10 Characteristics to become a Successful Student.

What does it take to become a successful student? Are there any qualities you need to practice at school, which not only lets you enjoy your studies, and aids you to get good grades? We’ve collected a set of the top 10 characteristics, that will help you to get the best out of your schooling experience.

10 Characteristics to become a Successful Student.

1. Curiosity 

The most important characteristic of every successful student is that you should have an interest and be engaged with your subject. All the other characteristics here depend upon you caring about your studies. Everyone finds some topics more interesting than others, but the willingness to find something worthy in any issue you are currently studying will help to keep you on form during your studies.

An excellent approach to maintain your curiosity is by observing others who are doing good at what they do and then asking questions about anything that you don’t understand. Asking questions to the experts is one of the best ways to learn how something works. If asking questions fails or is not possible, there are other means of finding something out, like books, journals, and of course, the life-saving Wikipedia. Praise be!

2. Self-driven

If you start to miss your classes or skip doing assessments, you will quickly find your grades going down, or even worse; you may also fail. To prevent this, you must keep motivating yourself. Successful students will always push themselves to engage in class and to do the best they can in their assignments – without fail. Successful students will do even more than what is required from them, to be the best they can be. This should be an inspiration.

Commitment is an essential aspect of being self-driven. It’s not hard to concentrate for a short time on something which you find interesting. What’s more difficult is remaining motivated and determined for sustained periods, when you don’t necessarily love everything you have to do, write or read about. This is a situation you are going to face.

3. Time management

The ability to organize your time and schedule your day is another incredibly important characteristic. Successful students should plan their weeks and months well in advance to make sure they can attend all their classes that they need to, and also have enough time to continue their researching and work on their assessments.

You also need to give yourself time for your hobbies, socializing, and general fun. And while it’s essential to stay on top in your classroom, taking time for yourself and seeing your friends is also vital if you are to maintain a healthy relationship between studying and playing. With the mental health rates deteriorating among students, it is more important than ever to take the time to relax. If you struggle with the Time Management, do something simple like getting yourself a planner where you can jot down all of your commitments in. It changes everything!

4. Admitting you don’t understand

One characteristic which is always overlooked is the ability to speak up when you don’t understand something. Although you may feel embarrassed to admit the gaps in your knowledge, it is the only way to learn and fill those gaps. It’s fine to say that you don’t understand, or that you don’t know something, this way, your teachers or other students around you can help you by explaining the topic more clearly, and you will be benefited in the long run.

This comes hand in hand with being curious. If you aren’t able to speak up that you don’t know something due to embarrassment or fear, you won’t be able to utilize your curiosity, and it’s curiosity that leads to creativity, originality, and innovation.

5. Be creative 

The ability to come up with new ideas or new ways of thinking about a problem is another characteristic of an exceptional student. So don’t be afraid to give your opinion on an argument or topic, even if it’s contradictory to what others are saying. As long as you can justify your approach, students and teachers will welcome your input. There are lots of ways in which you can improve your creativity. One of them is reading widely and learning a range of skills.

The more you have in your toolbox, the more ways you’ll be able to think about a problem and come up with an innovative approach to solve it. Another way is a collaboration, that is working with someone who has an entirely different set of thinking and will force you to see things differently and, in partnership with them, you’ll be able to contribute to an idea that would never have been formulated if the pair of you were working alone.

There are other ways, too. Like travelling widely can help you become more creative by exposing you to various environments and cultures. Taking short breaks from work to do something creative – doodle, for instance, or free-write, or writing a small poem – can help you train your creativity and will eventually become second nature. And of course, connecting with naturally creative people is another good idea. Surrounding yourself with those who have a skill you want to possess and can push you to improve.

6. Focus on the big picture.

Successful students should be able to take their knowledge and tune it into a bigger picture of their subject. It helps to stay updated about a range of topics, even those which are not directly linked to your specific area of study. This will allow you to put what you know into a broader context. One best way to focus on the bigger picture is to dedicate some time to think. If you’re looking at your to-do list for the next task, you’ll never think about the reason why you’re doing all these tasks. Take some time and sit back and consciously think, can help you put things into perspective.

7. Stable writing, reading, and analysis skills

Whichever subject you study, there are some essential skills that you will always need. One of them is the ability to read materials and gather the relevant facts, the ability to write up your findings clearly and engagingly, and the ability to critically analyze the content you find will be needing at any stage of your academic career.

Just as important is reading things that are indirectly related to your course, like the newspapers, novels and other non-fiction books, not only for fun but also to expand your knowledge outside of your chosen discipline. It’s essential to make sure this doesn’t affect with your school work. This is related to seeing a bigger picture and thinking broadly, and you’ll only be able to do that if you keep a practice of reading.

8. Communication skills

Another set of skills which are often crucial for the students are communication skills. Being able to communicate what you know to an expert audience and the lay audience is important to demonstrate your hold on the material. You should practise oral presentation, making slides, and engaging in debates to get the most from your studies.

9. Handling Pressure.

There will be times when you will have to perform under pressure, particularly during your oral or written exams. Being able to keep calm and not panicking will help you perform to the best of your ability. Fortunately, this is something which increases with practice. The more exams you give, the more comfortable you get with them.

10. Empathy

Finally, one main characteristic which you may not realize that you need is the ability to listen and understand what other people are saying. Academic success is not just about putting forward your ideas or opinion; it is also about being able to engage with people who have a different perspective than yours. Learn to listen, to argue constructively, and not to be defensive about your opinion, and you’ll become a better student.

There are a lot of things which you need to think about when you are trying to come to terms with another person’s perspective. Most of the people speak indirectly, so interpreting a person’s use of words and listening to what they say is a crucial skill to have when attempting to understand someone’s opinion. On top of this, body language and non-vocal communication is another essential part of understanding.

When all’s said and done, you don’t have to agree; in fact, the point in attending school is to challenge yourself. What’s important, is to be respectful and empathetic of other people, regardless of whether you respect the perspective they have taken. Being able to do this shows maturity and is an essential quality of being a successful student (and person).

Conclusion

So, to conclude with, let’s learn what we learnt in this article.

To start with, this article is to explain the essential characteristics you need to become a successful student, and they are:

1. Curiosity (Always ask Questions)
2. Self-Driven (Motivation)
3. Time Management
4. Admitting you didn’t understand (Always open up)
5. Be creative (Always come up with new ideas)
6. Focus on big-picture (Always plan)
7. Improvise skills (Keep practising)
8. Improve Communication skills.
9. Handle pressures (Always be prepared)
10. Empathy (look from other perspectives)

Before you quickly close the tab, ask yourself if you are following these characteristics. If yes, share your experiences with us by commenting below.

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