Being successful students means achieving a favourable outcome in school. Such outcome may not necessarily be tied solely to achieving commendable exam results. It may also include maintaining good relationship with teachers and classmates, embracing leadership roles in CCAs or being recognised for a job well done in various projects and assignment. No matter what favourable outcomes a student yearns for, it is almost, always, related to the people around them. In LTH, we share 4 universal habits which we believe can bring students towards a greater success in their school lives both academically and non-academically.

Show gratitude to teachers

Apart from Teachers’ Day, our teachers hardly receive any extra attention from students for their hard work. Show occasional gratitude to your teachers. For instance, “Teacher, I really appreciate your hard work in marking so many papers” or “Teacher, thank you so much for teaching us”. That would not only make their day but it also reflects well on you! Teachers may take special notice of you and perhaps, good opportunities may start knocking at your door as a pleasant surprise.  Be cautious not to overdo it though.

Give praises and credit them

It is always easier to scrutinize weaknesses than strengths in others. Remember, everyone likes to be recognised for their hard work or contribution to a team project. People generally enjoy working with people who are appreciative. Your teammate might not be good enough in your eyes but they might have put in a lot of effort. Learn to say “Well done!” or “Good Job!” Everyone deserves a chance to get better over time! Never only think for yourself. There is no perfect person but a perfect team. Give others credit for their effort and soon, others will give you credit.

Lend your classmates a helping hand

That does not mean doing homework for them! If you can understand well in a particular subject or topic and your classmates are struggling, lend a helping hand by spending some time explaining to them. Always remember that we learn more by teaching than by receiving. At the same time, your friends might like you better! We understand that some students may think that if they help their friends, they are creating competition for themselves. Do not worry about that. While a bright selfish student might win the 100 metre dash, a helpful average student always win the marathon. We celebrate ‘abundance’ instead of ‘scarcity’. Good things may take time to materialise but it will always come.

Prepare to fail and learn from it!

We succeed because we fail many times. There is never a smooth sailing journey. The faster we recover from multiple failures, the faster we discover success! Whenever things do not go our way, there are always lessons to be leant. Embrace failure and do not hide from it. Learn to say “I am sorry and I will improve on it”. Failure is an opportunity forward. If you are not scoring well in exams, that is not a judgement that you are lousy. It is a message to tell you how you can improve. If you lose in a tournament, you have not been sentenced. You have, in fact, found many teachers to learn from.

While these effective habits may seem pretty obvious, these are habits that needs to be constantly cultivated. It will be easier for our children if we parents emulate such habits and be their role model.

Mr Linus Lin
Principal, L-intelligent Horizons Eduhub

Ms Fazliah
The Editor and English Educator for LTH