THE "DASH" GUY

 

This article is a follow up to a couple articles I wrote, “A Dad’s Blueprint For Academic Success Part 1” and “A Dad’s Blueprint For Academic Success Part 2”. 

 

In these articles I talk about the importance of having an academic blueprint. If you have not read these articles, please read them before continuing with this one, it will make more sense to you.

 

All of my kids graduated from Duncanville High School and their counseling staff did an excellent job in putting together a student handbook, which contained all the course requirements that the student needed upon graduation depending on the level of college they planned to attend (i.e. regular, competitive and very competitive schools).   This handbook made developing an academic blueprint for them much easier, because we had a picture of what the end results should be upon graduation.

 

Since I was in college when my oldest daughter was in middle school and high school, she did not receive as much benefit of an academic blueprint as the last two children, because I was still trying to figure out and executed my own academic blueprint. However; she still graduated with honors and ahead of schedule with her associate degree from Mountain View College and bachelor degree from The University of Texas at Arlington. She is a school teacher.

 

When my youngest daughter was in the 7^th grade, we developed an academic blueprint for her, based on the fact that she wanted to be a doctor. Her blueprint included all the honors and Advance Placement (AP) classes she needed to attend a very competitive college or university.

 

Also, she was able to participate in the Health Occupation Program, which allowed students to get experience in a medical facility while in high school. She initially thought she wanted to be a pediatrician, but after working with the sick children, she realized that was not the right area of medicine for her.

 

Another benefit of having an academic blueprint, it helps you to determine the path that is right for you. Also, it allows you to make adjustments with minimum lost of time and money.

 

With her academic blueprint, my daughter was able to graduate high school with honors, in the top 10% of her class, and with more than 20 college credit hours earned while in high school.  She received her bachelor degree from Texas A & M in College Station and her medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She is a Psychiatrist.

 

When my son was in the 7^th grade, we developed an academic blueprint for him. Since he had not totally decided what he wanted to do for his career, we decided to just make sure he met the requirements to attend a very competitive college or university upon finishing high school.    

 

When he was in the 11^th grade, he decided to take a Media Technology class, which provided him experience in broadcasting and mass communication. He soon found out that he was very good in this field. This program allowed him to develop his skills as a movie producer and broadcast journalist. He won several awards in his junior year. In his senior year, he won first place in the regional, state and national competitions in the video production category. He had found his niche!!

 

Another benefit of an academic blueprint, it allows you to explore various options to find your niche.

 

He graduated with honors, number 3 in a class of over 800 students (should have been the salutatorian, but a teacher changed his grade because he did not like him, another article for another time). He had over 30 college credit hours when he completed high school. 

 

He later attended The University of Texas at Austin and majored in Radio, TV and Film, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Since he graduated with his first degree in three years, due to his advance status from high school, he pursued and received a second degree in Business Marketing the next year. He is a 3^rd year law student at Harvard Law School.

 

Because of the college credit hours received in high school, my youngest daughter and son never had to take more than 16 credit hours during a semester.

 

Another benefit of an academic blueprint, it allows you to receive an advance status in college while in high school and it reduces the course workload while in college.  Also, it can reduce the total cost of their college education, a huge benefit to parents!!

 

Dads, you may be saying, “That is all good, but my child is not “college” material.”

 

I fully understand that every child does not want to attend college; some children will choose the military or a trade or technical school. It does not matter which path they choose, if they have an academic blueprint it will reduce their chances of failure and increase the chances of them reaching the destination they desire.

 

Dads, if you want your child to succeed academically, you must help them develop an academic blueprint!!

 

Please provide me your comments on this topic. If you have additional topics you would like to see us discuss, please send me an email or post a comment.

 

Also, refer this site to other men you know, so we all can journey together!! 

 

For the woman in your life, my wife (Sylvia) has a personal development site focused specifically on the needs and concerns of women. The site is called, www.thedashlady.com. 

 

Also, we have a joint site focused on the needs and concerns of couples (i.e. married, engaged, and seriously dating). This site is focused on helping couples to grow together through personal development. The site is called, www.marriagerhythm.com.  

 

Please visit these sites and leave us a comment about the current posts. 

    

Again, thanks for visiting this site.   

 

Randy

The “DASH” Guy

randyclark@thedashguy.com

www.thedashguy.com

Uncategorized academic, achievement, dreams, education, parenting, personal development, self-improvement, success

  

This article is a follow up to another article I wrote, “A Dad’s Blueprint For Academic Success Part 1”.  In this article I talk about the importance of having an academic blueprint.

 

 

Because I lacked an overall vision for my life, I thought having an academic blueprint was not important. But, I later found out how wrong I was!!!

 

After a few years of working as a computer programmer, I was doing pretty well financially, as a matter of fact; I was earning more money than some of my friends who had college degrees.

 

However; I decided that management provided me the best path to the destination I desired, so I returned to school to pursue a degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management when I was 28 years old.

 

I looked at several local colleges and universities that had a management program and made a final selection. Based on my assessment, it was going to take me 7 years to obtain this degree, since I was on Plan B, meaning I would have to work full-time and go to school part-time at night.

 

When I met with the advisor at the local community college, I told her the school I had chosen and the program. She suggested that I get an associate degree on the way to earning my bachelor degree. I told her that was fine as long as all the credit hours for the associate degree would transfer to my bachelor degree, because I did not have any time to waste. She helped me develop my first academic blueprint.

 

After 3 years of attending classes in the fall, spring and summer I completed the requirements for the associate degree. I needed 61 credit hours for my associate degree, I had 63 credit hours when I finished.  

 

After 4 more years of attending classes in the fall, spring and summer I completed the requirements for the bachelor degree. I needed 129 credit hours for my bachelor degree, I had 131 credit hours when I finished. 

 

One of the benefits of having an academic blueprint, it shows you the shortest path to your destination!!

 

Dads, we have a great amount of influence in our children lives. It is through our actions they will establish some of their values. For example: If we only show up for sporting events, they will come to the conclusion that sports are more important than academics.

 

Unfortunately, too many Dads have made this mistake and sent their kids down a path that sacrifice their life and academic potential to the “sports gods” of our society (i.e. football, basketball, etc.).

 

When my son was about 8 years old, he came to me to discuss if he could play football. At first I was opposed to the idea, because he was an outstanding student and I didn’t want football to distract him from his academic pursuits. We agreed that if his grades started to drop, I was going to execute my own version of the “No Pass, No Play” rule regarding him. 

 

As a Dad, I wanted to make sure my children did not repeat my mistakes. I wanted them to understand the importance of education in helping them to accomplish the overall vision for their life.

 

I used my life as a college student as a “teachable” moment for my children. I wanted them to understand that through commitment you can have academic success, but I wanted them to not do it on a Plan B path like me, because the cost is much higher.   

 

I helped each of them to develop a blueprint for their academic success!!

 

You are probably asking by now, “What did you do to develop and implement the academic blueprints for your children?”

 

We started implementing their academic blueprints as early as Pre-K or earlier if you consider the training they received at home. When we purchased toys for them, we made sure they were teaching tools (i.e. word board games, speak & spells, etc.). We purchased lots of books for them to read, as well as enrolled them in reading programs at the local library during the summer months.

 

Also, we used BIG doses of encouragement when they solved math problems or spelled words correctly. We taught them that they were as smart as anyone else at their school. These actions boosted their confidence and self-esteem.

 

We used a reward system to help motivate and keep them focused. When they received their grade reports, they would receive additional money on their allowance for their grades. The amount they received was based on the letter grade and their grade level, because we knew the course work was harder in the higher grade levels.

 

During the 7^th grade year, we implement phase 2 of the academic blueprint. In the midst of the body changes, increase interest in the opposite sex, peer pressure, etc. that your child is going through; the blueprint will provide them a sense of direction and stability. During this period, we mapped out the main courses they would take each year through their senior year.

 

Another benefit of having an academic blueprint, it provides direction and a road map to your destination. 

 

In “A Dad’s Blueprint For Academic Success Part 3”, I will share more details on the benefits of having an academic blueprint.  

 

 

Please provide me your comments on this topic. If you have additional topics you would like to see us discuss, please send me an email or post a comment.

 

Also, refer this site to other men you know, so we all can journey together!! 

 

For the woman in your life, my wife (Sylvia) has a personal development site focused specifically on the needs and concerns of women. The site is called, www.thedashlady.com. 

 

Also, we have a joint site focused on the needs and concerns of couples (i.e. married, engaged, and seriously dating). This site is focused on helping couples to grow together through personal development. The site is called, www.marriagerhythm.com.  

 

Please visit these sites and leave us a comment about the current posts. 

    

Again, thanks for visiting this site.   

 

Randy

The “DASH” Guy

randyclark@thedashguy.com

www.thedashguy.com

Uncategorized academic, achievement, dreams, education, parenting, personal development, self-improvement, success

 

As a new school year begin; I see and hear parents moaning and groaning about the challenges of finding the appropriate clothes and/or uniforms for their children. Also, the “sticker shock” they have experienced when they try to purchase these items. All of the stress and strain parents go through to help their children be successful in the up coming school year. 

 

However; I believe there is another important ingredient to academic success that is often overlooked or totally omitted by parents in their quest to help their child be successful? And that important ingredient is an academic blueprint (plan).

 

I hear you asking, “Why is an academic blueprint (plan) needed?”

 

If we want to be successful in anything in life we need to have a plan. 

 

Could you imagine a home-builder trying to construct a house without a blueprint (plan)? Just think what would happen if the electrician, the carpenter, the plumber and the brick mason were just allowed to “do their own thing” as it relates to their specific trades in building a house? You can be 100 percent sure of one thing, you will not like the results when it is complete!!

 

Likewise Dads; if we think that our children will be successful academically without a blueprint (plan), we are fooling ourselves and setting them up for failure.

 

Developing a blueprint for academic success, just like in developing a blueprint for a house; you must start with the end results or goal in mind. In other words, you must determine what the final outcome should be or the end results you want to achieve looks like.      

 

You must create a blueprint for academic success that supports the overall vision you have created for your child’s life. See “Dads, You Must Create A Vision For Your Child’s Life” for more information. 

 

In my own life, because I did not have an overall vision for my life, academic success was not important to me. I once viewed school as just something you had to endure for 12 years; which provided very little benefit to my long-term success in life.

 

I remember graduating from high school and did not have a clue what I would be doing for the rest of my life. As a result, I spent the next 5 years of my life, working on “dead end” jobs and trying to find “my place” in life.

 

A turning point came in my life when I was about 22 years old. I was working for a company in the House Keeping Department. One day as I went into this office to empty the trash cans, I saw a guy in the office with his feet on his desk. Since I went into this office area everyday as a part of my job responsibility, I knew this guy well and we often talked about various things.

 

On that day, I say to him, “I can’t believe this, you are sitting here with your feet on this desk making a lot of money and they want let me sit down for a minute and I am only making pennies.”   He told me something that day that changed my view of life in general and education specifically. He said, “Randy, they don’t pay me for what I do, they pay me for what I know.”

 

His comment to me was like someone hitting me on my head with a brick!! I had a “light bulb” moment that day!!

 

I think I made some “smart” comment back to him that day as a way to protect my bruised ego, but his words stayed in my mind.

 

I decided that day, if he could get paid for the knowledge he had, I could too!!

 

I enrolled immediately in a technical school and received a certificate in computer programming. Later, I went back to school and earn two degrees.

 

About 20 years after my conversation with the guy in that office, I had the privilege to talk with him again. I told him he probably did not remember that conversation, but I wanted to thank him, because what he told me that day changed my life.

 

I know you are asking by now, “What is the point of that story?” 

 

I learn on that day, the importance of education. Also, financial success in life is not about how hard you work, but about the value you provide to others.

 

Since I lacked an overall vision for my life, I thought having an academic blueprint was not important. But, I later found out how wrong I was!!!

 

Therefore; as a Dad, I didn’t want my children to repeat my mistakes. I wanted to make sure they understood the importance of education in helping them to accomplish the overall vision for their life.  See “Dads, You Must Create A Vision For Your Child’s Life” for more information. 

 

I sat down with each of them one-on-one and helped them to develop a blueprint for their academic success!!

 

In a follow up article, “A Dad’s Blueprint For Academic Success Part 2”, I will share more details on how to develop and implement an academic blueprint. 

 

 

Please provide me your comments on this topic. If you have additional topics you would like to see us discuss, please send me an email or post a comment.

 

Also, refer this site to other men you know, so we all can journey together!! 

 

For the woman in your life, my wife (Sylvia) has a personal development site focused specifically on the needs and concerns of women. The site is called, www.thedashlady.com. 

 

Also, we have a joint site focused on the needs and concerns of couples (i.e. married, engaged, and seriously dating). This site is focused on helping couples to grow together through personal development. The site is called, www.marriagerhythm.com.  

 

Please visit these sites and leave us a comment about the current posts. 

    

Again, thanks for visiting this site.   

 

Randy

The “DASH” Guy

randyclark@thedashguy.com

www.thedashguy.com

Uncategorized academic, achievement, education, fatherhood, fathers, parenting, personal development, success