Being a good student is not just about being the smartest or having the best grades. Rather, it’s about the actual effort you put in. The most successful people in the world didn’t come to be who they are by always having straight A’s in school. They did so by their work ethic, which is knowing where to place priorities/responsibilities, making your own motivation, and not being afraid to fail. Having good motivations and setting goals can substantially increase your learning comprehension in school. Becoming a better student helps you obtain many good skills and routines to keep and use for when you’re in your adulthood. Having a good work ethic is the gateway to success. 

Many successful people became who they are from their work ethic and motivation. For example, Thomas Edison who was told by his teachers that he was ‘too stupid to learn anything’ and Walt Disney who was told he had “no imagination.” Another very popular and successful person is Michel Jordan who was cut from his high school basketball team. What made them successful isn’t how they failed many times, but their work ethic. When those people realize that they cant become who they want to be from the way that they are living, motivating them to change their mindset, leading them to change their work ethic. 

Setting goals for yourself and creating your own motivation will help you a lot in school. This will lead to you having a better mentality through life. Mrs. Fitzpatrick had this to say in terms of motivation:

 “No one is going to give you motivation. If you’re not motivated to learn, then you will definitely sit back, cheat, and get through things. If you don’t learn how to work when something gets hard then you won’t know what to do”. Once you learn to hone those skills in school, it can help you for the future. With goals you can see where you improve while noticing your growth of change. You get to take responsibility for your actions of growth. Having to take accountability for your actions in a positive way is a lot better than taking them in a negative way. Having a good mentality helps you in so many great ways. Abby Holt said this about mentality “[…] having a certain mental toughness can help anyone overcome most adversity issues.”

Having a good mindset helps you learn to take responsibility for your own future, figure out where priorities should go, become motivated, and the most important one which is being able to not be afraid to fail. 

Having the motivation to learn is the gateway to accomplishing your goals. Mr. Butler said this about having the willingness to learn: 

“Knowledge is the key to success, anywhere. I hear most kids say ‘Man, I can’t wait to grow up and get out of high school and just get out of town.’ Your best ticket out of town is an education. Your best ticket to do something with your life is an education. […] Being a better student, learning more information, learning how things work, gives you the passport to move on with your life, so that you can go out and have more doors and opportunities presented to you. […]”.

In summary, to be a better student is to create, learn, and hone the skill of work ethic. Work ethic is prioritizing what needs to be prioritized, creating your own motivation, having the willingness to obtain knowledge, and having the courage to not be afraid to fail. All those skills will lead you down a path to success. True success is filled with joy, fulfillment, gratitude, and overall happiness. No matter who you are or where you come from having a good work ethic is always the gateway to success.