This essay addresses the question what makes a good student good. The purpose of this paper is to find out what qualities make a student better than another. A great learner must have a desire to learn, be able to stay motivated, have a growth mindset and an internal focus to excel, create goals and rely on oneself. This essay argues that a student with most of these qualities will transcend in life and be successful in their future.
The American school system is considered to be one of the best in the world with it being mandatory to stay in public school until 12th grade. A typical student attends school because it is legally mandatory to attain a certain amount of education in order to pursue a certain career in the future. These students …show more content…
The author Margaret Talbot discusses the topic of valedictorians. It would seem that anyone who would become a valedictorian at their school would be a great student, but the truth is they may just be a pro at getting the high grades. For example, at one school, a tiebreaker would be used if more than one student had the highest G.P.A. One student “Denny Davies, had learned of this rule, and had quietly arranged to take extra courses during his senior year” (113). His taking of an easy support class just to be a valedictorian, reveals that he is not being a good student in the sense of having a desire to learn. While Davies had the mindset of being perceived as the best, to truly be a great student requires more than just book …show more content…
Students must be open to learning, realize the value of education, and have a positive attitude in order to excel in school. Kyoko Mori, who earned both an MA and a PhD, stated “School seemed as ‘real’ to me as ‘the outside world’ --- only more interesting” (130). When she was a student, most of her peers were just excited to finish school and get on with their lives, but Mori was focused on the learning aspect of school, as she is truly a great student. On the contrary, her peers did not have an open mindset, which in their futures, might hold them back from succeeding and truly learning. In addition, Stanford University 's Dr. Dweck concluded young scholars must “focus on improvement instead of worrying about how smart they are. They work hard to learn more and get smarter. We know that students who learn this mindset show greater motivation in school, better grades, and higher test scores” (Mindset Works). Young people with a growth mindset tend to be more successful because they are open to learning and improving themselves to become the best person they can be. Students who are open to new ideas and have a growth mindset will broaden their horizons resulting in the students becoming exceptional
The American school system is considered to be one of the best in the world with it being mandatory to stay in public school until 12th grade. A typical student attends school because it is legally mandatory to attain a certain amount of education in order to pursue a certain career in the future. These students …show more content…
The author Margaret Talbot discusses the topic of valedictorians. It would seem that anyone who would become a valedictorian at their school would be a great student, but the truth is they may just be a pro at getting the high grades. For example, at one school, a tiebreaker would be used if more than one student had the highest G.P.A. One student “Denny Davies, had learned of this rule, and had quietly arranged to take extra courses during his senior year” (113). His taking of an easy support class just to be a valedictorian, reveals that he is not being a good student in the sense of having a desire to learn. While Davies had the mindset of being perceived as the best, to truly be a great student requires more than just book …show more content…
Students must be open to learning, realize the value of education, and have a positive attitude in order to excel in school. Kyoko Mori, who earned both an MA and a PhD, stated “School seemed as ‘real’ to me as ‘the outside world’ --- only more interesting” (130). When she was a student, most of her peers were just excited to finish school and get on with their lives, but Mori was focused on the learning aspect of school, as she is truly a great student. On the contrary, her peers did not have an open mindset, which in their futures, might hold them back from succeeding and truly learning. In addition, Stanford University 's Dr. Dweck concluded young scholars must “focus on improvement instead of worrying about how smart they are. They work hard to learn more and get smarter. We know that students who learn this mindset show greater motivation in school, better grades, and higher test scores” (Mindset Works). Young people with a growth mindset tend to be more successful because they are open to learning and improving themselves to become the best person they can be. Students who are open to new ideas and have a growth mindset will broaden their horizons resulting in the students becoming exceptional