The Secret to Student Success

What do successful people have in common?  Is it brains, talent, fame or fortune?  No!  Arel Moodie, bestselling author and speaker, has a different idea.  In this TedTalk, Arel explains the secret to student success and how you don’t have to be the smartest or the most talented to be successful.   

Arel’s secret – effort – comes from his personal experience as a successful student and entrepreneur.  Numerous studies and authors agree with him.  Angela Duckworth, psychologist and distinguished professor at the University of Pennsylvania, is well known for her research on “Grit”.  Among the high achievers that she studied, grit (aka conscientiousness) is a common factor and outweighs IQ in predicting success.   

Watch Arel’s “Secret to Student Success” TedxTalk 

Take Action 

Are you struggling with an assignment or a class?  Adopt a “growth mindset”.  Your struggle has nothing to do with your IQ or your talent.  Instead, try strategically increasing your effort.  Make an appointment to meet with your teacher, raise your hand to ask questions, find a study partner who is doing well in the class.  Push yourself to work a little harder to improve your performance in the second half of the year.