Keys to Success!

I gave a presentation at the Boys and Girls Club on succeeding in school and scholarships and such and figured I'd share it with all of you! Here you are!

Miss Murray’s Guide to
Succeeding in School

• Be There! Set Goals!
o Being there physically will help you loads, but I mean being there both physically and mentally. Figure out why you are there, set goals, and reach those goals. “Whether you fail or whether you succeed, the amount of effort is the same.”
• Take a Balanced Schedule- at School and at Home
o School, work, friends, family, and extracurricular activities are hard to balance! Don’t let one rule out everything else. (Think Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean and Body Building)
• Get a High GPA
o Many scholarships and admittances will be based solely on your GPA and ACT. Don’t mess up your ACT; however, if it’s low and you raise it higher, scholarships committees would eat that up.
• Find the School and Scholarship that fits YOU
o Don’t go to the school someone else wants you to go to. You’ll end up transferring. When looking for scholarships, fastweb and those sites are helpful, but the best scholarships you guys can received are directly from Murray High in the counseling center. There is a scholarship and a school out there for everyone.
• Create a Portfolio
o If you make an in-depth portfolio-with pictures, explanations, the whole works- life will be so much easier for you when you start applying for scholarships. You could split it up into Academic, Service, Leadership, Extra-Curricular activities, or whatever works best for you. Just know how amazing you are and be ready to tell anyone else. Applying for scholarships isn’t bragging, it’s getting what you deserve ;)
• Take Every Opportunity You Hear of
o If you’re at a dance audition in the Salt Lake Valley, chances are you’ll see me there! Don’t just let things happen to you, make them happen!
• Be Loud!
o The squeaky wheel doesn’t only get the grease, it gets the scholarship too! Find those people who can help you and make sure they do. Even if you think you’re being annoying, they will appreciate your persistence.
• Be Involved!
o There are many situations where instead of looking at GPA and ACT, scholarship committees will be looking at your extracurricular activities. There are so many clubs and teams in your school that it should be easy for you to get involved. Bring your friends along too.
• Serve Others!
o Service is an easy way to make your resume stand out, but the best part about it is what it does to you. Remember “Service is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.” careless