The Unconventional Habits of Successful Students

    My students and I sat down one day and discussed the question “what makes successful students successful?” Are good students born with natural ‘smarts’ that allow them to excel, or is it possible for anyone, and we mean anyone, to become a good student and a successful person?
    In this article, we argue the latter. We believe that good students are a result of consistent, mindful practice of good habits. In this manner, it is possible for any person to become a good student.
    After running several surveys and experiments with my classes, we found that the most important characteristic of good students is that they are fully engaged in the material. They cared about the material and not just their grade, they made the material interesting to themselves, and they also took consistent breaks in which they disengaged from thinking about the material altogether. Below, we outline 5 practices that will allow you to become fully engaged.

1. Don't fear failure.
       It is easy to not guess at a posed question for fear of being wrong, and this is a common theme across America, even in the business realm. In reality, failure is the first step in the right direction. Great people have realized this from Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories." to Michael Jordan - "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
2. Be positive
       This seems dumb. Trust me, I know. But it is unbelievable how well it works. Being positive could be an entire course in itself, but for now start with just breathing deeply through the nose, which calms your nervous system and allows positive thoughts to flow without even thinking about it!
   
3. Learn how you learn
       If I had to draw the answers to every assignment in school, I would have failed every time. There are different types of thinkers and learners out there - visual, spatial, audio, kinetic, R-directed, and L-directed. Though our school system has a bias for students who can memorize and take tests well (and L-directed thinkers), you can do a lot by highlighting your strengths and not obsessing over your weaknesses.
   
4. Make things interesting and relevant to you.
        There is a whole bunch of stuff out there that you can't control - like the content that you have to learn. The best way to get by this inconvenient fact is to ACCEPT IT and make it fun. Perhaps you use your knowledge of physics and chemistry to develop a potato launcher and sell copies of it to your friends, or you use your knowledge of Language to start a successful Kickstarter Project that makes lots of money... who knows what will make it all interesting to you!
   
5. Find your tribe
       Legendary basketball coach John Wooden said “You show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” Successful students make sure to surround themselves with people who inspire them and allow them to thrive. If you have a friend that puts you down or makes you feel drained after interacting with them, it is time to fire that friend. Seriously. Positive energy begets more positive energy, and successful students know that the people they surround themselves with makes all the difference. Now, this doesn't mean in order to be a good student you must surround yourself with good students or boring people; in fact, good students know they must also have fun, so they can turn serious modes on and off well. Again, these topics could be discussed in much more depth, so look out for more posts discussing these and feel free to let me know what you think about the matter!