Everyone wants to become “successful”. But what does success mean for a student? Many might say that good grades, a high GPA, and a good college define a successful student.
But in my opinion, a successful student is defined by his/her own self. Only you can judge if you’ve “made it” or not, and only you can ensure your own success.
However, you’ll often have to fake it ‘til you make it as a student, and even after you graduate. And here’s where these mindset shifts come in. Whenever you’re feeling lost and confused, and not even sure how to “fake it”, think back to these tips.
Now if you’re ready to make the changes you need to become a successful student, let’s get right into the post.
Be proactive
As you grow older and step into high school, college, and eventually the workspace, you’ll realize that fewer and fewer opportunities come to you. Instead, you must go and find them.
Here are just a few examples of the opportunities that are out there and waiting for you to obtain:
- Help from your teacher
- Participation in activities
- Volunteer opportunities
- Internships
- Jobs
Don’t be afraid or shy to reach out first. Remember the quote, you miss every shot you don’t take? If you don’t be proactive, none of these opportunities will come to you.
But don’t stress out! Oftentimes, all it takes is an email to the right person and you’ll be on your way. So if you’re currently waiting on something (or maybe “a sign from the Universe”), take this as your sign and reach out first.
Failures > successes
Successful students don’t treat their failures as failures. In fact, failures are even more valuable than successes. You must treat them this way as well and learn from them instead of mope over them.
Whenever you fail to reach your goal in whatever area, do not treat it as a sign to stop. Of course, you’re allowed to feel down about it, but you must then analyze it critically.
Let’s say you didn’t get an A on your last math test. Instead of complaining about how unbelievable the outcome was, find out what “went wrong”.
Maybe you pulled an all-nighter to study and therefore did not retain a lot of the information you studied. Or perhaps you skimmed over every single unit in the textbook but didn’t focus enough on your weak spots.
Choosing to learn from your mistakes and “failures” will help you improve on yourself and ensure a better chance of success next time.
YOU’LL LOVE THIS POST: 7 Secrets Successful Students Will Never Tell You
Know your weaknesses
Everyone has weaknesses, and it’s totally okay! In fact, I believe that it’s better for you and the people around you if you recognize and deal with your weaknesses.
You probably have strengths and weaknesses in many areas, such as academically, socially, or even relating to health and self-care.
For example, you might be good at social studies but mediocre at STEM. You may be great at making others feel welcome but struggle to make new friends. Or you may be good at maintaining a healthy diet but tend to forget to take breaks.
Identify your weaknesses (sometimes, your strengths can also be your weaknesses) and actively try to strengthen or get rid of them. Spend more time and energy practicing these things or putting yourself out there to just do it.
Expectations will disappoint
Although this is based on personal experience (I learned this the hard way), I believe that students should not have high expectations for the people around them.
Note: if you set expectations for yourself to motivate yourself and work harder, that’s great and you should keep them! In this post, I’d like to talk about expectations for others.
I learned that sometimes, teachers don’t do their jobs. Do not have high expectations of your teachers, as you’ll occasionally end up disappointed. Often, you’ll have to learn things completely on your own, watching YouTube videos and reading Wikipedia articles.
At the same time, don’t depend completely on your friends and your relationships. Although I know that many students have healthy and stable relationships (both friendly and romantic), you never know what kind of people you meet.
On a concluding note, I simply suggest expecting the most out of yourself and less out of others.
You’re not the only one
Whether you’re struggling or thriving, this is a good reminder for yourself. Always remember that there are people just like you, who may be feeling down about themselves or who may be feeling just as amazing as you are.
If you’re lost and confused (however severely it may be), know that there are others like you and that there are people who can help. You’re not a failure among a population of successful people, and it will get better.
On the other hand, if you just achieved something amazing, do give yourself a pat on the back. However, don’t start bragging about your achievements to every individual you come across. You worked hard and deserve recognition, but there will be others who did more than you and therefore, there exists more for you to achieve.
Therefore, be kind to yourself, but also be your own mentor and supervisor. Know that there are people just like you somewhere out there who can help you in many ways.
Conclusion
Finding success as a student or as an individual has no secret shortcut, but there are steps you can take that will help you on the way.
Changing your mindset is something that can do wonders for your life as a student, and it’s something that everybody can do.
I hope this post will help you make the right mindset shifts and become a successful student, whatever that means for you! And while you’re at it, check out these similar posts:
- The Ultimate Guide To Studying From Home
- 23 Easy Habits That Will Skyrocket Your Productivity
- 5 Day Guide To Become Insanely Productive
