School Mom and Student

If you’ve ever heard of the Pareto Principle, you know that it states that 20% of the work we do gives us 80% of the results we get. By contrast, the same principle also states that 80% of the work we do gives us just 20% of the results we obtain. So how can this information be used to give us academic success?

Most students lack essential study skills and as a result, most of the time they spend preparing for exams is wasted. What is the point of going without sleep and getting exhausted when you could study in a highly targeted way for only twenty percent of the time with much better results?

To succeed in school, you don’t just need to know the subject matter; you need to know how to play the game. If you have average intelligence but have learned how to properly utilise study skills, you’re much more likely to succeed than someone highly intelligent but who has not. The Pareto Principle, therefore, is about focus, not just about effort.

Ordinarily, most students lack strong and specific focus during study periods. It would not be too much to say that only twenty percent of their total study efforts are focused, which means that eighty percent of the time they spend preparing for exams is wasted.

Of course, students also need to focus on the right material when they prepare for exams. When they have so much study material presented to them, though, how can they choose what to focus on?

The Australian state education departments have written syllabus documents for each year and subject of study. Successful students will target their study efforts toward the outcomes that have been specified in these particular documents. These syllabi are generally available online and can be downloaded to home computers. Often, these documents also include a glossary of terms that are essential to understanding and completing a particular course of study.

The study guides can also be purchased specific to the state you live in, at reasonable prices. These can save you time and summarise essential information for better success on exams. They may also give you information you have not gone because you’ve been absent from school or your school education standards have not been up to par.

Marking is based on meeting course outcomes, so successful results cannot be separated from the expectations of the curriculum. Parents often do not understand how the education system has changed since they were at school and see their children’s grades as a reflection of academic ability.

However, more often than not, children have not learned how to produce work that will produce good grades. Once they know how to play the game, they are able to get better grades. They are also able to save a lot of wasted time reading over course material.

You can also use the Pareto Principle as part of your university study. In this case, you are given initial course documents that outline the topics you will cover in the semester’s course. You may also be given initial course documents that tell you what readings and other textbooks you may have to utilise. In addition, you’ll be given assignments and due dates at the beginning of your coursework, so that you can plan your study time accordingly.

Most university courses in the humanities require a lot of reading and essay writing, so good summaries and planning are essential. By reading the essay questions ahead of time and making notes from your readings in response to the demands of the question, you can reduce your study time by up to eighty percent. In other words, twenty percent of your effort will give you eighty percent of your results. Any targeted effort above this can improve your marks significantly.

Focusing your attention for shorter periods of time is the key to your academic success. You also need to focus your attention on the right things, however. Don’t just rely on what teachers tell you in class, or what other students tell you. Take a look at the official written material available to you and focus on that as well. If you follow these rules, write good essays, and make sure you cover the course content required of you, you’ll be able to substantially improve academic performance. You’ll also be able to do it much more easily than you otherwise would.