Becoming a Master StudentTools, techniques, hints, ideas, illustrations, instructions, examples, methods,procedures, processes, skills, resources, and suggestions for success.

By Dave Ellis

About the Author

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Dave Ellis is a leadership coach, author, educator, and philanthropist.

BECOMING A MASTER STUDENT, the best-selling college textbook in

America, has been published in three languages and is considered core

material by college students and faculty alike. In addition to this book, he

has authored and co-authored seven others including FALLING AWAKE

and CREATING YOUR FUTURE. Dave Ellis is a respected lecturer and electrifying

workshop leader who has captivated audiences worldwide since first sharing his principles

in 1979. Dave got started in education in 1976 when he taught junior high school math.

After getting a Master's Degree in mathematics, he taught computer science at a college

for six years where he became Assistant Dean of Student Services. In 1979, he designed

a course to improve student retention and then traveled the country for a decade

conducting workshops for teachers on ways to improve student retention and test scores.

He began training coaches in 1983 and started a public course for coaches in 1993.

Dave Ellis puts into practice the principles he teaches, utilizing his remarkable system in his

own life. His friends and colleagues often describe him as the happiest person they know

with an amazingly wonderful life. He is president of Breakthrough Enterprises, a publishing

and consulting company. He is founder and president of The Brande Foundation, a

nonprofit organization offering assistance to organizations working toward world

sufficiency, environmental integrity, human rights, and personal transformation. Ellis has

contributed millions of dollars to the work of his foundation and to other organizations.

You can visit Ellis's website at http://www.daveellisleadership.com. Dave Ellis resides in

the Bay Area with his wife Trisha. Together they have four daughters and one

granddaughter.

In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci wrote a letter to awealthy baron, applying for work. In excerptedform, he said, "I can contrive various and endlessmeans of offense and defense ... I have all sorts ofextremely light and strong bridges adapted to bemost easily carried ... I have methods fordestroying every turret or other fortress ... I willmake covered chariots, safe and unassailable ... Incase of need I will make big guns, mortars, andlight ordnance of fine and useful forms out of thecommon type ... " And then, he added, almost as anafterthought, "In times of peace I believe I can giveperfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other inarchitecture ... I can carry out sculpture ... andalso I can do in painting whatever may be done."The Mona Lisa, for example.

32 BECOMING A MASTER STUDENT

Themasterstudent

This book is about something that cannot be taught.. It's about becoming a master student.

A master is a person who has attained a level of skillthat goes beyond technique. For a master, methods andprocedures are automatic responses to the needs of thetask. Work is effortless; struggle evaporates. The mastercarpenter is so familiar with her tools they are part of her.To a master chef, utensils are oldfriends. Because thesemasters don't have to think about the details of theprocess, they bring more of themselves to their work.

Mastery can lead to flashy results=-anincrediblepainting, for example, or a gem of a short story. Inbasketball, mastery might result in an unbelievable shot atthe buzzer. For a musician, it might be the performance ofperformances, the night when everything comes together.

More often, the result of mastery is a sense ofprofound satisfaction, well-being, and timelessness. Workseems self-propelled. The master is in control by being outof control. She lets go and allows the creative process towork. That's why after a spectacular performance, it isoften said of an athlete or a performer, "She was playingout of her mind."

Likewise, the master student is one who "learns out ofher mind." Of course, that statement makes no sense.Mastery, infact, doesn't make sense. It cannot be capturedwith words. It defies analysis. Mastery cannot be taught,only learned and experienced.

Examine the following list of characteristics of masterstudents in light of your own experience. The list is notcomplete. It merely points in a direction. No one can teachus to be master students because we already are masterstudents. We are natural learners by design. As students,we can discover that every day.

As you read, look for yourself.

A master student is:InquisitiveThe master student is curious about

everything. By posing questions she cangenerate interest and aliveness in the mostmundane, humdrum situations. When she isbored during a biology lecture, she thinks toherself: "I always get bored when I listen tothis instructor. Why is that? Maybe it'sbecause he reminds me of my boring UncleRalph who always told those endless fishingstories. He even looks like Uncle Ralph.Amazing! Boredom is certainly interesting."Then she asks, "What can I do to get valueout of this lecture, even though it seemsboring?" And she finds an answer.

Able to focus attentionWatch a two-year-old at play. Pay

attention to the eyes. That wide-eyed lookreveals an energy and a capacity foramazement that keeps his attentionabsolutely focused in the here and now.The master student's focused attention hasthat child-like quality. The world, to thechild, is always new. Because the masterstudent can focus attention, to him the worldis always new.

Willing to changeThe unknown does not frighten the

master student. In fact, she welcomes it-even the unknown in herself. We all havepictures of who we think we are, and thesepictures can be useful. They also canprevent learning and growth. The masterstudent is open to changes in herenvironment and changes in herself.

Able to organize and sortThe master student can take a large

body of information and sift through it todiscover relationships. He can play withinformation, organizing pieces of data bysize, color, order, weight, and a hundredother categories.

CompetentMastery of skills is important to the

master student. When she learnsmathematical formulas, she studies them

until they become second nature. Shepractices until she knows them cold, thenpractices an extra few minutes. She also isable to apply what she learns to new anddifferent situations.

JoyfulMore often than not, the master student

is seen with a smile on his face-sometimesa smile at nothing in particular other thanamazement at the world and his experienceof it.

Able to suspend judgmentThe master student has opinions and

positions, and she is able to let go of themwhen appropriate. She realizes she is morethan her thoughts. She can quiet her internaldialogue and listen to an opposingviewpoint. She doesn't let judgment get inthe way of learning. Rather thanapproaching discussions with the attitude,"Prove it to me and then I'll believe it," sheasks, "What if this were true?" and explorespossibilities.

EnergeticNotice the student with a spring in his

step, the one who is enthusiastic andinvolved in class. When he reads, he oftensits on the very edge of his chair, and heplays with the same intensity. He is amaster student.

WellHealth is important to the master

student, though not necessarily in the senseof being free of illness. Rather, she valuesher body and treats it with respect. Shetends to her emotional and spiritual health,as well as to her physical health.

Self-awareThe master student is willing to

evaluate himself and his behavior. Heregularly examines his life.

ResponsibleThere is a difference between

responsibility and blame, and the masterstudent knows it well. She is willing to takeresponsibility for everything in her life-even for events that most people would

CHAPTER ONE, FIRST STEP 33

MASLOW'SQUALITIESOF A SELF-ACTUALIZINGPERSONAbraham Maslow was apsychologist whoworked on a theory ofpsychological healthrather than sickness.Maslow studied peoplewhom he called "self-actualizing," whichmeans, in part, healthyand creative. He listedtraits he found in self-actualizing people(ranging from AbrahamLincoln to AlbertEinstein). Thesecharacteristics alsodescribe the masterstudent.

THE SELF-ACTUALIZINGPERSON:-Reality oriented-Accepting of herselfand others

-Spontaneous-Problem-centered ratherthan self-centered

-Detached and needingprivacy

-Independent-Fresh, rather thanstereotyped,appreciation of people

-Had a mystical orspiritual experience

-Identify with the humanrace as a whole

-Has a few deep,intimate relationships

-Democratic values-A philosophical ratherthan bitter sense ofhumor

-Creative resources-Resistant to conformity-Transcendent of hisenvironment.

"blame" on others. For example, if she isserved cold eggs in the cafeteria, the masterstudent chooses to take responsibility forgetting cold eggs. This is not the same asblaming herself for cold eggs. Rather, shelooks for ways to change the situation andget what she wants. She could choose toeat breakfast earlier, or she might tellsomeone in the kitchen that the eggs arecold and request a change. The cold eggsmight continue. Even then, the masterstudent takes responsibility and givesherself the power to choose her response tothe situation.

Willing to riskThe master student often takes on

projects with no guarantee of success. He iswilling to participate in class dialogues atthe risk of looking foolish. He is willing totackle difficult subjects in term papers. Hewelcomes the risk of a challenging course.

Willing to participateDon't look for the master student on

the sidelines. She's in the game. She is aplayer who can be counted on. She iswilling to make a commitment, and she canfollow through.

A generalistThe master student is interested in

everything around him. He has a broadbase of knowledge in many fields and canfind value in them that is applicable tohis specialties.

Willing to accept paradoxThe word "paradox" comes from two

Greek words, para (beyond) and doxon(opinion). Thus, a paradox is somethingwhich is beyond opinion or, moreaccurately, something that may seemcontradictory or absurd yet may actuallyhave meaning. For example, the masterstudent can be totally committed tomanaging money and reaching her fmancialgoals. At the same time, she can be totallydetached from money, realizing that her realworth is independent of how much moneyshe has. The master student recognizes the

limitations of the mind and is at home withparadox. She can accept that ambiguity.

CourageousThe master student admits his fear and

fully experiences it when appropriate. Forexample, he approaches tough exams as anopportunity to explore feelings of anxietyand tension related to the pressure toperform. He does not deny fear-heembraces it.

Self-directedRewards or punishment provided by

others do not motivate the master student.Her motivation to learn comes from within.

SpontaneousThe master student is truly in the

here and now. He is able to respond tothe moment in fresh, surprising, andunplanned ways.

Relaxed about gradesGrades make the master student

neither depressed nor euphoric. Sherecognizes that sometimes grades areimportant, and grades are not the reason shestudies. She does not measure her value as ahuman being by the grades she receives.

IntuitiveThe master student has a sense that is

beyond logic. He has learned to trust hisfeelings, and he works to develop that sense.

CreativeWhere others see dullness and trivia,

the master student sees opportunities tocreate. She can gather pieces of knowledgefrom a wide range of subjects and put themtogether in a new way. The master student iscreative in every aspect of her life.

Willing to be uncomfortableThe master student does not place

comfort first. When discomfort is necessaryto reach a goal, he is willing to experienceit. He can endure personal discomfortand can look at unpleasant thingswith detachment.

AcceptingThe master student accepts herself,

the people around her, and the challenges

that life offers.Willing to laughThe master student might laugh at any

moment, and her sense of humor includesthe ability to laugh at herself.

HungryHuman beings begin life with a natural

I appetite for knowledge. In some people itsoon gets dulled. The master student has

! tapped that hunger, and it gives him a desireto learn for the sake of learning.

Willing to workOnce inspired, the master student is

willing to follow through with sweat.Genius and creativity, she recognizes, aremostly the result of persistence and work.When she is in high gear, the master studentworks with the intensity of a child at play.

The master student in youThe master student is in all of us. By

design, human beings are learningmachines. We have an innate ability tolearn, and all of us have room to growand improve.

It also is important to note thedistinction between "learning" and "being

taught." Human beings can resist beingtaught anything. Carl Rogers goes so far asto say that anything that can be "taught" to ahuman being is either inconsequential orjust plain harmful. What is important ineducation, Rogers asserts, is learning. Andeveryone has the ability to do that.

Unfortunately, people also learn tohide that ability. As they experience the painsometimes associated with learning, theyshut down. If a child experiences feelingfoolish in front of a group of people, hecould leam to avoid those situations. Indoing so, the child restricts his possibilities.

Some children "team" that they areslow leamers. If they learn it well enough,their behavior comes to match that label.

As people grow older, they accumulatea growing list of ideas to defend, a fatcatalog of experiences that tell them not torisk leaming.

Still, the master student withinsurvives. To tap that resource you don'tneed to acquire anything. You already haveeverything you need. Every day, you canrediscover the naturalleamer within you.

After reading "The master student," consider your own strengths and list the qualities of a master student that you observe inyourself.

This is no easy task. Most of us are competent self-critics, but we tend to discount our strong points. If you get stuck tryingI to complete this Journal Entry, warm up by brainstorming all your good points on a separate sheet of paper. Remember to

consider experiences both in and out of school.The master student qualities I observe in myself include ...

In the space below, write a specific example of how you model one of these qualities.

CHAPTER ONE, FIRST STEP 35

BenjaminFranklin,printer, author, philanthropist,inventor, statesman, diplomat,and scientist was born in 1706and died in 1790.

In each chapter of this textthere is an example of a personwho embodies several qualities ofa master student. None of thesemen and women have all thecharacteristics suggested in thisbook, but all of them demonstratethe courage alld dedication to theprocess of becoming a masterstudent.

As YOIl read about the masterstudents ill this book and otherslike them, ask: How can I usethis? Also look for the qualities ill

these people that you alreadyhave. YOIt can do so even when aprofile of a master student seemsdated or unrelated to your life.Lookfor the timeless qualities inthe people you read about. Manyof the strategies used by masterstudents from another time orplace are tools you can use.Reading about others oftenreminds us of what's possible forourselves.

No list of master students canbe complete. The master studentsin this book were chosen becausethey demonstrate novel ways tolearn-s-not because they are thebest or only role models. Roundout the profiles in this book withother master students you've readabout or know personally. As YOIt

meet new people, look for thosewho excel at learning. Themaster student is not a vague orremote ideal. Rather, masterstudents //love freely among us.Infact, there's one living insideyour skin.

36 BECOMING A MASTER STUDENT

The following quote is from Benjamin Franklin's memoirs,available in 1. Jesse Lernisch's Benjamin Franklin: TheAutobiography and Other Writings (New York: Signet Classic,1961),28-29, by permission of the Regents of the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley. Reprinted by permission.

A question was once somehow or other started between Collinsand me on the propriety of educating the female sex in learning andtheir abilities for study. He was of the opinion that it was improperand that they were naturally unequal to it. I took the contrary side,perhaps a little for dispute ake. He was naturally more eloquent,having a greater plenty of words, and sometimes, as I thought, I wasvanquished more by his fluency than by the strength of his reasons.As we parted without settling the point and were not to see oneanother again for some time, I sat down to put my arguments inwriting, which I copied fair and sent to him. He answered and Ireplied. Three or four letters on a side had passed, when my fatherhappened to find my papers and read them. Without entering into thesubject in dispute, he took occasion to talk with me about my mannerof writing, observed that though I had the advantage of myantagonist in correct spelling and pointing (punctuation) ... I fell farshort in elegance of expression, in method and in perspicuity-ofwhich he convinced me by several instances. I saw the justice of hisremark and thence grew more attentive to my manner of writing,and determined to endeavor to improve my style.

About this time I met with an odd volume of Spectator. It wasthe third. I had never before seen any of them. I bought it, read itover and over, and was much delighted with it. I thought the writingexcellent and wished if possible to imitate it. With that view, I tooksome of the papers, and making short hints of the sentiment in eachsentence, laid them by a few days, and then without looking at thebook, tried to complete the papers again by expressing each hintedsentiment at length and as fully as it had been expressed before, in

any suitable words that should occur to me. Then I compared mySpectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, andcorrected them. But I found I wanted a stock of words or a readinessin recollecting and using them, which I thought I should haveacquired before that time if I had gone on making verses; since thecontinual search for words of the same import but of different lengthto suit the measure, or of different sound for the rhyme would havelaid me under a constant necessity of searching for variety, and alsohave tended to fix that variety in my mind, and make me master of it.Therefore I took some of the tales in the Spectator and turned theminto verse, and after a time, when I had pretty well forgotten theprose, turned them back again. I also ometimes jumbled mycollections of hint into confusion, and after some weeks endeavoredto reduce them into the best order before I began to form the fullsentences and complete the paper. This was to teach me method inthe arrangement of the thoughts. By comparing my work afterwardswith the original, I discovered many faults and corrected them; but Isometimes had the pleasure of fancying that in certain particulars ofsmall import I had been lucky enough to improve the method or thelanguage, and this encouraged me to think that I might possibly intime come to be a tolerable English writer, of which I was extremelyambitious.