Why Some Students Succeed and Others Do Not

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What kind of students will get good grades? What kind of students will flunk numerous classes during their time at school? These may sound like simple questions. Many will say that the good students will get good grades and the bad students will flunk. Most would be correct with this assumption. How many people, though, know that the true differences between a student who excels and a student who does not excel actually has a lot to do with the student’s character? How many really know how or why these differences in character cause one student to shine and one to be lackluster? Most people do not realize that the kind of student they choose to be does not just affect the grades they will receive, but also indicates to others key traits about their character.
Before we discuss the differences between students that excel and mediocre students there are, in fact, some similarities between them. A lot of people may think that these two types of students will have nothing in common, but they can. The fact is that many students desire good grades. Both types also want to enjoy the benefits that a good education can bring, such as greater financial success and prestige. It is not the aspiration for good grades alone that will get them these benefits.
One difference commonly seen between an excelling student and an ordinary student is that of motivation or drive. Drive should not be confused with desire though. Desire is the longing for something. Drive, on the other hand, is like the gas in a car. It is what pushes a person to get things done. Many students desire good grades, but it is the driven student, the one who is willing to go above and beyond, who will use this drive to get what he desires. Undistinguished students have the ...

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...aluable an education can be. The late South African president Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Earlier, the obvious benefits that come with having a good education were discussed, but it is this ability to change the world a person lives in that is the truly valuable benefit of an education. It should be this ability that motivates more people to be good students and do their best to receive an excellent education. A lot of people forget or do not understand that bad students do not receive the knowledge or have the character needed to induce changes on such a large scale. One after another forget the power of an educated mind, fall into the habits of a bad student, and never look back. Imagine what the world would be like if even half of all bad students knew the great power within their grasps.

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