Control the controllable

In a previous article: one of the best predictors of academic success, I made the point that some students have an external locus of control. Students with an external locus of control attribute their success or lack thereof to factors external to themselves such as luck or a bad teacher. Now I must acknowledge that external factors can significantly impact a students results. If a student has a teacher who cannot clearly explain the content of his subject, then this student will be at an obvious disadvantage. The reality is that, as a student, you have little to no control over what type of teacher (poor or great) that you will get, this is totally out of your control. However you must understand that there are several things within your control that can cause you to be successful in spite of uncontrollable factors such as the type of teacher you may have. To ensure success, you must control the controllable. Below are factors that you can control that will increase the likelihood of you achieving academic success.

Be on time for class

When you are on time for class your mind is ready for learning. When you are late and find yourself rushing to class, your mind is not focused on the upcoming lesson, but is focused what the teacher might say about your tardiness. Not only this, but you would have possibly missed the teacher’s introduction to the lesson which paves the path to what will be covered later. This could have a great negative impact on what you learn for that lesson. Being on time is something within your control and it’s just one of the ways you can tilt the balance in your favour.

Maintain a consistent study routine

In this modern era in which we all live, we truly have no excuse for not learning something. If your teacher is not skilled at teaching you must still ensure that you maintain your study routine. This routine may involve searching for videos that explain what you don’t understand. Also where as you may not understand the teacher’s explanation, other students may. During your study session you could call up a friend and ask him to explain what was taught in class. Your study session is totally in your control and if you ensure that you consistently have this time of review then you are setting yourself up for academic excellence.

Diet and exercise

Finally, ensuring that you are fueling your mind and body with healthy brain empowering food will make your mind quick an nimble to understand new content. Exercise does the same thing. Diet and exercise must be a part of your daily routine as it has a significant impact on your brains ability to learn. Also vitamin supplements such as vitamin B complex have been proven to improve brain effectiveness. A healthy diet and exercise routine is fully in your control and is one of the things you can incorporate in your system of study and review to aid in retention of new content.

There are many things in life that are out of our control, but there are also many aspects of our lives that our actions influence. If we focus on the things we control, that is if we ensure that we control the controllable – we will find that the impact of the uncontrollable will be less severe and we will achieve our goals in spite of the cards being seemingly stacked against us.