Four Habits to Help You Succeed
    We all want to succeed, whether it’s in losing weight or learning the guitar. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. Why does one person succeed where another person fails?   (1)  
    Identify your core values.
    Finding your core values is in line with creating inner motivation.    (2)  Pick a handful of things and actually write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day, and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.
    Pick a goal and focus on it.
    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of accomplishment, while adjusting well to your core values. Focus is key here.   (3)  If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never complete your projects because they will take far too long.
    Set a deadline for success.
    Set a date for success. Identify when you hope to achieve your goal.    (4)  By setting a time limit, you are making the process more real.
       (5)  
    Failure can’t be avoided when you take risks, by its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don’t fall into this trap! Remember your mindset earlier. Know it will happen. A failure is merely you working out the details, and learning what works and what doesn’t. Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and march on!

Only 60 percent of students seeking a bachelor's degree at an American college or university finish their study program within six years. That information comes from the United States Department of Education. _（1）_ The report talks about full-time students who attended a four-year college or university for the first time in 2008.

   Many schools are looking for ways to increase the graduation rate. Some universities require individuals to declare a major at the beginning of their studies. Other schools let students wait until their second year. Changing majors is also acceptable. _（2）_ They note it may cause students to take more time to complete their degree program.

   __（3）___ The Education Advisory Board (EAB) released the report on the study last month. It looked at the graduation rate of students who changed majors within the first four years of study. On average, their graduation rate was between about four to six percent higher than students who never changed majors.

   The EAB's senior director Ed Venit wrote the report. He would not comment on whether or not college students should change majors. __（4）__ But he thinks some people become more invested in their studies once they have had time to decide what they truly want to do.

   Venit added that it is difficult to understand why the graduation rate is so low. Some students leave school because of poor academic performance. Others leave because they lack the money to pay for their schooling. And others leave because they feel they are not getting enough in return for the high cost of higher education. ___（5）_

Investing in yourself

    Figuring out how to invest your money can be a difficult task. This is something that you will want to learn how to do.

    ____  (1)  ____ Things that will improve your knowledge, skills or health are all great investments. However, before you start, you need to be clear about what you will gain out of doing all of these things.

    You may think investing in yourself means investing in your education. ____  (2)  ____. There are some other things you can do as well as buying a gym membership or learning a new skill.

    So what are some specific things you can do? ____  (3)  ____. Reading books can really expand your mind and allow you to learn different skills and gain knowledge. Iˈm talking about the books where you will actually learn a new skill, not fiction books.

    You can also take courses and attend seminars. These programs are taught by people with a high level of knowledge or skill. ____  (4)  ____. Only in this way can you avoid being fooled by some sales presentation.

    Moreover, investing in yourself is a safe way to keep your money. Although a savings account is seen as the most secure investment, that isnˈt 100% safe. Even if you never experience your bank closing down, the return is little when inflation(通货膨胀)is taken into consideration. ____  (5)  ____. But over time, they will show up in terms of your happiness level as well as your level of success.

Some people believe that really successful students are just born that way.   (1)  However, the vast majority of successful students achieve their success by developing and applying effective study habits.

1   (2)  

Successful students typically space their work out over shorter periods of time and rarely try to crowd all of their studying into just one or two sessions. If you want to become a successful student, then you must have regular, yet shorter, study periods.

2 Plan when you’re going to study

Successful students schedule specific time throughout the week when they are going to complete their studying –and then they stick with their schedule.   (3)  

3  Study at the same time

Not only is it important that you plan when you’re going to study but also that you create a consistent daily study routine and stick with it. Thus, you’ll be mentally and emotionally more prepared for each study session and each study session will become more productive.

4  Have a specific goal in each study time.

  (4)   You need to know exactly what you need to accomplish during each study session. Before you start studying, set a study session goal that supports your overall academic goal.

5 Never delay your planned study session.

It’s very easy to put off your study session because of lack of interest in the subject, because you have other things you need to get done first or just because the assignment is hard.   (5)   If you delay your study session, your studying will become much less effective. Delay also leads to rushing, and rushing is the number one cause of errors.

Holidays can be a very lonely time, particularly for those who spend the holidays alone.   (1)  

1 . Plan your time in advance

You’ll have several days to fill up, so be proactive. Find books and movies you have always wanted to read and watch, and make a list of events that you’d like to attend.   (2)  

2 . Use your time wisely

   (3)   See this time alone as a gift: a stretch of time where you have total control to do whatever you want. Use it wisely.

3 . Don’t wallow (沉迷)

Holidays alone tend to be times when beating yourself up and getting depressed are more likely to happen.   (4)   Avoid solo holiday depression by re-arranging your time by yourself as an opportunity to grow. Be grateful—some people who are enduring family dinners wish they were in your place.

4 . Volunteer

Food banks, shelters and crisis centers are short-staffed during holidays when the demand is the greatest.   (5)   And that will brighten other people’s holidays in turn!