Were you a great student in high school, with report cards consisting of exceptional grades? Or were you an average student excelling on staying above the fine percentage that kept you right above a D+? Perhaps a creative student that didn’t care too much about grades or report cards and may have shrugged off a few classes that ended up with F is for“Fantastic” grades (ahem)?

There is a saying “It’s not how you start but how you finish.”

How much of this is true?

It is possible for a great student in high school to be overcome with life’s unfair experiences that affect their success later on in life. In the same way it is possible for a “Fantastic” high schooler to change their lives around and become successful later on in life.

According to the American Psychology Association, being a good student, maintaining an interest and obtaining good reading and writing skills can be a good predictor of successful occupations and education later on in life regardless of a persons IQ, personality factors and a parents socioeconomic status.

In 1960 the American Institutes for Research collected data from 345,660 high school students as well as additional data following up with those students in the years following the research 11 years later from 81,912 of those students and 50 years later from 1,952 of those students!

Being smart definitely has its own advantages however, working hard seems to have the upper hand in long term success. Working towards being a good student and reaching for those achievements throughout high school years may be one of the most important disciplines to achieve a higher income occupation later on in life.