Strategies for success by Lydia

Strategies for success by Lydia - December 2017 Scholarship Essay

High school and college are the basic building blocks of education that are used to prepare students for future jobs and other opportunities. Many of these involve working with others to achieve a goal or do a job successfully. There have been several times when I had to work with a group of people in school on a project. This might sound like an easy, simple process since you get to work with a group, but when it comes down to it, there may be challenges associated with it. Picking the people you are going to work with and making sure you incorporate your interests into the project are both important aspects for success, and are strategies that I find helpful to use for school projects.
First, picking the people who you are going to work with is very important because I have experienced some negative feedback when working with a group. In one of my marketing classes we had to find a group to work with for a trade show. When two people asked me to be in their group, I thought that it was going to be just fine, however it turned out to be the complete opposite. I was the one who ended up doing most of the work because the two other people always gave an excuse to why they simply did not finish a part of the assignment. However, this is not always the case. Doing group projects for several years now, I have learned to pick who I am going to work well with by finding the people who work in similar ways that I do. Taking the time to really think about who I should work with instead of saying yes to people who I do not really know has been proven to be successful. Finding a group who I know are all willing to put in a substantial amount of work, as well as giving each person in the group a specific task made the process less stressful and well organized. Now, since I have worked on many group projects, I have realized that checking up on the other group members is important because it is nice knowing that another group member cares enough to make sure that their group member has everything under control. Having people who are uplifting and supporting while checking up on each other frequently during the group project, shows dedication and compassion towards their group members and this is vital. Not only is being aware with who you chose to work with will benefit your groups overall grade, this will also help you in the real world outside of school help you navigate who you work well with. The methods described in working with others is one of the most important strategies that I have utilized, and will continue to use throughout my experiences in the future.
Some of the best projects are when someone can discuss something that interests them, applying it in an educational way. It is a way of engaging with the audience to another level while hearing how they care deeply about what they are discussing. Think about if more school projects were applicable to real life, allowing students to discuss and provide information that interests each and every one of them in some way, even if it were the smallest thing. The discussions would be far more interesting and even more motivating because it would show their passion towards the topic and it would reflect onto the audience. This has also helped me come up with ideas on essays, presentations, and other projects as I can base my ideas off my own experiences. It leads me to want to learn and apply my interests and passions to other educational principles, despite which class it may be in.
Overall, the two ultimate strategies for success on a school project in my opinion is to pick your group wisely and to incorporate personal interests and ideas into the project. Both of these strategies have made my experience in both group and individual projects simpler, as well as more engaging. Most importantly, however, these are important strategies that I will be able to use as I further my education and apply it to my career after college.