Introducing 5 Easy Steps to BECOME A STRAIGHT-A STUDENT: Separating the Truth from the myths.

 

Till today, there have been so many myths about the personality of 'A'-students or students with a First class grade point. Some of the myths(which I believe you are familiar with) include:

"They are lucky and naturally gifted"

"They are fast learners"

"They study for very long (some say for shorter) hours"

"They had the best tutors from childhood"

"All that they do at every moment is reading."

Isn't it funny enough that a lot of people still have this notion about A-students whenever they are mentioned? Meanwhile, after conducting a case study on A-students I was surprised by the discovery I made.

1.  Not all A-students are fast learners, but they understand themselves better: A-students tend to know what works for them most and what doesn't. They know the best time suitable for their study; the perfect environment that supports their understanding; the kind of meal (especially dinner) to take when planning to study afterward; they know when to study and when to relax their brain.

2. They understand the "Learning Pyramid": it is so unfortunate that students in schools are only given what to read, but they aren't taught how to read and understand the given materials. There are four crucial processes A-students pass through when reading, these are:

-The Survey stage: this is when the student is getting familiar with a material for the first time. Everything seems like a puzzle. Most students give up after this stage. 

-The Summary Stage: this is after the survey stage, probably the second reading. This is when the whole puzzle starts forming a pattern.

-The Assimilation Stage: here is the stage where understanding begins.

- The  Mastery Stage: this stage is attainable after a lot of active readings have taken place.

3. They follow a study timetable: A-students do set a study timetable for themselves, rather than reading whatever they find interesting at the moment.

4. They engage multiple sense organs while studying: it is scientifically proven that the more the sense organs engaged in learning a particular skill, the better the retention will be. A-students do have this awareness which they apply during their study session. They engage their eyes, hands, mouth, and ears.

5. They study smart: after reading, and understanding has taken place, A-students go further by assessing themselves before the general test. They sought past questions related to their area of study and find solutions to them before moving to the next course.

Nevertheless, anyone can become an A- student. I mean anyone ready to emulate these habits of top-performing students and do the hard work. 

I look forward to writing to you soon.