If you want to become a good student, it's important to have confidence in yourself as a learner. It's important to believe that you actually like learning, and it's important to believe that you really enjoy the topic you are studying.

Why? When you think that you're not a good learner, you may let yourself get defeated before you start. When you tell yourself that you don't understand a subject, that it's too hard, and it's not very interesting, you won't let your brain get excited about learning the material.

You can actually reprogram your mind to improve your learning success by changing your attitude and beliefs.

By pretending to yourself that you do understand the subject matter, and that you find it incredibly interesting, you set up the conditions within your mind to make this a reality.

Successful visualization essentially means that you are able to pretend to yourself that you are already performing successfully the skill you want to learn.

You can use the technique of visualization to change your messages to yourself about what kind of student you are. You can create new messages for yourself saying that learning is easy and fun for you.

Practice your new, imagined state of learning confidence frequently, until it becomes a part of you.

To make the messages sink in even more deeply, put yourself into a very relaxed state of body and mind. To achieve this state, sit or lie comfortably in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Notice your breathing.

Relax your body and focus your attention on your breath. Start to breathe freely and deeply, in a relaxed manner. You can also use different meditation techniques to get your mind into a more relaxed state where it will be easier to accept a new, positive message.

Take a few messages to picture yourself as a learner. Take note of what you see in your mind.

When visualizing, some people see still images, as in a photograph, while others see live action all around them. For some people, the images are two-dimensional and faint, while for others, the images are three dimensional and solid. For different people the images may appear as black and white, transparent, or colored.

Your visualization may seem to unfold on a screen like a movie, or you may see yourself acting in a play on stage with seemingly real people. You may be watching an image of yourself in action, or you may feel as if you are actually inside your own body, looking out through your eyes, watching the action around you and participating in it.

If you are visualizing either past or future scenarios in a way that drains away your self- confidence, you can use special techniques derived from Neuro-Linguistic Programming that will lessen their hold on you.

Are your visualizations of yourself positive or negative?

When a negative scenario plays itself out in your mind, notice how it appears. Does the scene appear in black and white, or is it in color? Is it near or far? Does it seem to be on a screen, or is it three dimensional? Are there voices? Are they threatening? Humiliating? How do you appear in the scene--are you large, or small? Do you seem powerful? Or weak?

Once you are familiar with the details of your negative imaginings, become the director of your own inner movie. If you are seeing a negative experience in color, change it to black and white, or make it transparent. If the negative image is close, make it go far away.

If the negative image is three-dimensional, make it two-dimensional. If there are voices you don't want to hear, make them quiet, or turn them into funny cartoon voices that sound silly.

Play circus music in the background to drown out the words of people you don