Life skills comprise of skills like problem solving, critical thinking, team work and time management. These skills are important for academic success of students as they help in navigating their academic environment. They improve one's ability to learn and understand information, as well as excel in exams.
Listed below are ways in which life skills contribute towards academic success:
- Time Management: For academic success, students need to learn how to plan and prioritize tasks. In furtherance of this, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas offers programs like Power Hour: Making Minutes Count. In addition to providing homework assistance and tutoring, the program helps students to become self-directed learners and learn to complete their assignments on time.
- Critical Thinking: These skills help in analyzing information and solving problems. We provide programs like Project Learn and Summer Brain Gain which help in enhancing the cognitive and critical thinking skills of students. They are exposed to high yield learning activities like reading, writing, discussions, group work, themed activities and tutoring games like Scrabble which develop their higher-order thinking skills.
- Stress Management: Stress management skills help students cope with daily stressors while maintaining their emotional and mental well-being. Programs that help with stress management include the National Fine Arts Exhibit and Image Makers. The programs encourage creative expression as a form of stress management, and creative skills development.
- Adaptability: It is important for students to be adaptable to the changing scenario in both their personal and academic lives. In view of this, the club offers programs like CareerLaunch to help them assess their skills and interests and explore careers. They are taught job search skills, encouraged to work in small groups and prepared for jobs through the Career Launch Facilitator Guide. Other aspects of the program include mentoring, training opportunities, job shadowing and working with teenagers individually.
- Goal Setting: A key element of success is to know how to set short and long term goals and create concrete plans to achieve them. Our program, Diplomas to Degrees (d2D) is a college readiness program that helps teenagers create goals- short term and long term while working towards graduating from high school, preparing for post-secondary education, and creating a successful career. We help students secure financial aid and to develop supportive bonds with adults who can offer support throughout college.
- Financial Management: This crucial life skill teaches financial planning and decision-making. It requires immense discipline and an understanding of how money works. Our Money Matters program teaches financial literacy to youngsters. They are taught to budget, manage a checking account, save, and invest with the aim of earning their own income and paying for college.
Life skills and academic success are interdependent as far as the overall development of a student is concerned. Life skills offer long-term benefits during academic years and beyond the classroom. For more information about life skills for academic success, visit Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas at 703 N 8th St, Killeen, TX 76541 United States. You can also call 254-699-5808 or visit
www.bgctx.org