How to be a good student

Since time immemorial, there have many rules and guidelines of being a good student. But who, exactly, is a good student? Let us first define that.

A good student is one who is disciplined, maintains good grades and performs well in class. Now that is the overall definition that is followed all over the world. However, for different societies, it varies, from culture to culture, from city to city and from school to school.

Here is another definition of a good student. A good student is a one who is a teacher’s favorite, always the first one to be in class and insists on getting more homework. This for me is quite an interesting definition, because yes, there are different kind of students in all classes. They also vary from the level of ‘good’ in the description of good students.

There are global guideline that you probably grew up on, and have been lectured by your parents and teachers about these. Those guidelines have made a lot of people prosper to being a good student, although it is not necessary that it is the right instruction manual for all.

Let’s start off with the basic guidelines we are preached since we first learn our ABCs:

• A good student is well-behaved in class and outside.
• A good student is attentive in class.
• A good student follows the teacher’s instructions correctly.
• A good student is a punctual one.
• A good student always does his homework and assignments on time.
• A good student is always prepared when coming to class.
• A good student always participates in class.
• A good student is organized.

Now this guideline can go on and on with many of these ‘good student’ labels. Yes, they will indeed put you on the good books of your teachers and tag you with the title ‘nerd or geek’ by those that are a little behind you. But is this the correct way to making anyone a good student? I would like to contradict.

I, for one, was never a good apple of the eye student in school. I was a mediocre student with average grades. However, this changed with time as I came to the level of doing my bachelors. I have topped consecutively through semesters, and having an above average GPA. Now the question is, did I follow these guideline? I certainly did not. I picked my area of interest to study, which parents foremost should understand instead of imposing the stereotypical approach of ‘be a doctor or engineer’. That’s the first step to being a failed student because you will tire yourself out by trying hard on something that you have no interest in.

When a student picks their choice of what they would like to study, they already have a sword above their head to do well, because it is their decision of choice. Therefore, they work hard whole heartedly. Secondly, it is not always about grades. Our society especially needs to understand that. It is about how much your child is learning through their journey of education. Yes, grades do matter and one should make sure they are getting good grades but if you set your focus on this, you will never be able to give it your all.

It’s a hardcore fact, that when you are expected more than you are capable of doing, the pressure itself becomes stressful, which can even lead to a nervous breakdown. Half of the students in our society are ripping their heads apart when it is time for exams because of the massive competition they face and the great expectation their parents have for them.

So, how does one be a good student? By learning what they can in class and applying it to be useful in real life.