I am new to this kind of writing and I don't believe I'm very good, especially when it comes to grammar. So if you (those who choose to read this) would keep your eye's on that aspect of my writing a little more than the rest of my problems it would help a lot.
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Being a student for more than twelve years I have come to notice a few things that stand out amongst my better peers, by better I mean "the good students" that seem to do well in a scholastic environment. Each of these good students possess very good attributes that are essential, in my view. I wonder if I actually could be considered one of these better students if I were to look at what I see in them and compare it to my way of going about school, it could be that my modesty clouded the truth of the matter.
One thing I have noticed about these better students is that they all tend to be very punctual, which is very important so as not to miss anything that could be said in class and also prevents any kind of disruption of the flow of a lecture or project that requires class participation and attention. How punctual they are suggests that they choose not to waste time when time is meant for learning and that they are aware of the money spent on them being there. If I were apply this to my way of living, I'm not sure if I would make par. I always wake up after I have hit the snooze button once or twice which leaves me about 50 minutes to get ready and get to class. I have to eat breakfast, take a shower and get dressed. Once I dress and leave the house I have roughly 20 minutes to get to my first class, and I never weigh in on the possibility of red lights or slow traffic. My usual time of arrival is 5 to 10 minutes passed the time I should be sitting down at my desk. This is an obvious failure of the first important part of being a good student.
Another part which is closely related to time, is the prioritization of that time, as well as other things that take up time such as work. Most of the good students that I know, not only make it to class when they should, they also balance a job in order to pay for school. Some, but not all, manage other time absorbing activities like sports, appointments, dates with girlfriends and any hobby one might choose. Those good students that take part in these extra curricular activities must be able to prioritize in order to keep a general balance of work and play. I personally don't do much playing around outside of the house, but I do have a project that can easily take up as much time as any one of those listed above. Only one though, and that must mean I have more time in the day than others with a mass amount of things to do. If there are those who can manage two or three activities outside of school then surely I can manage just one and make time for school as well. Prioritizing is not my virtue because I get to engrossed in my project and disregard the other more important projects at hand. Whether it will turn out beneficial or not shouldn't effect how much time is spent if I prioritized correctly. Thus another failure in my eyes.
One other key thing I see in good students is a good work ethic and determination to study rather that "just winging it" as people say. By studying properly one could accomplish an "A" no problem. Studying properly includes taking time out before a test or project, reading the correct material, going over its key points or passages, and writing them down to solidify it in your memory. My cousin was very good at doing this and graduated at the top of his class. In highschool he would constantly tell me "All you need to do is study, even if only a half an hour at a time, it will make school so much easier." This was said to me during my teenage years when all I did was wing it; I got by very easily so I didn't see any reason to listen. I tend to do the same thing now because my priorities are messed up, and this leaves me without the correct time to study properly even though I know what should be done. The cause of bad prioritization is affecting the way I study. This is another failure to keep at par.
The one thing that brings all these attributes together is self discipline. Self discipline is the "motivation to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state," as said to me by cousin; this is the catalyst of good ethics because the results of self discipline tend to be very worth while, and in the case of the student the result would be a passing grade. Without that inner push to do what is needed, things would get out of control. One could lose track of time by giving unnecessary attention to hobbies which could limit the possibility of studying properly, and not studying properly could make one hard pressed to pass even the most basic tests. I have gone without studying before and the results were not good. I believe self discipline is so strong that one could even apply it to a single aspect of being a good student and succeed. It is like a rolling ball that picks up momentum as it rolls downhill, and as it rolls it gets larger until it actually changes the angle of the hill itself. My motivation tends to be directed towards the wrong things at the wrong times, so the ball I create never gets rolling because there is always another hill to climb.
The one redeeming factor I possess is my general interest in all of my subjects, enough to keep my thoughts on whatever it is I am supposed to be learning while in class. This, I believe, is one thing that may not be as important or even an attribute possessed by all good students, but one that can be very helpful in the long run and put less stress on ones ability to get motivated, even if the motivation comes at the most inopportune times. All in all I don't think I meet the criteria for what I believe to be that of the good students. I only possess one, not so important attribute which is helpful to me only at specific times. I am not being overly modest in assuming that I fail as a good student and the realization of this, I hope, will be a wake up call for the years to come.
