7 Habits Of Successful Students
There are certain habits students develop early on that set the stage for their future success. Some students succeed because they are born with a natural talent while others have to work harder to achieve their goals.
However, there are some habits that every student should adopt in order to maximise their potential.
Habits are basically routines that we develop over regular time. These routines become part of who we are.
They can affect our lives positively or negatively, depending on whether they are healthy or unhealthy habits.
Success is a word that has been thrown around often lately. It seems to be attached to almost every area of life.
Whether it’s success with school performance or success in love and life, we all want to find out if we’re successful or not.
In this article, I’m going to share with you some habits of successful students. I’ve listed 7 habits that will help you succeed in pressure of school.
They Have a Self Control: How to Develop this Habit in Yourself?
One of the most important traits you can have as a student is self control. The ability to say no is critical if you want to succeed at anything in life.
If you struggle with this habit, then you may find yourself making poor decisions and failing to reach your full potential.
Here’s how to develop this habit in yourself:
- Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the entire day. Don’t forget about drinking lots of fresh juices too.
- Keep up-to-date with current events by reading newspapers and magazines. Read articles related to topics that interest you so that you’ll learn more information than ever before.
- Eat right. Get enough protein from lean meats, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, etc., along with other foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Exercise regularly. Even though exercise isn’t necessary for everyone, doing it daily helps burn calories and build muscles.
- Learn new skills and keep learning new things. Stay abreast of technology, especially computers, smartphones, tablets, GPS systems, books, eBooks, social media sites, etc.
- Avoid using drugs. There are many types of illegal substances available today. Use common sense when deciding which ones to buy.
They are Organised: How you can be Organised?
Students need organisation skills so they can stay focused when studying. There’s nothing worse than being overwhelmed by too many assignments.
It is very important to be organised in order to succeed in school. A good organisation system makes it easier to stay on top of all your homework and get your schoolwork done on dedicated time—and that will help you succeed.
There are many ways to organise your schoolwork, and you can get a ton of tips from your teacher, parents, friends and read your textbook cover to cover.
Or you can take a more active role in organising your school work.
Whether you do it yourself or go to your teacher, you get the most out of your schoolwork if you are organised.
Here’s how you can be organised:
- You must organise how you study and what materials you use. Get into the routine of setting aside consistent time each week to study for various subjects.
- You don’t know where everything goes? Then create an organisational system that works best for you.
- Use labels and folders to store papers and notes. If you well use these tools, you won’t lose any valuable items.
- Create a schedule for each week, including homework, chores, family activities, etc.
They Study Hard: Common Study Habit
Having the right study habits is the key to success for students and to be success at school. Studying hard is one of those habits.
But what is “hard” studying? The dictionary defines it as “studying with great care and attention”.
Studying doesn’t mean cramming information into your head until you pass an exam. Studying means working hard so that you learn everything possible about the subject.
You may have heard people say that there are some students who study hard and end up with high grades while others always end up struggling.
This is because some people have a natural talent for learning while others are more dependent on their personality to get them through the day.
Regardless of whether you’re a natural studier or not, it’s better to have a growing knowledge than to have none.
But in order to study hard, you need to be focused. It may tempt to study for the sake of just studying, but if that happens, you won’t be able to put in the effort to learn the material.
So, how do you study hard? Here are the effective study habit:
- First, set realistic goals.
Set long term objectives instead of short-term ones. For example, try to understand concepts rather than memorize facts. This way, you’ll retain the information longer.
Also, focus on understanding before trying to solve problems. If you want to become a doctor, then spend less in memorising anatomy and physiology and more reasonable time practicing diagnosis and treatment.
- Second, break down large tasks into smaller steps.
Don’t tackle too much at once; this will only lead to stress. Make sure you’ve mastered small chunks before moving onto bigger things.
And remember, practice makes perfect.
So when doing exercises, try solving problems first without looking at the answers. You’re likely to pick up errors faster this way.
- Third, find someone else to hold you accountable.
Ask classmates or school teachers to keep track of your progress. Tell them exactly which parts you got wrong and why. Your teacher might even give out assignments based on your academic performance in school.
- Fourth, have a regular study routine
Take regular breaks from study time, go outside during recess or lunchtime. Walk around campus or go shopping. Take a perfect time for exercise, well yes exercise helps clear your mind and refresh your body.
- Fifth, ask questions whenever you feel confused. When you read something new, stop reading and write key points.
- Write words that seem unfamiliar or difficult to grasp. These are important clues that could help you later recall the concept.
They are Responsible: How to take Responsibility?
Responsibility is one of the most important habits of a successful student. It is important that we don’t be afraid to take responsibility for life choices or the decisions we make.
Unfortunately, many people are not responsible. It’s easy to blame other people when things go wrong, but sometimes we need to accept personal responsibility for our actions.
This means taking ownership of ourselves by accepting what happened and learning from mistakes instead of blaming them on someone else.
Three rules to be responsible:
- The first rule is, take responsibility when you must do so.
If there is a note on the board saying that you must complete ten pages of the book by 3 p.m. on Friday, take responsibility to do it even if you don’t understand the lesson.
- The second rule is about being honest with yourself.
Being dishonest can affect your overall self confidence as well as others’ perception of you. So, always tell the truth regardless of consequences.
- Finally, take responsibility for your own life.
Take charge of your future. Be proactive and plan. Have an exit strategy ready in case things get rough.
They Focus on One Thing at a Time
Focus is important, and the ability to stay on task is a powerful skill. It’s easy to think that the best way to get things done is to tackle everything at once.
After all, the more you have to do, the more you’ll get done. But while this kind of multitasking can be a useful tool for getting a bunch of things done, it can also be a hindrance to productivity.
Many people try to do too much at once which makes them feel overwhelmed and stressed. That way it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus.
The best way to stay on top of things is to focus on one thing at a sense of time. From our work and studies to our social life, we have so many expectations that we often forget the true value of an activity.
You are not a robot, but you can still become one of the most efficient and effective students in your class schedules if you learn to break your studies into smaller, most effective tasks.
If you want to be extremely successful at anything, you must limit the amount of exact time you spend on anything else.
They Self-Motivated: How to Motivate Yourself?
One of the most common reasons some students fail their classes is because they lack motivation. This happens especially when school day becomes boring and tedious.
To avoid falling behind, it’s crucial to maintain interest in whatever subject you’re currently working on. If you find it hard to keep motivated.
Here are five ways to increase your drive:
1) Make sure to set goals.
You will achieve nothing without having clearly defined objectives. When setting goals, remember to include both short term and long term ones.
The key point is to write these goals regularly. By doing so, you will be able to see how far you’ve come along towards achieving those goals.
Once you reach a goal, reward yourself accordingly. For example, buying a new pair of shoes could motivate you to study harder.
2) Set deadlines.
Setting realistic deadlines helps you organise your schedule better. It gives you something concrete to aim for and motivates you to stick to your plans.
Also, knowing what you need to accomplish by certain dates forces you to prioritise your assignments and make smarter choices regarding your workload.
In addition, you won’t procrastinate anymore since you know exactly what needs to be done before a deadline passes.
3) Get involved in extracurricular activities.
Engaging with different hobbies or interests keeps you interested in learning about topics other than just academics.
It also allows you to expand your horizons as well as develop skills such as public speaking and leadership. These kinds of experiences help build self confidence and improve interpersonal relationships.
4) Keep track of your progress.
Keeping track of your grades and studying habits over time will allow you to identify areas where improvement is needed.
Knowing this information will give you insight into whether you need more practice or perhaps need to change up your approach entirely.
5) Be prepared.
Always carry around extra copies of important notes in class, agenda book, worksheets, etc.
Having access to all necessary materials will ensure that you don’t miss out on any vital details during lectures and tests.
6) Study every day. There’s no reason to wait until tomorrow to prepare for exams.
They Listen Carefully: How to Improve your Ability to Listen Effectively?
Successful students are good listeners. They pay attention in class time, ask questions, and are genuinely interested in what they are learning.
They are naturally curious, enjoy learning, and they are at ease with themselves and others.
Listening is one skill that everyone needs to master. Listening helps us understand others’ thoughts, feelings and opinions. This makes communication much easier.
In fact, research has shown that people who listen carefully have higher levels of empathy and social awareness.
However, many people struggle to listen effectively. To overcome this problem, try using one of our tips below:
Ways you can improve your ability to listen effectively
1) Focus only on the content being said rather than trying to analyze everything going through your head at once.
This way, you’ll pay attention to the speaker instead of thinking about what he/she might say next. You can use your brainpower later when it comes time to take notes during class or do homework assignment.
2) Don’t interrupt speakers unless they ask you to stop talking first.
Interrupting someone mid-sentence may seem like an easy solution, but it actually shows disrespect.
When you’re having trouble paying attention, try pretending that you are completely engrossed in whatever topic is being discussed. Remember not to look away from the person while doing so, though; otherwise, you could end up missing some crucial points.
3) Ask clarifying questions if something isn’t clear.
Don’t assume that because someone is saying things clearly, then those statements must make sense. If there seems to be confusion, ask them to explain their point again.
People feel comfortable sharing personal stories when asked open ended questions. When asking a question, keep it short and simple as well.
4) Try practicing active listening skills.
Active listening means fully absorbing what is being said by the other party without judgment or interruption.
It also involves paraphrasing back what was just stated by the listener. Active listening demonstrates respect towards the speaker.
5) Avoid looking down at the floor while speaking. It suggests that you aren’t really engaged with the conversation.
6) Be aware of how you speak too. If you find yourself sounding bored, impatient, angry, nervous, defensive, apologetic, sarcastic, or rude, consider why.
Are these emotions coming out more often than usual? Are you feeling anxious right now? Do you need to work on self control?
Remember, we all experience “unwanted” emotions every day.
Additional Common Habits of Successful Students you Should Have
- They work towards their dreams.
- They well use technology.
- They keep learning new ways.
- They give back.
- They follow through
- They focus on what really matters
- They enjoy themselves
Conclusion
These habits shown above are great ways to ensure road to success in school, as well as in life. This reminds you that no matter what methods you used to study, what you’re learning, or what your goals are, you must have good study habits.
Enjoying yourself while in learning process is very important because happiness comes first. Without joy, success becomes impossible.
Be sure to check out The Tutor blog for more tips and strategies on study!
A Wife, a mum and a Tutor! I am the Lead Editor at TheTutor.Link & also the Head Tutor there. I love teaching seeing young minds flourish. I also love blogging and sharing my experience on the world wide web.