Hard work only gets us so far. Unfortunately, no amount of hard work automatically translates into rewards. We need alternative measures and inputs in order to reap the benefits. As students, we are not often prepared for what’s required, even to study. Though we assume we should only be focused on pursuing our academic goals, these can’t be tackled if other aspects of our life aren’t sorted out.

Health

Many of us overlook our health when studying. We push and study so hard we end up sick. All of us know that our health affects our ability to be good students, yet we overlook it. A simple example demonstrates this: If we are coughing or sneezing constantly, there is simply no way for us to concentrate or have the energy to attend class. We might like to think we’re machines, but unfortunately, we are mortals with human bodies.

This doesn’t just mean only avoiding colds of course, but also eating and exercising. Research even shows the benefits, as Livestrong highlights.

“Researchers concluded that changes in the food and drinks the students consumed had a positive impact on standardized measures of academic progress scores.”

They also found exercise aided enormously, concluding it’s the combination of the right eating and proper exercising that matters. Of course, other aspects to health should be considered, such as student medical aid to provide peace of mind for any future issues.

Secure, safe home

No student can expect to study in an environment where they can barely live at all. Even frequent moving has been shown to have a negative impact on the ability to study.

As the Huffington Post reports:

“Scientists found that children in families who moved repeatedly (especially to new areas of a country) were more likely to perform badly in school and have behavioral problems.”

We should therefore make sure we have a safe and stable home to return to. This could mean finding accommodation elsewhere, like a residence. What matters is we have somewhere to go that is secure, hasn’t got leaks or electricity issues and so on. We need these to be stable so we can focus on studying.

Support base

Very few can succeed at academia alone. It’s important to have friends or family who have an idea about what we’re doing – should anything happen, we can and must call on them to help. This could range from needing studying help to financial aid. We must make sure this is in place before throwing ourselves into the books.