Distinguishing features of ‘A’ students

Every student wants to be top in their class — an ‘A’ student. For those unable to achieve the top grade, they always assume that ‘A’ students have the brains. Surprisingly, top students are not always the brightest.
Being an ‘A’ student is not about sitting up the whole night reading, it is about what you do while you are sitting. So what are the qualities of an 'A' student?
Priorities: Top students always put first things first. When they sit down to read, they will ensure there are no distractions; no phone calls will be answered because their phones will be off. However juicy the programme on TV is, it will be ignored. To them, studying is serious business.
Study anywhere: You may be a member of your school drama club and the festivals are on. This does not mean you abandon your books. ‘A’ students will carry some books as they travel to the festival venue and catch up with their school work.
Consistency: Each student has a preferred time of study; some will read late into the night, others wake up in the wee hours while others do it as soon as they get home from school when their minds are still in school mode. A little a day makes all the difference.
Good notes: ‘A’ students take good notes and use them well. Even as they read text books, they will always listen to what the teacher emphasises in class. For most students, when the school bell rings to mark the end of the lesson, they close their books. ‘A’ students will use the few minutes before the next lesson to write a two or three sentence summary of the just-concluded lesson, which they will quickly go through before the next day’s lesson.
Ask questions: If you do not understand or hear a point the teacher is expressing, ask your teacher to repeat or explain. Be an active participant in class. This way, you understand better, which in the end will give you a better grade than that of a student who memorises information.
Self-test: As you take notes, highlight points you think may be covered in exams; you can then frame tentative exam questions based on those points. Attempt to answer the questions. If there are some you do not understand, go back to your notes and review them.
Read ahead: The teacher may give you ten questions as your assignment. How about doing 20 instead?
Parents’ role: The most important ‘secret’ of super-achievers is not so secret. Parents’ contribution from infancy to maturity will have a student loving their studies or otherwise. The parents set high standards for their children and hold them accountable by encouraging them to be responsible.
Hard work: An ‘A’ student works harder than an average student. How much time you spend studying and doing homework will determine your performance in school.