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12 Things Top Students Do That Help Them Stay On Top - Education - Nairaland

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12 Things Top Students Do That Help Them Stay On Top by JasperKuthy: 12:02pm On Aug 15, 2016
You know those students am talking about. The ones that make it look so easy. The ones that everyone goes to if they are having difficulty understanding a concept. They are the ones that when tests or exams scripts are returned, you see 90% written boldly on the top right side of their script.

The professors love them and it seem as if they—the professors—usually leave them off the hook when grading scripts if they find some minor errors in the their paper!

Yeah, you are right, I am talking about the top students who make it look so easy that everybody wonders how they do it.

Well, the truth is that, beneath the surface, there is a collection of positive habits, attitudes and practices that make these guys stand out. They have committed themselves to practicing these habits over the years so that they have become ingrained in their being and combine to produce such astounding results.

Let’s take a look at them:

(1) They Don’t Use Only Textbooks

Reading textbooks is one way of learning new material but top students don’t just read textbooks, they use textbooks to study more about examples, research around a concept and answer or solve practice problems. Other than this, they use lecture notes, handouts, past exam questions and Google for study material

(2) They Google EVERYTHING

And I mean EVERYTHING! It’s like an automatic reaction. Come across a new concept? Google it straightaway! I don’t know if you are aware of it but there is no one textbook out there that contain as much information as you will find on the internet.

And all you need to do to access this information is just type into the Google search engine. Top students go beyond the textbooks their professors recommend and the example they give in the class or in their handouts and make use of the free massive search engine called ‘‘Google’’ to get more information.

(3) They Test Themselves Frequently

Top students know that each time you test yourself on a material, you strengthen your brain’s connection with the material and as well, receive an immediate and clear feedback on how much of it you know or have assimilated. So you know what they do? They constantly and frequently test themselves in order to accelerate and enhance long-term retention of study materials.

(4) They Study In Short Bursts More Than They Study In Long Marathons

The way the natural activity/rest cycle of our bodies is wired is such that we function effectively up to a point. Beyond that point, the body would need to rest and if we force it to continue to work, our effectiveness progressively diminishes.

So while top students engage in long, marathon study on occasions, they mostly study in short bursts. Aside that this practice dovetails with the natural activity/rest cycle of our bodies, it also helps top students to focus intensely because they know there is at least a short break coming.

(5) They Take Time To Rest Properly

Top students usually carve out a portion of the day when they concentrate and do intense study after which they take time to rest adequately. During the time when they are studying, they create new connections in their brains. When this period is followed by a time of rest and sleep, the gains made by the new connections are fully assimilated. Moreover, the time of rest and sleep refreshes the student and keeps him alert for another time of intense study.

(6) They Make The Best Out Of Every Lecture

They may not like the professor, the course content may be boring or tedious to assimilate, they may hate the venue where the lecture holds,but the top students look to gain as much as they can from each class, from every lecture; they give it their best shot all the same.

They buy the course handout and bring it to class every time, they ask questions during lectures, they look stuff up on Google, they focus on the important practice problems and take note of anything the professor put emphasis on as a potential exam topic. They do all these because they know these will be of invaluable help to them when they sit down to study on their own.

(7) They Learn Expansively

Ok, I know that the tendency for most students is to study just enough to be able to pass with a C and then occasionally, a B. But I am talking about the guys who score A+ on practically every test or exam they write. These guys don’t go for just the basic facts, they go for detail information.

For instance, if they are to remember some details about Mary Slessor’s work in Calabar, top students may go a bit more expansive and study her entire life starting with when and where she was born and how she ended up in Calabar as a Christian missionary.

By going to such greater detail, they build a better framework for understanding the course because now they have more coherent information—as opposed to random facts—which their brain will know better what to do with.

(cool They Immediately Study Their Assignments and Tests Mistakes

The average students, when they get their test or assignment script back from their professor, look at their score and immediately feel angry that the got such a low grade so they flip through the script to see where the professor made any mistake they can argue about to get additional marks. When they don’t find any, they immediately shove the script into their bag or drawer and never look at it again.

The top students behave differently. When they get their assignment or test script back, they look at it critically focusing solely on what they got wrong with a view of finding out what the right answers are. They consult their lecture notes and handout to confirm what the right answers are for the questions they failed. They use their mistakes as indicators of what they need to improve on before the main exam.

(9) They Don’t Wait For Motivation To Strike

There are always occasions when every student don’t feel like studying or undertaking any academic task. There are many times when a student don’t feel motivated to do anything. But top students know that studying for a degree—and for that matter, staying on top requires persistence, tenacity and consistency.

So whether they feel motivated or not…whether they feel like studying or not, they stay up and do it anyway. They don’t wait for when motivation will strike, they study all the time, even on their worst days, when undertaking academic work is the last thing they would like to do.

(10) They Practice Under Test Conditions

You know there is an old adage that says “practice makes perfect”. But I think it not totally true. I think that ‘‘practice makes for improvement’’ and ‘‘practicing under the right conditions makes perfect’’! Deliberately simulating the right conditions and practicing under them is more likely to boost your chances of success. And this is what top students do.

Instead of merely reading through their lecture notes and past test questions, they make themselves practice answering questions similar to what they will find in the exam, under conditions similar to those of the exam as well as under time pressure.

(11) They Use Past Exams and Tests Questions

You see, professor usually have a lot of work on their hands. They have to develop lecture materials, teach classes, grade exams, attend departmental and committee meetings, conduct research, present papers at different fora, do consulting work and generally handle all sorts of responsibilities.

So they don’t always have time to come up with new and different questions for CA tests and semester exams. As a result, many of them rehearse their CA tests and semester exam questions from year to year. Because of this, past CA tests and semester exam questions can be a huge help in enabling you prepare for tests and exams. Top students know this and take full advantage of it.

(12) They Take Personal Responsibility For Their Success

The top students work with the mindset that they and only they are truly responsible for their success in school. You may have good, committed professors but if you expect them to spoon-feed you without you committing to working hard, then you are going to end up as one of the also-ran.

So top students match the commitment of their school with a corresponding passion for diligent work. They know they are solely responsible for their success; there is no committee for that.

Written By: Tervel T Kejih,
Tutorsperexcellence.com

3 Likes

Re: 12 Things Top Students Do That Help Them Stay On Top by RobinRay(m): 12:16pm On Aug 15, 2016
Nice one

(1) (Reply)

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