13 Practical Tips On How To Be A Good Student
Sep 18, 2024
YouLearn Team
The school has its ups and downs, even for straight-A students. Suppose you’ve ever stared at a blank page with no idea how to start your homework or gasped upon seeing a pop quiz; you know what I mean. Being a good student is full of challenges; it takes time, effort, and organization to learn the material and even more to adapt to different teachers and their grading styles. If you want to learn how to be a better student to tackle school with confidence and ease, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, you’ll discover valuable insights for improving your study skills and performance to help you reach your academic goals. For instance, did you know you can access personalized learning through AI? Utilizing technology like YouLearn's personal AI tutor can improve your scores and adapt to different teaching styles. You’ll be better prepared for your following assessment, even if it’s a surprise.
Table of Contents
What Are The Qualities of A Good Student?
1. Goal-Focused: Aiming for Academic Success
Successful students set goals. They are not only focused on long-term aims, such as college and career, but they also set short-term academic goals to help achieve their more significant objectives.
2. Perseverance: The Key to Academic Mastery
Good students do not quit when the going gets tough. They are highly persistent and invest their efforts into mastering the subjects no matter how hard they are.
3. Punctual: The Importance of Showing Up
Good students are punctual. They are never late to school or work and always strive to arrive on time. Good students understand that being on time creates a favorable impression and work to make the best of their school.
4. Effective Team Players: Collaborating with Peers
Good students are not only successful at their level, but they are outstanding team players. They look at their peers and counterparts as collaborators and not competitors.
5. Organized: The Importance of Planning
Good students are well-organized and manage their time well. Whether it comes to assignments or completing the work, they structure their time, schedule the activities, and execute them on time.
6. Resourceful: Making the Best of What You Have
Good students are resourceful and know how to make the best out of the available resources, be it money, time, or other resources.
7. Self-Motivated: The Power of Inner Drive
Good students are self-motivated, and they gain confidence from within themselves. They are always committed and motivated to make the best in all their endeavors, including school, work, etc.
8. Balanced Individuals: The Importance of a Well-Rounded Life
Successful students are well-balanced and focused beyond academics. For instance, they involve themselves in household chores, hang out with friends, spend time with their family, etc.
13 Practical Tips On How To Be A Good Student
1. Learn With YouLearn AI: Your New Best Friend for Class Content
YouLearn is an AI tutor designed to help students learn more effectively from class content, like YouTube videos, PDFs, and lecture slides. Simply upload your materials to YouLearn, and our AI transforms your files into an interactive learning experience. YouLearn’s AI will chat with you about the content, give quick summaries, and break information into digestible chapters. With YouLearn, you’re set to learn more intelligently, not more complicated.
2. Set Goals: Your Roadmap to Success
Short- or long-term goals are a great way to measure your academic performance. If you don’t have goals, you have nothing to achieve or strive for in your courses. If you set concrete targets for yourself, it’s easier to become motivated and measure your success in those goals. Make sure your goals are realistic! While you should challenge yourself, you shouldn’t set yourself up for failure, either. Remember, you can always set higher goals once you’ve achieved your first set.
3. Stick to a Study Schedule: Create a Routine for Success
Scheduling is crucial to keeping up with rigorous courses and maintaining a healthy learning balance. A study schedule will help you stay organized and avoid cramming for exams.
4. Stay Well-Rested: Sleep Your Way to the Top of the Class
If you’re awake and alert, you’re more likely to absorb the information given in class, during study sessions, and in-class activities and participation. Think of it as an equation: awake + alertness = A’s.
5. Take Advantage of Educator Resources
In addition to attending class, various resources are available to aid students in thriving and achieving in class. TAs, office hours, and study review sessions are available within specific courses. Additionally, many high schools and colleges provide tutoring sessions free of charge to students who seek extra help with their courses.
6. Healthy Study Techniques for Proper Exam Preparation
Study techniques considered “healthy” include balance, time management, and avoiding all-night study “cram” sessions. Information is more accessible to absorb when reviewed in increments rather than procrastinating until the last minute.
7. Develop Note-Taking Skills: Get the Most from Class
Listening and taking notes actively during class ensures accurate information and reinforces it by recording it as you take it in. Have you ever returned to your notes when it comes time to study for the exam and found that they are illegible or difficult to understand?
It’s helpful to review your notes after class and either rewrite them or outline the critical information while it’s still fresh in my mind. You’ll find it’s much easier to utilize your notes and retain more precise information during exam time. It also provides you with critical information only mentioned in class when it comes time to review and study the exam material.
8. Extracurricular Activities: Build a Life Outside of Academics
Try to create a life outside academics, like participating in extracurricular activities like intramural sports or college clubs. Contrary to popular belief, extracurricular activities increase a student’s overall college experience, contribute to the learning process, and aid in balancing scheduling skills.
9. Study Buddies: Collaboration Is Key
Collaborating with other students is a great way to learn – as long as you’re sure to choose students with whom you’ll stay on task. Try finding various students in your class rather than friends you already have. It can expand your social group, making you more likely to focus on the school work.
Students who form study groups with one another can often learn more through learning by teaching. When students explain concepts to one another, they know and absorb the information more easily. Conversely, students needing clarification on areas of study can ask peers to help them better understand the course materials.
10. Take Advantage of School Resources: Don’t Go It Alone
Utilizing school resources for setting goals and creating positive study habits tremendously aids in a student’s success. School resources are abundant, and students who take advantage of them are likelier to succeed. Such resources include utilizing school libraries, career centers, and school centers that provide tutoring and knowledge (for example, student writing centers, math centers, etc).
11. Take on a Manageable Course Load
When taking on a well-balanced course load, students are more likely to succeed because of realistic expectations of the workload that can be handled successfully.
12. Attendance: Be There to Succeed
This should be common sense – if students go to class, they will likely become more successful in the course. The course material is presented during class periods, and students who pay attention tend to learn while in class and, thus, are more likely to perform well on exams.
13. Participation: Don’t Just Show Up, Engage
Attending class is one thing, but paying attention and participating in class is another. If you listen to the lessons, questions are likely to arise. If they come up in class, ask! If you’re too shy in a large class, wait and ask the professor after or during office hours. However, it’s crucial to know that other students will likely have the same question if you've got one.
Related Reading
• How to Be a Good Student
• How to Pass a Test
How To Succeed In Study
Mastering Your Time Management Skills
Academic success hinges on your ability to manage your study time wisely. Time management skills help you stay on top of all your readings, projects, and exams. Managing your time well requires you to stay organized, prioritize tasks, and plan out a daily, weekly, and monthly study schedule that you stick to.
How you choose to manage your study calendar is up to you. Still, you should create a system to track project deadlines, exams, and study sessions in a way that’s easily accessible—whether that be a time management app on your phone, an online daily planner, or a physical calendar.
You will set yourself up for success if you carve out specific amounts of time each day or week to ensure you accomplish your priorities. It also helps to let the important people in your life know about the times you have reserved for your studies so you can avoid distractions and stay focused on the tasks at hand.
Create Small Goals to Help You Accomplish Large Goals
One of the best ways to meet your larger, long-term goals is to tackle smaller ones to achieve the desired results. Create SMART goals that are clear and realistic and use your resources and time productively. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals.
By setting SMART goals, you allow yourself to look hard at your objectives, understand what motivates them, and pinpoint the actions you need to take to meet them. An example of a SMART academic goal is, “I will work to improve my grade from a B to an A by devoting four hours a week to studying my notes, readings, and flashcards for the next three weeks.”
Surround Yourself with Supportive People Who Motivate You
When you lean on people who support your educational journey, it can invigorate you and help stoke your determination. With family, friends, and coworkers, it’s essential to open up about your experience of returning to university to enhance your skills—including my accomplishments and challenges. It can also be helpful to share with my instructors and peers at Penn LPS Online.
Because your coursework includes group projects, presentations, and online discussions, you’ll have many opportunities to collaborate with your classmates, share your experiences, and help each other to excel in your studies. You’ll also interact with Ivy League faculty and practitioners who are experts in their fields and will be more than willing to support you by addressing any questions or concerns.
Build Good Study Habits
Developing and maintaining good study habits is critical to your academic success. Making good study habits a part of your daily routine can increase your efficiency, confidence, and effectiveness while reducing anxiety about your coursework. The reality is that your days are likely already packed with work, family, and other personal responsibilities, so you must carve out time to devote to studying.
To help you build strong study habits, creating a consistent and structured daily plan is beneficial. Ensure that you have a dedicated environment conducive to studying and avoid procrastination by holding yourself accountable to your dedicated study sessions. These tips can help:
Take Effective Notes When Listening To Lectures or Reading Course Materials
Taking practical notes is extremely helpful for understanding course material and completing assignments, and there is a definite strategy. First, be selective and pay attention to the concepts that your instructor indicates are important—and look for section headings or summaries in your readings that highlight essential material. Then, once I’ve identified significant concepts, I rewrite them in my own words to help make them more understandable and memorable. Finally, I recap each idea in one or two sentences to streamline and highlight key takeaways.
Create Mind Maps
A mind map is a diagram that represents how various ideas relate to the central concept. Using mind maps can be an effective way of organizing and summarizing key concepts, particularly if you’re a visual learner. Start by writing the central idea in the middle of your page and then draw curved lines branching out with related ideas. Then, you can add branches to the associated ideas with further points. You can also use different colors, pictures, and line lengths/widths to make your maps more memorable or highlight the most important concepts.
Break Up Study Sessions
While some long study sessions can’t be avoided, you will do yourself a favor if you break up your study time into shorter increments. That’s because your brain needs these breaks to process and store the information you learn. Stopping to grab a snack, listen to a podcast, or grab coffee with a friend can help you relax, improve your mood, and allow you to focus better once you return to studying.
Develop Your Patience and Resilience
In a world where attention spans are getting shorter and instant gratification is often celebrated, it can be challenging to cultivate patience. But to succeed in reaching your academic goals, you will have to learn how. Practices that can help me overcome impatience include being more mindful of my reactions to my environment, calming my mind by practicing deep breathing or meditation, and rewarding myself when I reach set milestones.
Resilience refers to your ability to adapt to and overcome life’s challenges. To learn more about becoming more resilient, you should look into APOP 1200:
Human Flourishing
Strengths and Resilience at Penn LPS Online. This course explores the science of positive psychology and how we can leverage our strengths to contribute to a more fantastic world and enhance our well-being. You will also learn about the physical and psychological protective principles and factors that comprise resilience and how they can be nurtured to help you flourish in academics, career, and personal life.
Take Care of Yourself Physically and Mentally
You can’t expect to meet your goals if you experience burnout. That’s why it’s so crucial that you take care of your physical and mental health. Some practical ways to care for your body include eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet and exercising regularly. Remember that being active doesn’t have to involve going to the gym—it can also be taking a dance class, going for a bike ride, or walking your dog around the neighborhood.
The endorphins your body produces when you exercise can help improve your disposition and relax your mind. You should also prioritize sleep to help boost your immune system, reduce stress, and increase your ability to focus on your studies. Did you know getting outdoors can improve your mental health? Not only will you enjoy the fresh air, but exposure to sunlight is also believed to increase the release of serotonin, a hormone associated with improved mood and sense of calm and concentration.
Finally, schedule time just for fun! Whether you engage in your favorite hobby, work on a creative project, or go out to dinner with your partner, taking the time to do activities you love benefits your well-being and ultimately increases your chances of academic success. It’s important to note that reaching out to a professional therapist is always a healthy step if you feel overwhelmed or struggling mentally during your studies.
Practice Positive Thinking
People who maintain a positive outlook on life may cope better with stress, have more robust immunity, and experience healthier and happier lives. Consequently, cultivating a positive mindset can be invaluable in learning. Positive psychology is the scientific study of what helps people to thrive in all aspects of their lives.
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YouLearn is your AI tutor, designed to supercharge your learning from YouTube videos, PDFs, and slides. Our AI chats with you about the content, provide quick summaries, and breaks information into digestible chapters. Whether you are a college student or a self-learner, we help you grasp material faster and more effectively. Just upload your content, and our AI transforms it into an interactive learning experience. With YouLearn, you're set to learn more intelligently, not harder. Learn anything with ease for free today with YouLearn's personal AI tutor.
10 Best Learning Tools Every Student Must Use
1. YouLearn AI - Your Personal AI Tutor
YouLearn AI is a personalized artificial intelligence tutor that helps you learn from YouTube videos, PDFs, slides, and other digital content. Our AI engages you in conversation about the material, provides quick summaries, and breaks information into digestible chapters.
This way, you can improve comprehension, retain knowledge, and get help with homework and studying. YouLearn AI is beneficial for college students and independent learners. With YouLearn AI, you can learn faster and more effectively. Just upload your content, and our AI transforms it into an interactive learning experience. Best of all, it’s free!
2. Grammarly - For Effective Writing
Grammarly is a powerful online tool that helps you write with confidence. It provides real-time feedback on your writing so you can ensure it's clear, accurate, and error-free. Grammarly can help students in numerous ways, such as improving writing quality, reducing errors, and improving overall writing.
Pros
Free to use
Easy-to-use interface
Accurate and reliable
Available in extension and integration
Cons
It doesn't support multiple languages
Some features may require a paid subscription.
3. LinkedIn Learning - For Career Development
LinkedIn Learning was formerly Lynda.com, a remarkable educational platform offering professional courses in technology, business-related, and creative fields. This platform provides video lessons. It is also a premium service for LinkedIn users, with over 16,000 courses in 7 languages. The primary focus is helping individuals invest in their professional development.
Pros
Offers a free 30-day trial
Highly valued and recognized in the B2B community
You can evaluate your progress with the help of quizzes
Provides access to several career features
Personalized course recommendations
Offline learning access to learn wherever and whenever you want to
Cons
It can be challenging to join as an instructor
The course quality could be more precise, and users must research before enrolling.
4. Socrative - For Educational Games
A group of entrepreneurs and engineers passionate about education designed Socrative: it allows teachers to generate exercises and educational games students can solve using their smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Educators can analyze the results of these activities and make changes in subsequent lessons for a more personalized experience.
Pros
Quizzes have helpful features like adding links and explanations.
Rooms enable unique classroom management options.
Cons
It's more serious in tone than some gamified competitors.
5. Google Docs - For Document Creation
Google Docs is a cloud-based document creation, editing, and storage platform. It is part of the Google Drive suite of applications and offers a range of features to help users create, collaborate, and store documents online.
With Google Docs, students can efficiently work on projects and collaborate with multiple people in real time from any device with an internet connection. For example, if a team of students is working on the same project, they can easily create and share a document through Google Docs that everyone can work on and make changes to.
Pros
It is easy to use and navigate.
It provides secure online storage for documents.
Documents can be accessed from any device.
Support a wide range of templates for writing and editing.
Cons
Limited features
There is no offline access.
6. Coursera - For Online Courses
Coursera is among the best digital learning tools in the market, with over 23 million users. This platform provides the best and most high-quality online training courses globally. Coursera partners with top universities and businesses to allow students to receive certifications from reputed institutes upon joining paid courses. This platform offers users specialized courses, individual courses, and degree programs with on-demand video lectures, peer-reviewed assignments, homework exercises, and community discussion forums.
Pros
Provides several learning activities and options
Provides the best quality educational tools along with instructor interactions
Awards students several types of degrees and certifications
Cons
Limited to teachers in partner institutions
Less flexible course creation option than other platforms
7. MindNode - For Visual Mapping
MindNode is a powerful visual mapping tool that allows users to create and organize ideas, tasks, and plans. It helps students and professionals to brainstorm, plan, and manage complex projects. With MindNode, users can create diagrams to visualize and make sense of their ideas.
For example, students can use MindNode to create visual maps of their essay topics or to break down a complex project into smaller tasks. Mind maps visually represent the user's ideas, making understanding and remembering the information easier.
Pros
It is easy to use and does not require any technical knowledge.
Its intuitive design makes it easy to create and edit mind maps.
It has too many stickers that wipe out the dull vibes.
Cons
Limited features in the free version
8. Hurix Digital - For Digital Learning
Hurix Digital is one of the best digital learning platforms/tools for a reason. It offers digital solutions to businesses and educational institutions. This platform is equipped with best-in-class technology along with a robust software infrastructure. The training solutions provide users with engaging and informative learning experiences that empower employees and drive performance, all while delivering the needed results.
Pros
Customized video learning to bring academic content to life
Promotes needed engagement to make learning better than conventional means of education
Cons
It does not offer a free trial
9. PowerSchool - For Educational Resources
PowerSchool is an all-in-one educational platform designed to streamline communication between students, parents, and teachers. It helps students stay on top of their school life by giving them real-time access to their academic information, such as grades, attendance, assignments, and more.
PowerSchool can help students by giving them an easy way to stay organized and on track with their studies. For example, if a student needs to get better grades on papers, they can quickly review their grades and assignments to identify areas of improvement. They can also use the platform to track their progress and set goals to stay motivated.
Pros
Streamlined Communication
Real-Time Access
Easy Organization
Cons
Expensive
Technical Issues
10. Udemy - For Online Courses
Udemy is among the most popular digital learning tools. With over 40 million students and 50,000 instructors, It creates the best and most efficient online courses. It allows for streamlined course creation for everyone who wants to learn new skills.
It provides a wide range of learning materials, such as PowerPoint presentations, PDF Documents, text, and video content, along with other primary features. Teachers can join the platform and start teaching immediately. However, a significant commission is taken from the revenue, and the platform will control the pricing and discounts.
Pros
Instructors can set up their accounts without any cost
Inclined towards self-paced video courses and learning
It doesn’t require technical knowledge
Accessible on both Android and iOS
Cons
High competition between the courses
Limited interaction with students
Visibility depends on the marketing level. This platform only promotes courses that are popular with instructors
How To Be A Good Student To A Teacher
1. Show Your Teacher Respect
Respect is crucial to establishing a healthy relationship with your teacher. Respecting your teacher’s authority, time, and expertise is important. Listen carefully when they are speaking, avoid interrupting, and follow classroom rules. Demonstrating respect will help your teacher feel appreciated and more comfortable in their role.
2. Be Prepared for Class
A great way to show your teacher you care is to come to class prepared. This means arriving on time with all the necessary materials, such as your textbook, homework, writing utensils, and other supplies. Also, complete homework and assignments on time to show your commitment to learning. 3. Actively Participate in Class.
3. Actively Participate in Class
When your teacher is talking, engage in the lesson and take notes. Avoid daydreaming or being distracted by your phone or other classmates. Instead, listen attentively to what your teacher is saying and look for ways to connect their lessons and your life experiences. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and answer questions. Your teacher will appreciate your willingness to help and effort to understand the material.
4. Communicate Openly With Your Teacher
If you struggle with the material, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Teachers appreciate when students are proactive about their learning. Share feedback respectfully and be open to the feedback your teacher provides.
5. Practice Self-Discipline
Self-discipline is crucial to being a good student. Manage your time wisely to balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, and personal life. Stay organized by keeping track of assignments, exams, and important dates.
6. Show Initiative
Go beyond what is required; seek extra reading or resources to deepen your understanding. Take responsibility for your learning by setting and working towards personal academic goals.
7. Build a Positive Relationship
Be polite in all interactions with your teacher. Show appreciation for their efforts and acknowledge their support.
8. Maintain a Growth Mindset
Accept constructive criticism and see mistakes as learning opportunities. Be open to learning from both successes and failures.
Related Reading
• Tips for School
• How to Do Good in School
• Study Strategies for High School Students
• Best Study Method
• College Study Tips
• Active Study Methods
Learn Anything With Ease for Free Today with YouLearn's Personal AI Tutor
YouLearn is your personal AI tutor, designed to supercharge your learning from YouTube videos, PDFs, and slides. Our AI chats with you about the content, provide quick summaries, and breaks information into digestible chapters. Whether you are a college student or a self-learner, we help you grasp material faster and more effectively.
Just upload your content, and our AI transforms it into an interactive learning experience. With YouLearn, you're set to learn more intelligently, not harder. Learn anything with ease for free today with YouLearn's personal AI tutor.
Related Reading
• High School Tips
• High School Study Skills
• How to Pass School
• How to Study Better in College
• How to Study by Yourself
