There are certain things that are common among successful students: they take care of themselves, they regularly complete assignments, and they have other commonalities. For example, they just don’t seem to make the big mistakes that interfere with the average student’s success. The truth is that anyone can achieve this level of accomplishment. Here are a few of the things that help them make that leap from mundane to extraordinary.

They always get enough rest. No one functions right when they’re constantly yawning and these students recognize that. You won’t find them at the off-campus late-night parties and you probably won’t find them hanging out at the bar. They skip these things for many reasons: they don’t like drinking, they’re not a fan of crowds, etc., but there is one overarching theme. They prefer to spend their free time restfully.

Doctors, doctors, doctors. There are doctors who specialize in every area of health and these scholars see many of them. When they have a back-ache they go and see a chiropractor or, depending on the severity, neurologist. When they have bunions, they go to see a podiatrist. The same is true for their doctors for intestinal discomfort, digestive issues, that freckle that has bugged you since you were a child, quite literally anything concerning how your body functions or looks, these students see doctors all the time. It’s almost a wonder how they find time for school, but that is obviously because their time is not taken up by surprise health concerns.

Stuck-up, brown-noser, show off: when there are available resources for assistance, they are right there taking advantage of them. They are often in the writing center, the math center, and any other tutoring sites. What’s more is that they are in constant communication with their teachers and normally even on a first name basis. Some may think they are just trying to get a good grade (and they wouldn’t be far off), but what they’re actually doing is taking advantage of an available resource: their professors. They also generally have study groups where they meet with other students who are in their classes to brainstorm about the material and compare notes. These guys get the best grades and that is their focus, but they don’t do it for that alone. When you finish university, you will have access to a transcript of your academic history and you can add that to a professional portfolio. In the professional world that students hope to be a part of after completing school, employers often like to see how prospective employees have performed in the past, even a history of their behavior is helpful. Academic history is often preferred, because it is a familiar setting to most. When a future employer looks at your transcript, they can get an idea of how successful you were as a student. It shows whether you have passed all of your attempts, what you have attempted and failed at, it can even give some insight into your behavior. So, when a student sucks up to a teacher it doesn’t appear on their transcript, but the results of their actions are apparent in their academic history.

These students keep a daily planner of some kind, whether it’s a notebook, electronic daily planner, or something else entirely, they use it for everything. When they grow older and are a working professional with a secretary, their secretary will keep a schedule of their obligations for them. Working from planner while in school just builds that habit for later use. Aside from that, it never hurt anyone to be prepared. From military commanders to day laborers and everything in between, having a schedule written down to refer to eliminates time wasted.

These students take breaks from studying when it is important. It may seem like they are lazy, but that’s part of the genius in their method. You find them apparently slacking at regular intervals in the gym, the school’s recreational areas, or anywhere else that students congregate. You may wonder how someone who apparently has so much free time does so well in their classes.

These are all pretty easy to figure out. The truth is that there is no “magic strategy” and no “proven method.” That isn’t how the world works, although that is how it is often portrayed. It takes time, dedication, and effort to be a successful student. The thing is that by being a successful student, you set the bar for yourself a little bit higher. It isn’t as hard to maintain as to begin, but maintaining these habits isn’t easy either. The other vital thing to remember is that nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. Even the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies slip up from time to time, their mistakes are just less visible. They just keep trying.