Academic achievement or academic performance in simplistic words means the extent to which a student, teacher, or institution has attained their educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas, bachelor's and master's degrees, and Ph.D.'s represent academic achievement. Yet as we go into the depths of it, these degrees alone will not count for said achievement but how an individual deems them worthy enough. In a world with diverse educational opportunities, there is a competition between several people with the same skills. It is important to understand aspects that add to this achievement to make learning a wholesome experience.
The diversity in perspective
Students look at academic success very diversely. Some define academic success as being able to earn a specific grade point average, others define this as being able to gain admission to a particular graduate program while a handful believe that it entails landing a successful career. Short-term goals may not last in the long run. Younger students often feel very happy after reaching such goals and get into the comfortable routine of not setting long-term goals neither for careers nor other academic credentials. They think that this achievement alone will take them through life.
Why is it important?
Academic success is strongly linked to the positive outcomes we value. Working people will need higher levels of education to tackle the technologically demanding occupations of the future. Getting a reputable job is difficult nowadays; you need a minimum post-secondary education.
Irrespective of how one views it, it is crucial to know the ultimate goal is to lead a successful life and each of these achievements isn't the goal of life itself but just stepping stones to reach the ultimate one.
What use are an individual's academic achievements if it were not to benefit their lives as a whole in the long run? Thus, the responsibility of various academic pillars such as parents, professors, and institutions is to inculcate a sense of independent thinking and diverse knowledge, which talk about academic subjects and putting them to use to become a successful human being.
Skill sets required to succeed
Discipline yourself and manage your time
There are only 168 hours in a week. Full-time students should spend roughly 40 – 60 hours a week on their studies, not including travel time. Assuming that an average student spends an hour a day traveling, that’s roughly 67 hours a week on studies. Then there is the time needed to eat, sleep, shower, work, which leaves roughly 10 hours a week to do other things like shop, spend time with friends and family. For full-time students, effective time management makes a huge contribution to their success.
Reading for information
Reading for information is a life-long skill. Most people skim read and don’t take the time to read lessons and understand what they are reading. The natural curiosity of children should be used to introduce them to the world of knowledge inside books. Discovering new things by enabling them to educate in any area of life they are interested in and do independent research, will open new paths. It helps develop the mind, imagination, and the creative side of a person by improving communication, both written and spoken. Reading and understanding every word and phrase will give a deep insight into matters.
Note-taking and staying ahead
Most classes follow a specific pattern – a major point is made and then examples and other ways of stating the main point follow until another main point is made. When students come to classes prepared, when they have done the required readings for the class before, it is fairly easy to pick out the main points and then only make notes as needed on those main points. When students come to classes unprepared, everything the teacher says is new and feels important so these students are the ones who are busy scribbling through the whole lecture and often miss the really important information.
Research and present
Researching further than what is taught in class is a sign of an intelligent and curious mind. Curiosity is needed for the growth of one's knowledge, discoveries, and inventions. Then taking necessary information from these researches and using them for your answers by shining light onto the present scenarios and problems around you, shows teachers your deep involvement in the subject.
Exams
There are two important skills related to exams. The first is preparations. Most successful exam prep work is done all year, basically learning the material as you go. Constantly reviewing and reading notes, summarizing, understanding how the classes relate to the topics, all help increase your chance of good grades. Exams themselves, often expect students to contextualize material learned, or apply the material in ways not covered in the lectures or readings.
Accept responsibility
Take responsibility for your studies and their usage in building your life.
Your learning and development are up to you, and no one else. This authority will make identifying your strengths and weaknesses easier. On this basis of reality, you should take action, working on a learning plan that focuses on the areas that you need the most help with, increasing the speed of your learning, and building the skills you have been trying to perfect.
Help yourself then ask for help by communicating with professors
Find solutions to your problems and queries by researching. If you have exhausted all your sources and still have not found a probable solution, it is time to take help from an experienced mind. Professors aren't there to teach you just in class but to also help you in your journey of learning as and when a need arises. For this, you must find and note down precise doubts to ask and pay attention to effectively communicating them to the other person. Never shy away from inquiring about your thoughts; new learning leads to new doubts as they are the mark of an avid learner.
Don't quit
Failures are nothing but life lessons. It is up to us to interpret it for our rise or downfall. A modest person must learn to take valuable wisdom from it and make sure to not repeat it. Such a person would also learn from others' mistakes, and be aware of not doing the same.
It is essential to correct your flaws and continue in life. Never quit, because that would make you miserable and bring you to the start. A foolish man will believe that giving up would make the journey easy though it only makes you doubtful of success.
How to measure academic success?
Parents, schools, and community organizations contribute to the success of students in different ways. Each has critical information and an important perspective. Together, they complete the educational support system for students. Everyone should realize that this measurement alone cannot be done by marks and GPA, but also all-round development that will make their achievements stand out. Though it is almost entirely done by marks and grades, small elements like a discipline that make up a smart, intelligent, and down to earth mind shouldn't be overlooked.
The pen is mightier than the sword
Education is a powerful tool that can break barriers created by society. It has the power to uplift people out of poverty, making it a life skill. The Right to Education has provided many with education, yet the quality required to achieve great heights remains in a haze.
At Edvora, we aim to improve education by disbanding barriers such as lack of accessibility to quality resources, communication gaps, and outdated teaching techniques. So, reach out to us at community@edvora.com and tell us about your experiences!