When I was growing up I thought that in order to be “smart” you have to be a good student. As I’ve grown up I’ve come to realize some of the most intelligent people I know were terrible students and some of the least intelligent people I know are good students. Now I’m not advocating being a bad student, because I do believe education is one of the most beneficial things in our society and becoming educated is one of the best things you can do for yourself. With all of that being said, here are three things you may not realize about being a good student.
You don’t have to be “smart”
Education is about learning. In order to be a good student you do not have to come into class knowing all the answers. If you knew the answers you would be the teacher not the student. It is more important to be open minded and studious than it is to be “smart”.
It isn’t easy
Being a good student means putting in effort. Yes there are classes that we’ve all registered for in order to get “an easy A,” but there are others that require time. It’s the time and work you put in that will make you a good student.
Success comes from failure
It’s not all about the 4.0. If you fall down 10 times, get up 11. Being a good student isn’t about perfection. It’s about learning from your mistakes and becoming better from them.