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Veltisezar B. Bautista did it! In his high school and college days, he was an average student. But when he went back to college several years later, while he was raising a family and a full-time job, he became an honor student after he developed a study and test-taking system. His children have used these same study system. Four of his five children became honor student themselves, one of whom graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan. Many of the readers of his book Improve Your Grades have improved their own grades, making A's and B's instead of C's and D's and many of them have become honor students. If they did it, you can too! Get hold of this amazing book that contains all the secrets and strategies. Buy it now!

Improve Your Grades has been hailed by educational authorities, including Albert Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers in Washington DC, who says, "Bautista's Improve Your Grades is both an encyclopedic and a common-sense approach to improving school performance..."

You can think positively if you dwell on past successes and not on failures; if you see the bright side of life and not the dark side; if you look at problems as opportunities, think only about things that you can change, and forget about things you can't chance. You can chance the way you think, from negative to positive; you can improve your grades.

Expand your vocabulary to include phrases such as: I can do it; it's hard but I can make it; nothing under the sun is impossible; if they did it, I can do it, too. If you can do that, you'll be a positive thinker. Wherever you were born, wherever you were raised, and whatever your family background, you can excel in class and be whatever you want to be if you think you can. The secret is a positive attitude.

The 'I Can Do It' Attitude

In the Ann J. Kellog Elementary School, students have been told that there is nothing they cannot do. The I can do it attitude adopted by the school has made it one of Michigan's 13 outstanding elementary schools and one of the 270 in the nation. (These schools were recognized at a ceremony held at the White House.) The results show that the plan works. The Kellog School set reading skills and an increase in parent involvement as the priorities for improving the school's standard of education. From the 1983-1984 to the 1984-85 school year, the percentage of fourth grades who passed the state's reading assessment test rose from 36 to 66 percent.

'No Speak' English

"Not knowing the language, it's just like you're a little child and people can't hear you," said yang, now 18. "Once I learned the language I started becoming a person again. Then people said, 'He's not so dumb.'"

For five years, with persistence and determination, Yang learned English as his second language. Yang's first language is Hmong, one of the native tongues of Laos.

"No matter how tough it is, I never give up if it's right and true to me," he said. "You just can't say, `I can't do that.'"

Yang always said, "I can," and he could! In 1987, he graduated from the Sexton High School in lansing, Michigan with a 3.2 grade-point average and won a scholarship to Michigan Technological University.

One thing is sure: if yang hadn't learned English and if he hadn't excelled in class, he could not have won a scholarship and attended a college of his choice. His dreams would have been in vain. If he did it, you can do it, too.

The Flunker Turned Smarter

This story reminds me of the case history of a boy I know who almost flunked in every grade in grammar school. As a teenager, he was lucky enough to be passed through high school. As a freshman at the state university, he flunked out the first semester.

He was a failure--but that was good, for it developed inspirational dissatisfaction within him. He knew he had the ability to succeed, and on reflection he realized that he had to change his attitude and work hard to make up for lost time.

With this new right mental attitude, he entered a junior college, and he did work hard. He kept trying. And on graduation day, he received the honor of being second highest in class.

No. he didn't stop there. he applied for admission to one of the nation's leading universities, where scholastic standards are exceedingly high and admission is the most difficult to obtain. When the Dean of Men wrote in his response to his application for admission to the university, he asked. "What happened? How do you account for your success at a junior college after failure for so many years?" The boy responded:

"At first, it was real work for me to study regularly, but after several weeks of daily effort, study time became a habit. It became natural for me to study at regular periods. And there were times when I actually looked forward to it, for it was fun to be 'somebody' at school and be recognized for my scholastic record.

"I aimed to be the best in class. Perhaps it was the shock of being flunked out in my freshman year at the University of Illinois that awaked me. That's when I began to grow up. I just had to prove to myself that I had the ability." Because of his mental attitude and his record of achievements at junior college, this young man was admitted to the university--and there, too, he developed an enviable record.

Old People Learn New Tricks

Francisco Padolina, who was in a private law practice in the Philippines for 18 years, arrived here as an immigration in 1979. At the age of 58, he was told that he had to go back to school to become eligible to take the bar exam so he could practice law in the United States.

Instead, Padolina decided to pursue an education in another field. His relatives--even his immediate family--told him that he was too old to study. Many people discouraged him, but he persisted. In 1983 he received an associate degree in mental health from Camden County College in Blackwood, New Jersey, and in 1986 he earned a bachelor of science in social work from Rutgers University in Camden. To top it off, he ranked number five ina Social Worker 2 examination given by the State of New Jersey in 1987. Thus, at the age of 65, he was promoted to Social Worker 2 at a hospital in New Jersey.

How did he do it? When interviewed, Padolina said that to excel in class and on examinations, he used study techniques and test-taking strategies similar to those described in this book. He attributes his success particularly to "outlining" and to searching for the main and secondary ideas in every paragraph of every chapter or section of an article or a book. If he did it, you can do it, too!

When I went back to college at the age of 33, my classmates were at ages 18 through 25 years old. They were young and energetic and they had all day to study. I was the oldest in class, so it would have been a shame if I hadn't done well. My time was divided: I had to work almost the whole day, and I had to go to class in the evening. I had to spend a short time with my family at night before I studied my lessons. Time was limited, so I was forced to think of the fastest ways to memorize and easiest ways to learn. From certain books I got some ideas on how to study. I also devised some study methods of my own, including strategies for memorization and reading. I developed self-confidence, and I recited well in front of my classmates. As a result, I was included on the honor roll, for the first time in my life!

There's nothing you can't do if you want to do it. Just change your attitude from negative to positive. As soon as negative thoughts enter your mind. Replace them with positive thoughts. Then you'll believe in yourself and you'll awaken the sleeping genius within you. From now on, if you're not doing it yet, take steps to become a good student. If you have high grades, you're on your way to your dreams: the college of your choice and the career that you want. If you're already in college, continue reading this book and you'll see how easy it is to scrutinize, assimilate, and digest thoughts for easy learning. With patience and commitment, you'll develop a master plan for your fate!

But it's 100% true.

You can make those high marks in high school, be admitted to the college of your choice, and pursue the career you want. Or you can graduate from college with high grades and get a good, high-paying job. But first you must acquire the basic skills you need to study effectively and learn easily, to help you earn high marks and accomplish your dreams.

Colleges and universities, especially the established ones with high standards, have high grade-point requirements. if you don't meet these requirements, you're not in, you're out, and the only place you can go is to a low-standard college in your area. Who says getting high grades isn't important?

If you're a graduate of Harvard, Stanford, or any other well-known and prestigious university or college, you don't look for a job; the jobs look for you. But if you're a graduate of a college with low standards, you may not even land a job at Burger King. The reason is simple: the competition is too ken in the dog-eat-dog job market.

To make high grades, you need to know how the brain works, how it processes information, how you can code information for easy storage and retrieval, how you can learn in the shortest time possible and have free time for fun.

My knowledge isn't based on hearsay. It's based on my own practical experience in studying and taking tests. In my high school and college days, I was an average student. But when I went back to college several years later, while I was raising a family and had a full-time job, I became an honor student after I learned basic skills and used study and test-taking techniques. The same techniques were used (and are still used) by my children, one of whom graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan.

I've put all the tricks of the trade, ins and outs, tips and secrets into this power-packed book Improve Your Grades:How to Become an Honor Student.

Flip through this compact book and you'll discover how easy it is to read. It's even illustrated with some funny-looking drawings that will make you smile--or frown. And the beauty of it is that it covers every subject you need.

Time and time again, surveys have shown that those who made high grades in school, whether in high school or in college, more ore successful in life than those who didn't do well in class. In this book, you'll learn how to set goals and launch your dreams. You'll find it easy to comprehend what you read, and you'll remember what you learned. You'll also read the case histories of average individuals who made good in school, pursuing and fulfilling their dreams through courage, perseverance, and determination. You can do it, too! You may have all the money in the world, but you won't be admitted by the college or university of your choice and pursue the career you dream of if you don't make high marks on exams. It doesn't matter whether you're a United States citizen or an immigrant, man or woman, black or white, brown or yellow; you name it. It's your grades that count.

I'm thrilled with what this book will do for you. I want to help you make high grades and be admitted by the college or your choice or get the well-paying mob you want and be a success in life.

Just think what being a top student in class will mean to you. No more worrying about C's or D's. No more worrying about where and how you can enter the career of your choice. You'll have it made!

But as I've said, making high grades is essential. This book is based on my success, on my children's success, on the systems I've worked out, and on systems used by other people. Here are the sure-fire systems, the very systems I want to share with you now. Use them and you can't fail!

Foreword

Chapter 1
Intelligence: Inherited or Acquired?

Chapter 2
The Brain: The Seat of Intelligence

Chapter 3
Prepare to Make High Grades

Chapter 4
Images and Code Words: The Keys to Memorization

Chapter 5
How to Read Efficiently

Chapter 6
How to Increase Your Reading Speed

Chapter 7
Listening and Taking Notes in Class

Chapter 8
Condensing: Outlining, Summarizing, and Diagramming

Chapter 9
How to Study Effectively

Chapter 10
How to Study Major Subjects

Chapter 11
How to Improve Your Vocabulary

Chapter 12
Numbers and Mathematics

Chapter 13
How to Be a Super Speller

Chapter 14
Essays: What Are They?

Chapter 15
How to Write a Theme or a Research Report

Chapter 16
How to Make a Speech

Chapter 17
Strategies for Various Types of Examinations

Chapter 18
Strategies for Tests on Different Subjects

Chapter 19
Positive Attitude: The Passport to Success

Chapter 20
Raising Your Self-Esteem: The Key to Self-Fulfillment

Chapter 21
Setting Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Ignite Your Booster Rocket for Animation

Chapter 23
Faith and Enthusiasm

Chapter 24
Persistence and Rewards

Chapter 25
Why Asian Americans Become Whiz Kids?

Chapter 26
How I'm Becoming What I Want to Be

Afterword

Bibliography and Recommended Reading

"Bautista's Improve Your Grades is both an encyclopedic and a common-sense approach to improving school performance. An eclectic approach akin to Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, and Masters and Johnson, Improve Your Grades offers a positive attitude, helpful techniques, and enlightening anecdotes to those who feel the need to improve."
--Albert Shanker, President, American Federation of Teachers, Washington, DC.

"...a study skill guide with strategies for increasing human potential. I found many of the actual test-taking tips quite interesting, especially the math section. The practical applications and examples were fun to work through. I've used many of these strategies intuitively, but for students who are more logical it is advantageous to teach them rather than to assume they already know these techniques."
--Andrea Willis, "1988-1989 Michigan Teacher of the Year"

"I've always thought of myself as a 'C student.' But not any more! With the help of your book, I'm getting A's in all my subjects."
--Rosalind Shultz, high school student, Santa Ana, California

"...a very thorough job of describing the basic types of tests and discussing strategies for test taking."
--Sherrie Farrell, Instructor, Wenatchee Valley College, Omak, Washington

"Improve Your Grades summarizes in a very concise and helpful way the wisdom of a multitude of psychologists, educators, and other experts who have tried to help students who want to improve not only their grades but their lives in general. Reading and applying hints in Improve Your Grades can save many a student years of frustration and poor grades."
--Dr. Sherman Kanagy II, Professor/Teaching Study Skills, Purdue University/North Central, Westville, Indiana