Here are the learning strategy of smart kids

have always been curious that why some students work hard but they struggle to get through assessments. On the other hand, some students do it easy.

I came across this talk by Douglas Barton on what differentiates top-performing students from others, and he made some great points.

There is a set of skills that separates top-performing students

Higher IQ is not deciding factor - they understand that intelligence can be developed and that mistakes are part of the learning process. They have a growth mindset. This means that they believe that their abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching, and learning from mistakes. They don't believe that they are just born smart or talented, and they never use this as an excuse for not trying.

Resilience - Students need to realize that they cannot control the outcome but they can control the effort and attitude they bring to the task. Getting stressed about scores and grades will not help them achieve their goals.

Focus and Persistence- Understand where their attention needs to be and work on that with full dedication. They block their time for studying and work on it with full concentration. This definitely needs practice and can come with guidance and support.

Creativity- Being able to see things from a different perspective and thinking outside the box. If students are allowed to explore their learning, they will be more engaged and develop a love for learning.

Organized and prepared- They know what works for them in terms of studying and following a schedule or plan. This could involve time blocking, setting regular goals, or working in study groups

Self-motivated- They are always working to get better and improve themselves. They are aware of what they need when they are learning something. They don't just blame the teacher or the school when things go wrong, but they recognize that it is their responsibility to learn and get better.

They develop a love for learning-  A top student knows that the key to success is learning and they enjoy the process of acquiring new skills and knowledge.

Time Management- One of the most important skills. They are able to make the best use of time by breaking down big tasks into smaller goals and setting deadlines.

Self-discipline - Just creating a study timeline is not enough, the study timetable needs to be specific as to how much time should be dedicated to a particular subject, and on what days.

There needs to be a plan for both short-term goals like studying for a test in a week and long-term goals like acing the exams.

Just working hard might not be enough- Just saying that you need to work hard might not be enough because a lot of people do work hard but they don’t get the results that they want. You need to have some sort of system or framework in order to be successful.

Top performers also know how to enjoy the process- A lot of people focus on the destination and not the journey. They are not just driven by results but also by the process.

They set goals and work towards them- they don't just float through school, but they have specific goals in mind and work hard to achieve them. Goals can be broken down into short-term and long-term. A good way can be reflecting on what they want to achieve at the end of each week or month or day.

They practice the assessments - they spend time acquiring the right skills and knowledge, but they also spend time practicing how to take exams so that they can perform well under pressure which includes not just memorizing. One should be able to analyze and understand complex questions.

They are always learning- they don't just rely on what they learn in school, but they are constantly learning new things outside of the classroom. This removes the burden of trying to learn everything right before the exams.

They realize that learning is not just about memorization -  they understand that they need to be able to apply what they have learned in order to be successful. Many students revise a lot before exams by going through the notes again and again. However, if they don’t understand the concepts, they will not be able to do well in exams. So, it is important to have a clear understanding of the concepts before trying to memorize them.

They are practical in planning their work - they understand that they need to be efficient in their work in order to get the best results. This means that they plan their work in advance and make sure that they are using their time wisely. They include things that they love to make the process more enjoyable.

They need to be practical when they plan how much can be done in a day and how to make the most of the time available.

They are happy and balanced-  they understand that they need to have a good work-life balance in order to be successful. This means that they make time for their friends and family, as well as their studies. They know that if they are happy, they will be more productive.

Modeling the best strategies- they find role models who have achieved what they want to achieve and learn from them. They understand that they need to be constantly learning in order to improve. This can also include talking to friends who are doing it right and learning from their mistakes.

They don't just focus on the grade- they know that the grades are not everything and that they need to focus on learning. They understand that if they don't understand something, they will not be able to do well in the exams. This means that they ask for help when they need it and they are not afraid to admit when they don't know something.

Students need to be guided well to perform their best in academics. Just content delivery may not be enough, the process of learning needs to be understood by the students to get good grades. Students need to be given the skills to learn so that they can be independent in their learning.