Five Qualities of A Successful Student
By Naomi Sheehan
If you’re considering going to college, a few anxious questions have probably entered your mind. Will I have time? Am I smart enough? How can I keep up?
Don’t worry. There are qualities you can hone with practice that will help you succeed: motivation, focus, critical thinking, good communication skills, and authenticity.
Such qualities are highly sought after by employers after college, too. In fact, these characteristics are part of the “soft skills” that are increasingly valued across all industries, as employers recognize the need for workers who not only know how to perform their jobs but also interact well with one another, handle problems, and rise into leadership roles.
Successful students are:
1. Motivated: The saying “attitude is everything” may be a little exaggerated, but not by a lot. Students who come to class eager to learn are far more likely to succeed.
Not every subject is going to inspire passion, of course. On the way to graduating, students must take general education classes in math, English, and other subjects that may not be their strong suit. But viewing individual classes as steps toward your achieving you broader goal – graduating and launching your career — will keep you motivated to stick with it.
2. Focused: Now more than ever, we are bombarded with distractions. Mental noise is only a cellphone tap away, and even if you’re in work mode, the culture of “multi-tasking” exerts a pressure to juggle multiple processes at once. Studies have shown that we are worse at this juggling act than we think.
Focusing means setting priorities, and exercising your willpower about doing the work. Self-discipline can be a new challenge for a first-time college student — but it’s the beginning of the rest of your life. Nobody is going to drag you out of bed after you hit the snooze button.
To cultivate focus, establish a routine. Break work down into smaller tasks. A regular schedule can keep you from feeling overwhelmed or forgetting things. Save the distractions that lure you away as a reward for getting important tasks done.
3. Critical thinkers: Good students don’t just absorb material, they digest it. Thinking critically means listening well in class, turning material over in your mind, and rewording it in ways that click for you.
Be curious! Critical thinking means posing questions, which is the key to innovation and scientific discovery.
Remember, education isn’t just about learning. It’s also about learning how to learn.
4. Communicative: “There are no stupid questions.” OK, maybe that’s a white lie in some cases. But college-level learning is not easy, and even the best students can get confused.
Good communicators are a sort of classroom barometer. They let their instructors know what concepts they grasp, and where they need clarity. Chances are, if you need further explanation, you’re not alone.
Make a conscious effort to understand what others say. Students who are able to articulate how they understand subject matter, both verbally and in writing, are more likely to succeed in college and beyond.
5. Authenticity: This quality is harder to define, but easy to recognize in the people who
exude it. A good student has confidence in their abilities, but understands they don’t already have all the answers. They are honest, both with themselves and others. Students who know their own strengths and weaknesses are more flexible and better at responding to challenges inside the classroom and out.
A good sense of humor can help you roll with the punches, too. Be yourself.
