Being a student whether in high school or in the university requires focus, effort and dedication. It requires some strengths and skills in order to be top of your class. In this article we shall see How can I improve my weaknesses as a student?
Successful students know when to take school serious and when they need to take a break. They know how to manage their time and how to put in the work in order to succeed. They know how to manage their study schedule and make the most of their time in the classroom
Not everyone have these innate strengths and skills, some are developed over time. Most students have one weakness or the other that they struggle with.
How to improve those weaknesses to start succeeding at school in any level?
- The first step to improving your weakness as a student or even as an individual is to first of all determine what exactly your strengths and weaknesses are. Put differently, you need to determine which areas you struggle with. Which areas always require more time and effort? Which area does not come so easily to deal with? What are you good at? Which skill comes innately to you? Once you have been able to determine this, the first step is done.
A sure way in which you can determine your strengths and weaknesses is by making 2 lists. In these lists you write out what you think your strengths are in one and write down what you think your weaknesses are in the other. Some questions to prompt your thinking include;
- What am I good at?
- What have other people complimented me on?
- What projects have I spent hours on without getting tired?
- What can I spend hours on without getting tired?
- What are my hobbies and why do I like to do them?
- Which areas have others had to help me in?
- What do I struggle with most of the time?
- Which projects or jobs seem to drain my energy?
Once this is done, you have an idea of where you tend to shine and where you seem to require a bit more time or need some help. The issue with this list though is some people tend to think highly of themselves so most times, this list you have come up with may be a biased opinion of yourself which leads us to another way you can determine your strengths and weaknesses.
Another way to know your strengths and weaknesses is by speaking to other people. A friend, a parent, a sibling, a mentor. You want someone who knows you, someone who has spent significant time with you. Someone who has been able to observe your character and behavior in a number of situations. It has to people who you value their opinion.
You can reach out to 3-4 of these people and speak to them. Explain to them why you need this answer, give them context. When you get their feedback, you begin to see if some of the things you wrote in your lists are being confirmed or not. Once you have gotten their feedback, you can now refine your list.
Most times people do not know of their own strengths so maybe trying out new activities may lead to you discovering new skills or hidden talents you did not know you have.
- The next step after determining your strengths and weaknesses is to work on strengthening your weaknesses. Once you have been able to successfully determine where you shine and where you require a bit more work, it is time to work on improving your areas of struggle. Here are some ways you can achieve this.
- One way of strengthening you weakness is to visualize the benefits of changing. Put differently, imagine what you can gain from turning your weakness into a strength. Say for instance you struggle with studying at the beginning of the semester and you end up doing last minute studying when exam period comes around.
Begin to imagine what you will gain if you begin to study from the beginning of the semester. You get to go through areas you would have missed when doing a last minute study. You get to know the parts of the curriculum you require help in and you can reach out to your professor for help. You have a better chance at getting a good grade. When you begin to visualize the benefit of change, you realize how much of a powerful motivation it is to actually change.
- Another way to improve your weakness is by setting specific goals. If you happen to be a procrastinator, you probably do not come up with your best work when you are under pressure. You can however set a goal to finish a particular project you would normally procrastinate on the day before the due date. That gives you enough time to come up with your possible best and even sleep on your ideas and tweak them if necessary.
- A very helpful way to improve your weakness is to embrace this change as a challenge. Do not look at it like a chore you have to do. Look at it as a way to challenge yourself. It is not always easy making a change but the change is worth it so it’s best to enjoy the process as it will end up in you becoming a well-rounded person and a successful students.
- Finally, you have to be consistent. You cannot work on 1 project before its due date and procrastinate the other ones. You cannot go early for classes for 1 week and be late for the rest. You cannot study for 1 day and not open your books till again till midterms or finals are around the corner. That is not how you strengthen your weakness as a student. You have to be consistent with the changes. You have to consistently put in the work in order to be better.
Conclusion
A lot of people believe that the life of a student is an easy one. This is however not always true. The habits and skills developed in school are what will remain with you for life. It is therefore important to realize that you have strengths and weaknesses and then do what you can to improve those weaknesses as a student and ultimately as an individual.
Working on improving your weaknesses does not mean you are pursuing perfection. It simply means you are willing to realize where you require a little more work to become successful in school and subsequently successful in life.
