A successful student doesn’t usually happen overnight. At least, not if you’re doing it right!
See, becoming a success at anything is about life-long learning. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Before you understand how to do it, you need to first understand how not to.
In the following articles, we’re going to give you the keys to getting there. But first, let’s look at the qualities that’ll prevent it.
8 Qualities That Will Prevent Your Success
The road to becoming a successful student is paved with potholes. You’ve got to figure out where they are and avoid them as much as possible.
If one of them breaks you down, it’s time to regroup, take a look under the hood or at the tires, and fix what needs fixing. To do that, you’ll need to watch for the following.
Arrogance
Arrogance is a success-killer because it causes you to buy into the false idea that you have all the answers. Newsflash: no one has all the answers. Even the smartest people can learn more than they already know. And when that happens, it’s often a humbling experience.
Idealistic
Being idealistic can feel nice when you really believe you’re right about something. But what happens when you find out you’re not? It can cause you to give up and throw out everything you thought you knew — even the good stuff.
Irresponsible Behaviors
It’s really tough to overcome irresponsible behaviors if you come from a pattern of it. And even when you don’t, impulses while your brain is developing can lead you to drink a little too much, get involved with the wrong person, or blow off a really important life lesson.
Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity is a real problem for seemingly everyone on social media. If someone says something disagreeable, here comes the lynch mob and so-called “cancel culture.”
Embracing that mindset means you’re too stupid to realize that the mob will come for you eventually. As a society, the sooner this trend passes the better. Don’t contribute to it. Everyone makes mistakes eventually. It doesn’t mean you’re evil. Always be willing to engage and listen to what others have to say or you will end up on the receiving end of it.
Pessimism
Being pessimistic colors how you approach everything. If you go into something thinking it won’t work out, then your attitude will translate into your actions and produce the outcome you feared.
Close-Mindedness
People who shut down other ideas or opinions because they’re so convinced they’re right? Yeah, they usually turn out to be failures in life. That’s because the vast majority of people find jobs and successes through their networking connections. If everyone thinks you’re close-minded, they won’t want to lift you up.
Timidity
You have to be bold to find success. People who flip out in social situations, regardless of their introvert/extrovert status, have a long way to go.
Sore Loser
Everyone loses. It’s how you take those losses that determines what happens next. You can curl up and die, or you can learn from it and move onto something better. Which sounds better to you?
Now that we know the behaviors that’ll keep you from finding success, let’s look at the 10-step guide for getting there. Ready? Read on!
1. Be Humble
Humility breeds success because it makes you into the type of student or employee people enjoy working with and being around. Those connections are what you will use to get ahead in life, especially when you realize that very few jobs are ever won through the application process.
2. Be Realistic About Yourself
No matter what your Mom tells you, you’re not the best at everything. As you get older, you realize that. And you find ways of highlighting your strengths and following where they lead you. At least, you do if you want to be successful.
Take an overview of what you know and what you’re good at. See how those align with your choice of major or plans for a career. Follow those strengths and don’t get sidetracked.
3. Be Responsible
Responsible behavior keeps you out of trouble. It makes important people start to depend on you. And it gets you further at school or in your career.
What does being responsible in the 21st Century look like? It means showing up to your part-time job on-time, every time. It means learning discretion when it comes to talking about sensitive topics. It means keeping your online identity and social networks free of offensive or divisive opinions and content.
It also means showing up to class and avoiding illegal drugs as well as using alcohol moderately if you decide to drink.
4. Welcome Criticism
Criticism was not designed to tear you down emotionally. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. See, criticism in its pure form is meant to help you get better.
Not everyone gives it in a smooth or edifying manner. But if you can separate the giver from the validity of what they’re saying, you will learn to improve every aspect of your life. Don’t get offended and shut down.
5. Celebrate Possibility
You must have hope for the future. Even when it feels like you’re in the midst of a failure, look at what you can learn and take from it to make you ready for the next challenge. This helps you to have a mindset of celebrating possibility instead of dwelling on defeat.
6. Be Teachable
Teachability goes along with your ability to accept criticism. If you can do it well, it will serve you well. Listen to what your teachers tell you. Study those corrected exams when you get them back. Watch an instructional video on YouTube and take notes. Open yourself up to the knowledge of others, and it will help you grow as a person and a student.
7. Expect Roadblocks
You’re going to hit the potholes occasionally. It’ll mess you up when you do. But that’s to be expected. One pothole won’t mess up the entire car. Everything can be fixed. So try to foresee the roadblocks and plan for them before they come. That way, you’ll have a plan moving forward.
8. Break Through
Your ability to overcome is in how you respond to your failures. You have to have the attitude that you won’t be defeated. Keep moving forward even if you get knocked down a few more times. When you keep coming, the enemy relents. And that’s when breakthroughs happen.
9. Do Not Run from Change
Change is inevitable. Don’t be like the person who hates only two things: the way things are and change. It’ll keep you from learning truths about yourself and getting to the heart of what you’re truly good at.
10. Make Learning the Ultimate Victory
Loss is inevitable. But so is learning. How you learn is up to you. If it’s your goal, then you’re going to be able to see the good in everything that comes your way. And you’re going to adapt to changes in attitudes, technologies, and policies. This will not only make you a successful student but also a successful professional.
So There Is the Roadmap for Becoming a Successful Student
If you follow the roadmap above, becoming a successful student is inevitable. And more importantly, it’ll follow you into other aspects of your life. What has helped you the most in your studies? Sound off in the comments section below.
Aric Mitchell's work appears regularly here at 4tests.com and across the web for sites, such as The Inquisitr and Life'd. A former high school teacher, his passion for education has only intensified since leaving the classroom. At 4tests, he hopes to continue passing along words of encouragement and study tips to ensure you leave school ready to face an ever-changing world.
