will help your son or daughter achieve success in college.

1. Get the most from your time in class

It’s as simple as S.L.A.N.T. Sit near the front and in the middle section of the classroom or auditorium. Lean slightly forward in your chair, as if you are hanging on the professor’s every word. Ask questions to clarify anything you don’t understand. Nod your head to show you are listening and interested. Talk to your professor after class to build rapport and establish a relationship.

2. Make the most of your study time

Try to design as optimum a study area as you can in your dorm. Ideally, it should include good lighting, a desk or table to work at, a comfortable chair, inspirational posters, and plants. It helps if you can play relaxing music softly in the background. Tackle the most difficult assignments first. Every thirty minutes take a short five-minute break. Take mini-breaks more often by standing up and stretching whenever you notice your mind wandering. Studies show that you remember best what you learned just before and just after a break – so the more breaks, the more you learn!

3. Take the tension out of taking tests

Sometimes test-time jitters can ruin the time you spend studying and preparing. So, allow yourself enough time to get to class a few minutes early – hurrying causes tension and mental crunches, and you can use the few extra minutes to review your notes one last time. Before and during the test, give yourself positive messages: “I know this information and I’m going to get an A.” If you feel yourself getting tense, close your eyes for a moment and take a few deep breaths. Imagine a relaxing scene, then refocus.

4. Discover the Power of “This is it!”

“This is it!” means making the most of every moment. It also means doing whatever it takes to make a subject interesting. Be creative! Some ideas include studying with a friend or relating the topic to something you already know or like. When you know something well, you almost always find it interesting.

5. Cultivate a Winning Attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude is your most important learning asset. You need to mentally prepare before any learning experience. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Either way, you are right.”

6. Remember the “F” Stands for Feedback

From infancy through adulthood, we learn through our mistakes. Remember to learn from the feedback you get from others, whether it is a failed test or a poor relationship. In your path to become an excellent college student, feedback is simply the information you need to succeed. Don’t forget that the “F” also stands for “Failure leads to success!”

7. Plan Ahead

Time management is one of the biggest challenges college students face. Your life at college can be fragmented, intense and sometimes overwhelming: large classes, unstructured time, professors who all think their course is your one and only priority. A typical day, if there is such a thing, can include classes, library time, friends, work, maybe a workout in there somewhere. It’s definitely not high school. Use a calendar to mark days for tests or due dates of important papers. Studying ahead reduces stress and increases your ability to remember at test time.

College isn’t easy, but if your son or daughter follows these seven simple tips to college success, they’ll be well on their way to seizing the many opportunities college has to offer.