“Successful people are those that sacrifice their convenience and enjoyment for what they aim to achieve”. Academic excellence is being perceived to have different interpretations by different individuals. To some people, it is when a student reads for examination; days and nights and score high and impressive marks. To others, it is for a student to successfully cram all what he is being taught. In this context however, academic excellence is perceived as the ability of a student being taught in any form of setting to comprehend what he has been taught, make further research on topics surrounding it and being able to relate and apply it to real-life situations. To achieve this therefore, a student is advised to inculcate the following TENhabits:
For you to attain academic excellence, you need to develop an unprecedented interest in your studies. In doing this, you will readily listen to instructions, be readily available at any platform of beneficial learning, create interest in discussions and talks that may increase your knowledge, abide by the rules and regulations of your learning environment and ask questions to affirm the understanding of what you are being taught.
As an excellent student, you don’t only depend on what you are taught because there is limited time for teaching. You also need to create and dedicate time to read more on what you have been taught and what you have not even learnt. Knowledge is embedded in books; therefore you will have to dig deep in exploring all areas surrounding your specialization and even beyond.
Reading should not be all about running your eyes through your books; it is about getting the detailed information and grabbing the knowledge hidden in the books. Different people have different retention time and condition. Some people comprehend their reading better in the day while some do better at night. Some people might prefer reading in a silent and isolated environment to reading in a noisy or rowdy environment. The best habit however is to study yourself to know the time and condition that you comprehend most. Within the shortest possible time, build your schedules around it (even if it warrants having siesta because you need to read in the midnight) and evaluate yourself to know what you have achieved with it.
An excellent student will not misuse the opportunity of being taught by a teacher. You need to create the habit of listening and following instructions in order to quickly grab what you are being taught at the moment. In doing this, you will build a good foundation in understanding the topic and so, little efforts will be needed whenever you are to read on your own. Failure starts from procrastinating to comprehend your lectures till you read all by yourself, which you may never achieve.
A proper habit of time management is common in those that succeed. It does not necessarily require a student to read all the time, it only cautions you to plan your time around all activities you need to carry out. Sleeping, worshipping, playing and visitation, household chores and errands need to be allotted their times as much as study times. All your planned time must however not be violated and try to create room for check and balances, either by a teacher, parent, friend or sibling.
An excellent student is expected to be extremely inquisitive as such a habit will enable you to have easy access to hidden knowledge. Inquisitiveness will help you to develop passion of persistent presence and punctuality to classes as well as reading wider than what the teacher teaches. This will take you closer to many secrets of knowledge.
Any journey without a destination is void. The destination and target of Muslims on earth is to attain paradise. As such , this is the guide to all their actions and activities. An excellent student must have a clear target of where he aims to be within a time frame, this will guide the rate, mode and habit of studying, a student that plans to attain an excellent result with A’s and B’s in a single sitting will definitely have a different habit from another one that is contented with a credit pass or even another that wants to just pass out of school.
To identify the milestones in your studying, you will need to always answer questions in areas where you have been taught or read. In addition to this, a very challenging habit is to bring yourself in contact with those that are more knowledgeable than you or even students in other schools to engage in discussions on various topics of interest. This will enable you determine your relative level in learning compared to the outside environment.
Knowledge is better condensed when you read, digest, answer questions on what you read and in addition to be able to teach other people successfully. There is high tendency of retention if you can re-teach what you learnt or read, it will make it stay permanently in the brain and the teaching process will always be a reminder whenever you tend to forget. Teaching can be done among friends and colleagues and you may even engage your family members in topical discussion even if they do not have knowledge of the topic. According to Abraham Lincoln who said: “I will study and prepare, and perhaps my chance will come.”
Prayer is the sword of a believer. All efforts without prayer may be efforts in futility. Always pray to God to grant you success in your endeavours. With prayers, you can move a mountain.