Have you noticed that, more often than not, top students usually aren’t only crushing it in one subject but are actually crushing it across the board? This kind of well-rounded success is no coincidence!
Multiple studies reported in the Journal of Perspectives on Psychological Science show that great academic performance usually boils down to 3 factors: study habits, skills and attitude.
The studies concluded that it is possible to predict the degree of success in academics based on the following 5 Study Habits:
1. Goal Setting:
When we want to achieve something, setting an attainable goal is the first step in the process. Whether it is losing weight, building a business or getting better grades in class, setting a realistic goal is key. Focusing on specific actions to attain the goal is essential.
2. Time Management:
Countless studies have shown that highly successful students actually spend less time studying than their peers do – they just study more effectively. They study “smart,” not “hard.” Your child doesn’t need to study for 20 hours a week in order to get superb grades; they can study far less, as long as it’s consistent and focused and free from distractions like TV or social media.
3. Prioritizing:
Executive function skills are crucial in helping us plan, focus, remember, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Trouble with executive functions can mean trouble focusing, following directions, and handling emotions. And that also means trouble achieving goals.
When children improve their executive function skills, they gain the ability to cut through the clutter and zero in on the truly critical details. Whether to plan an essay, select which information to include in notes, or evaluate word problems in math for the most relevant data, children with advanced executive function do better.
4. Organization:
If your child frequently loses assignments, misplaces completed work, or has difficulty planning for tests, they may lack organizational skills. Can organizational skills be learned? Absolutely!
5. Grit:
We could think of grit as passionate perseverance. Why is it so important? Because a student with less talent can catch up in skill by applying effort. And that same student can blast past other students by applying the same skill over time with more effort. In fact, grit has been shown to be a reliable predictor of better learning outcomes!
Think of what your child could achieve with these 5 Success Habits!