Which Skills and Habits Distinguish Successful Students from Their Typical High School and College Classmates?

We have identified 11 key habits and skills that have led students to success and happiness in school, life, and career. These skills and habits can be learned and mastered by any student in America, but unfortunately, are not widely taught in school. If you want to make life better and easier for you or your child, then these are the areas to focus upon.

Successful Students:

(Click text for more information about each skill or habit)

1. Quickly identify main ideas and secondary points of emphasis from academic texts and lectures/discussions across every area of the core curriculum.

2. Take organized, succinct, and complete notes on reading assignments, prior to the topic being discussed in class.

3. Re-read and use their notes in class and edit and add to as new ideas are covered by the instructor.

4. Ask for assistance, well in advance of due dates, when the student does not fully understand a topic or assignment, .

5. Plan each week to complete all schoolwork and have lots of time for play, social activities, and relaxation.

6. Identify the specific results they would like to achieve at school and in life and hold themselves to those goals.

7. Break down projects and large goals into small and specific steps to be completed.

8. Maintain a happy, healthy, and productive mind-state with a clear and consistent set of routines, habits, and feelings.

9. Gauge the precise amount of time needed to complete school and personal tasks.

10. Complete a weekly review of the prior week’s tasks in order to keep track of uncompleted tasks and lessons to be learned from positive and negative results.

11. Work with consistent, regular effort over time rather than an all or nothing fashion.