Inspirational Quotes and Short Stories for Students

"The principle [excellence] is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before."- Steve Young, Athlete

"The impact of attendance is reflected in my own teaching records. In reviewing the performance of 800 students on average, the 'A' students missed less than one class per semester. The 'C' students missed more than four classes over the same period. In plain terms, 'C' students take three to five points away from their own grade every time they miss a class."- Professor Claude Olney

Your achievement is assured the moment you commit yourself!

"What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man in in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it."- Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor

" I don't think of myself as a poor, deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself and I had to make good."- Oprah Winfrey, TV Personality

"Success is relative; it is what we can make of the mess we have made of things."

- T.S. Eliot, Writer

"Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses...on your powers, instead of your problems."- Paul J. Meyers, Author

Excellence can be achieved if you...risk more than others think is safe, love more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.

You're Right

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think that you dare not, you don't;

If you'd like to win, but think you can't.

It's almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost;

For out in the world you'll find

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If yo think you are outclassed, you are;

You've got to think high to rise;

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

- Unknown (The Edge)

"There is no stress in the world, only people thinking stressful thoughts and then acting on them."- Dr. Wayne Dyer, Author, Speaker

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."

- Michael Jordan, Athlete

If you try to fail and succeed, have you failed or succeeded?

"If you really want something, you can figure out how to make it happen."

- Cher, Singer, Actress

"The roughest road often leads to the top."- Christina Aguilera, Singer

If you use both the right and left sides of your brain you have better recall and consequently will generate better grades.

"The road to success is always under construction."- Arnold Palmer, Professional Golfer

Be creative; the ways to study are endless.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."

- Vince Lombardi, Former Head Coach, Green Bay Packers

Persistence makes the acquisition of a new skill easier because your ability to accomplish the task is increasing.

"If I have seen further than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants."

- Sir Isaac Newton, Scientist

"The only place where success comes before work is the dictionary."

- Vidal Sassoon, Designer

Successful students make choices and take action. They know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Put new action into your study. Make a plan and follow it.

"Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words; a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts." William Strunk, Jr.

"The will to succeed is important, but what's even more important is the will to prepare."

-Bobby Knight, Coach

"There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose."

- Kim Hubbard

"The people who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed."- Lloyd Jones

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."- Thomas Edison, Inventor

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle."- Albert Einstein, Mathematician, Scientist

"Redefine the word 'fail'. There is no failure in life other than not trying. If you want something badly enough, make an attempt. If you want to paint, get a brush and do it. If you want to sing, sing. A lot of people get scared. They're afraid to fail. Take that word out of your vocabulary. You don't 'fail'. You've 'tried your best.'"- Jane Seymour, Actress

Old tests make the best study guides.

The average college student takes more than 1,000 tests by the time they graduate. Become an excellent test taker. Watch quiz shows on t.v. Work brain teasers and cross word puzzles. The more you practice the better you get.

"How can you develop your right and left brain? By simply doing right or left brain activities. If you are a left-brained person studying science, math, and accounting, you could take a few right brain courses such as music, art or theater. A right brain type should watch some scientific t.v. series found on PBS, the Learning Channel or Discovery to learn science."- Professor Claude Olney

"Scientific research indicates that we use less than three percent of our brain potential. In one study, students who did nothing more than play chess improved their IQ by as much as five points."- Professor Claude Olney

'How many people ever consider that the lack of certain qualities- such as balance, common sense, tranquility- affect the physical state of the human body? Did you ever hear of people being sick because they hated someone? This is not uncommon."

-Bishop Westcott

Use your imagination to make your study a fun time that you anticipate rather than dread.

"Studies show that twenty percent of high school dropouts are actually gifted children. Winston Churchill was the last of his class. Alfred Einstein didn't read until he was seven and struggled in high school. Guiseppe Verdi was denied admission to the Milan conservatory on the way to becoming one of Italy's greatest composers. We are all much brighter than we think."- Professor Claude Olney

"Show me a person who has never made a mistake and I'll show you somebody who has never achieved much."- Joan Collins, Actress

The Internet is a great resource when writing but it's not the only resource. Research in a library will uncover information that you cannot find on the Internet. While Internet is fast, the quality of information may be questionable and not as relevant as other sources of research.

Give credit where credit is due. Learn to use footnotes and bibliographies to properly document the source of information used in your papers. Professors can tell if a project is pasted together rather than researched, thought out and summarized by you.

“Early on, I learned that there was no substitute for hard work. It increased my native ability to execute well in the classroom. In my experience, I’ve found it is work, as in team work, that will determine how well we play the game in the classroom or in the larger game of life. Anything less and you wind up getting your face pushed in the mud.”- R. Anderson; Rockwell CEO

“It is painful to look back upon one’s youth and realize that it was left in the library as to see that it was lost in the locker room. On the field, the floor, the track, in the classroom, the laboratory, the study, wherever, it is important to keep your life in balance. Test your skills against the traditions of the knowable as well as against the records of the doable and you’ll emerge a strong, wiser, and better person.” – Brage Golding, Kent State University, President

“Your greatest actions are performed in minor struggles. Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes- obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes.”- Victor Hugo, Author

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.”- Ralph Nichols, Author

“I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. As

simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret.”- Tony Robbins, Author, Self-Help Lecturer

“People who use computers to communicate, form friendships that sometimes form the basis of communities, but you have to be careful to not mistake the tool for the task and think that just writing words on a screen is the same thing as real community.”- Harold Rheingold

Early study is good. The information is interesting and fresh.

Writing test questions as you read allows you to know and study three out of four test questions before you ever tested on the information.

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember t he men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”- Viktor Frankl, Author, Holocaust Survivor

Discouragement

It seems that one day the Devil decided to go out of business and he decided to sell all of his tools to whomever would pay the price. One the night of the sale, all of his tools were attractively displayed. They were all there, Malice, Hate, Envy, Jealousy, Greed, Sensuality, and Deceit were among them. Off to the side lay a worn yet harmless wedge-shaped tool, which had obviously been used more than any of the rest.

Someone asked the Devil, “What’s that? It’s priced so high.” The devil answered, “That’s discouragement.”

“But why is it priced so much higher than the rest?” the onlooker persisted.

“Because,” the Devil replied, “with this tool, I can pry open and get inside a person’s consciousness when I couldn’t get near them with any of the others. Once discouragement gets inside, I can let all the other tools go to work.”

Discouragement is at the bottom of so many negative actions. You’ll face it every day of your life. It doesn’t matter what happens to you, it only matters how you handle what happens to you. In your life, do you view situations as problems or as opportunities? How you handle discouragement, each and every day, goes a long way in determining your success or failure in reaching your dreams. Keep your dream alive, strive to reach your goals, and have a winning attitude—most of all never, ever give up!!!

- Unknown

The best preparation for tomorrow is…doing your best today.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this simple gift and I hope it has brightened your day and kept you motivated.

Merry Christmas!