You’re mistaken if you think intelligent students are just “that bit more special” than most students in your class. In most cases, doing well in school has less to do with natural talent and far more to do with excellent routines and thoughtful habits.
These kinds of students are more focused, have developed disciplined habits over time, and have an organized routine they tend to follow. Not to mention that their home environment encourages disciplined behavior and they are well looked after.
If you are struggling in school and looking for some tips to be able to compete with those more “intelligent” students in class, then we hope you find this article helpful.
Intelligent Students – Who Are They?
Before we talk about amplifying your intelligence by following these tips, let’s figure out just who is an “intelligent” student.
Intelligence is described in various ways and includes:
- Self-awareness
- Capacity for logic
- Emotional awareness
- Planning ahead
- Having a solid capacity for reasoning
- Being creative
- A problem-solving attitude
- Critical thinking abilities
But this doesn’t mean you need all these abilities to be a smart student. Even if you have two of these qualities, you’re still more competent than most people your age.
We all have the same brain. It is just that some of us know how to use it better. Even if you don’t have all these qualities, you can develop them. In this article, we will tell you how to do just that.
Eight Different Types of Intelligence
There are different types of intelligence that you can develop as you grow older.
For instance, you may be very good at solving puzzles, creating spreadsheets in Excel or doing arts and crafts.
This means you already have some fantastic abilities. But that doesn’t mean you are limited to these activities alone. You can also try to develop areas where you feel you are weaker, like music or linguistics.
Here are different types of intelligence you should know about:
Numerical Intelligence
- A knack for solving puzzles and mathematics
- Using reason and logic over assumptions to solve problems
- An ability to see probability and patterning
Linguistic Intelligence
- Being able to use the written word to express oneself properly
- Grammar, speaking, and reading
- Being good at board games such as Scrabble which require a sound knowledge of words
Musical Intelligence
- Creating your own tunes using different sounds
- Creating beats by being creative with sound
- A great sense of rhythm
Intrapersonal Intelligence
- A preference for working alone
- Great at handling emotions
- Learns through introspection and self-reflection
Interpersonal Intelligence
- Fantastic communication skills
- Thrives in group activities
- A people person
Kinesthetic Intelligence
- Demonstrates great coordination while doing physical activity
- Having commendable control over their bodies
- Keeps busy playing with chalkboards and building blocks as a mode of learning
Naturalistic Intelligence
- Having an excellent understanding of natural environments
- Subjects like geography or biology are their forte
- Always eager to learn more about nature
Spatial Intelligence
- Excellent aesthetic sense
- Great at painting and drawing
- Incredible at learning with visual clues
You can get help from your schoolteacher to understand which type of intelligence is your strong suit. Then, once you know where your abilities lie, you can work on that kind of intelligence and be smarter than before.
How Do I Become a Smarter Student in School?
Let’s move ahead and talk about some of the key abilities for becoming an intelligent student in school. There are various tips that you can use to improve your overall performance.
Remember, if you work at these qualities, you too will soon be regarded as an “intelligent” student at your school.
Be Consistent – Determination is the Way to Go!
For starters, you cannot become an intelligent student if you don’t adopt a consistent and determined approach to life. These qualities go hand in hand, and all other tips for becoming smarter won’t help at all if you don’t begin with this approach.
The reason why we advise you to be consistent and determined is that if you’re not, you will end up losing interest in your studies, and will fall behind in your schedule. As a result, you will not be able to compete with the other students in your school.
So, to become an intelligent student, you must commit to yourself to keep pushing and striving. Successful students at your school are determined to stay focused and to not lose sight of what’s at stake.
They are constantly striving for their goals, and they never lag behind. You too need to study consistently so that you don’t start forgetting the things you have learned.
Be More Punctual – Set Your Priorities
One habit that every smart student incorporates into their lives is punctuality. Without that key ingredient, there is nothing. So, they are never late and always attend their lectures, never missing anything.
Aside from being punctual, smart kids prioritize their studies over everything else. For example, they will not play video games when it is time to study, and they are even willing to miss out on a party to prepare for a test.
We are not suggesting that you should become a bookworm to become more intelligent than the rest. But what you should do is set your priorities and follow your schedule. But don’t forget to also go out with your friends and have fun. This is also imperative for your mental health.
But don’t let these other activities affect your studies. For example, it would help if you first studied and then made other plans for the day.
Don’t keep yourself from enjoying life but also don’t let that enjoyment get in the way of your goals.
Goals – They Help Your Strive
If you are studying without setting any goals, then you will get nowhere. Therefore, we advise you never to do anything without first setting a goal. When you set goals, you become more determined to achieve them.
Therefore, you will have more consistency in your overall performance at school than other intelligent students. Setting goals and planning your life around achieving them sets you on a path that will lead you to success.
When you do this your entire schedule revolves around your inspirations, and you’re eager to learn. Also, you should assign a realistic time frame for yourself and try to achieve your milestones within that given amount of time.
Keep in mind that you’re the best critic of yourself. Nobody can analyze your performance and your ability to grow better than you, yourself. This way, you will know where you lag, and you can try and pay more attention to it.
One of the significant reasons why smart students succeed is because they don’t lose sight of their goals, and neither should you.
Enlightenment – Become Part of Educational Discussions
One of the best tips we can give you for becoming an intelligent student is that you should keep on learning about the world around you. The moment you think you know it all is the moment you stop growing. This isn’t something that an intelligent student would do.
Make critical thinking part of your thought process. Learn new ideas and new approaches and think them through from a critical perspective.
Be more eager to learn about the things you don’t understand. But at the same time, try not to over-burden yourself with knowledge.
Indulge in topics that are at your level of understanding. If you move beyond your understanding, you will make things difficult for yourself. So keep a steady pace and keep learning.
Moreover, you should take part in discussions and learn from other people. Be part of conversations but remember that you don’t always need to be the one speaking. Sometimes it is just as important to listen to what other people are talking about and take time to form opinions.
Once you think you have done enough research on a subject, share your thoughts in a group and tell others about your perspective on things.
Never stop reading! Take book recommendations from your teachers about things that interest you. This will help you expand your horizons.
There are plenty of educational forums on the internet you can join. Do a quick Google search and find topics that interest you.
Hearing what people say around the globe will give you a better perspective on certain things and help you to look at things from a different perspective.
Acceptance – Be More Receptive Towards Other Perspectives
You may notice that most intelligent students are willing to entertain different viewpoints.
When you start paying attention to new perspectives, they will only help you if you are willing to actively consider whether the opinions you have held for so long could be wrong.
Several students find it very hard to believe that the ideas they have nurtured their whole life could be wrong.
To keep growing, it is imperative that you also try and unlearn some ideas that you may have been conditioned into believing were right. Try and listen to what other people are saying. Figure out where they are coming from and why they are saying things without assuming they are incorrect. Accepting that you could have had a wrong perspective on something and that now you, understand things differently is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself.
It will help if you also surround yourself with people who have the same open-minded approach to life. Of course, this won’t automatically make you more intelligent, but it will certainly help.
Expose yourself to new material, so you have much to think about and more to earn.
Hardships – Never Run Away from Challenges
During your school year, you will encounter many challenges and hardships that may discourage you. However, challenges are a part of life. You must realize that no matter where you go, these challenges will always find their way to you. You cannot really escape these kinds of challenges in the long run.
Whether you are worried about getting good grades in the final exams or are struggling with practice problems, there is always a way to figure out how to fix these things.
An intelligent student never gives up, so you shouldn’t either.
As we have mentioned before, you should always adopt a problem-solving attitude. For example, if you’re struggling with a simple exercise, ask your friend to include you in their study session. But if you’re having trouble with various subjects, ask your teacher to help you.
Be part of a study group to get to grips with your subject more easily. Study regularly with your friends and always take notes during lectures. Then, once the class is over, go through your notes and see if you have understood everything properly.
Having trouble taking notes during a lecture? Ask your friends or other students to help you take notes correctly. Get help from their notes or ask them to tutor you.
Never shy away from asking for help when needed. Instead, be more proactive with your syllabus and plan. This will help you solve most of your problems.
You must remember that you and your friends all share the same cognitive abilities. Therefore, there is nothing that they can do, that you can’t.
You need to pay attention in class and get help when you need it.
Be Active – Indulge in Physical Activities
On your road to becoming an intelligent student, another measure you must take is to become involved in physical activities.
Did you know there is a strong connection between your brain function and physical activity?
Staying physically active increases activity in the hippocampus, which is an integral part of your brain, promoting neuron growth.
As a result, physical activity will also improve your brain function, ensuring you become more competent at whatever you do.
You can do all sorts of physical activities. But remember-that doesn’t include sitting in front of a screen playing video games!
Play basketball or football. Maybe even go for a run every day and practice for the annual marathon.
It is entirely up to you. But whatever you choose to do, ensure you have fun.
Stay Healthy – Pay Attention to Your Health
While we are on the topic of physical activity, you should never neglect your general health. One thing that intelligent students never overlook is their health. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so you must take care of yourself before you can start worrying about being more thoughtful.
Get at least eight hours of sleep a day. Ensure that you get to sleep on time and that you wake up early. When you have a regular sleep cycle, you have far more hours to function during the day. It also improves your long-term memory while enhancing your cognitive ability.
When you get enough sleep, you discover you aren’t tired, and you aren’t sleepy during the day. This way, you can pay attention to your studies and achieve better grades.
Incorporate healthy foods into your diet. Eat vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, and drink plenty of water. These things improve your brain’s activity, allowing you to perform well.
Screen Time – Reduce Your Exposure to Screens of All Kinds
One common problem that has been noted among middle school and high-school kids is that their cognitive performance has taken a massive hit over the past few decades. One of the main reasons for this is excessive exposure to screens of all kinds.
Research shows that long-term exposure to screens affects your cognitive abilities. Hence, it takes more time for students to process information and they lag behind in their studies.
To ensure this doesn’t hinder your ability to perform in school, you must set yourself a maximum daily screen time and use different apps to send yourself reminders. Use your phone only during your free time and try to focus your energy elsewhere.
Start reading helpful books or get help from older students to learn new skills. Maybe share their knowledge so you can stay ahead of your schedule. You can also prepare for a big upcoming test by answering practice questions.
This way, you won’t waste time, your screen time will decrease, and you will be able to utilize your free time more productively.
Studying Smart – Use Your Resources Effectively
Instead of overloading yourself with notes and different study plans, learn to study smarter and use your resources effectively.
An intelligent student’s best-kept secret is that they always create a study scheme. They never overburden themselves with information and lesson plans that may not even matter.
You should know how to manage your time and plan your study sessions accordingly. Use flashcards for single-word answers and ask a friend to join the session. Discuss everything you have studied so far and ensure your concepts are clear.
Have a detailed conversation around the topics you are supposed to cover. In our experience, having discussions with a friend or a fellow student is far more beneficial than anything else. In addition, if you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you will never forget a conversation about a topic which appears in the final exam.
When you study like this, you will never feel overwhelmed by the amount of content that you have to cover. Also, never procrastinate. It will make things even more difficult for you later on.
Energize Yourself – Try Out Different Caffeinated Drinks
If you don’t drink coffee or tea, perhaps it is about time you tried caffeinated drinks.
Coffee gives you more energy while stimulating your ability to concentrate. It’s an instant mood lifter and motivates you to push your limits.
Have coffee when you need to focus on schoolwork but cannot find the energy to do so. It will instantly lift your spirits while motivating you to start working.
Caffeinated drinks are not only instant mood lifters, but they also keep you alert. You can grasp more information when your senses are focused, and you are completely focused on the task at hand.
Your brain will start functioning at high-speed and you can get most of your work done.
Reward – Keep Yourself Motivated
Sometimes you may lose interest in studying and your school and related activities. Have you ever felt like you just don’t want to study when a big test is coming up?
That is probably because you don’t feel rewarded for all your efforts at studying and school activities, maybe even with all the things you do at home.
Losing interest is no big deal. When you get used to your school routines, it is quite common for your mind to wander elsewhere. Not to mention that being preoccupied with your studies all the time is also not healthy, and so you must break the rut.
Do something for yourself and celebrate your milestones. Even if you have a small accomplishment, celebrate it to keep yourself motivated. Remind yourself that you have gotten this far and can do this.
You are just as capable as other students in your school. Once you start rewarding yourself with small gestures like taking some time off, having your favorite meal, or playing video games with your friends, it will keep your desire to work hard alive.
Self-Reflection – Think About What You’ve Learned
There is no one simple answer to becoming an intelligent student. When we talk about becoming smarter, it is not just about knowing how to do something or having a broad knowledge.
We mean that you become capable of doing better with what you already know. For example, becoming more aware of your surroundings and making better choices.
Take a minute and think about who comes to mind when you aspire to be a smart student at your school. Is it someone good at doing group work, someone you consider a team leader, or maybe someone with fast responses?
The thing is, an intelligent student is always keen on creating a mind map of what they need to do. They grasp the implications of the steps in front of them and immediately respond to them because they have already started thinking about the chain of events in their head.
This quality comes from being more aware of their surroundings. You need to keep reflecting on yourself and acknowledge what you’re feeling.
Buy yourself a reflection journal and take notes of everything that happens during the day.
- Jot down your affirmations
- Write down everything you did
- Reflect on any negative emotions you may have felt
Reflecting on your emotions and everything you have been through is the core of learning. It’s not just limited to your schoolwork. Even in your daily routine, self-reflection helps you be more aware and conscious about your goals before you go to bed.
You are learning every step of the way.
If you have never thought about journaling or self-reflection before, try to adopt this habit and just start writing. It may seem difficult initially but learning something new that you have never done before always is.
Once you start jotting things down, take notes about what you learned through the day, what the challenges were, and what were small moments of joy. You will see how this enlightens you in more ways than you think!
A Few Signs That Show You’re an Intelligent Student
These are some of the signs that show you’re becoming a smarter student:
- You think about things more deeply, and don’t just accept what others say about them.
- Smart students never boast about their knowledge.
- You have a learning attitude.
- You enjoy being friends with older people at school.
- You think about things from a critical perspective.
Once you start paying attention to all these tips, you will begin to develop these qualities in your personality.
Final Verdict
Becoming a smart student isn’t something you can do overnight. It takes a lot of time and patience to achieve that level of intelligence. But you always have to start somewhere. So, all the tips we have discussed are the habits of successful students.
Successful students create a mind map of their goals and plan ahead to achieve them in time. People tend to think that a smart student is born that way, that they are gifted and special. As a result, they undermine their own potential and what they are capable of accomplishing.
Having teachers who care about your performance is important. Many students suffer because they aren’t guided by a teacher who cares where they end up. Just like having a sincere teacher is imperative, so you need to be sincere in your application to succeed.
Start small, prioritize your goals, attend your classes regularly, and never miss out on a lecture. This is how you begin your journey toward becoming an intelligent student.
Moreover, self-reflect is key. Keep a journal or a planner and adopt writing as a hobby. Write about how you feel, review your notes, and be more mindful of your leisure activities. For example, do something productive instead of wasting your time watching TV for hours.
And above all, keep in mind that an intelligent student never gives up. They always solve the problems at hand, and so should you.
We hope this article has helped you!