Habits of High Achieving Students

by Ms. Ayo, our Biology and Environmental Studies Tutor

People assume my top students are simply “naturally brilliant.”

They’re not. They’re consistent.

After teaching over 2,000 students across Nigeria, the U.S., the U.K., and international exam boards (IGCSE, GCSE, WAEC, JAMB), I’ve noticed something surprising:

My highest achievers rarely have the highest IQ. Instead, they have the strongest habits.

And the good news? Every single one of these habits is learnable.

Today I want to share the three habits I see repeatedly in students who rise to the top, the ones who surprise even themselves. By the end of this post, you’ll have tips you can teach your child, your students, or even yourself.

Habit 1: They Ask Questions Early, Not the Night Before the Test

One thing I’ve observed again and again: High-achieving students don’t pretend to understand.

If something feels confusing, they ask.

If an idea feels fuzzy, they clarify.

If a topic looks intimidating, they attack it now, not later.

Low-performing students stay quiet out of fear of “looking silly.”

High performers stay curious because they understand the cost of silence.

Psychology backs this up. Research shows that active questioning improves long-term understanding and retention because the brain anchors new knowledge better when it’s challenged.

🔗 [https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2016/06/learning-memory]

Tip for parents:

If your child/ student hesitates to ask questions, the goal isn’t to “force” courage.

It’s to make confusion feel safe and normal. You can model this by asking questions when you're confused or stuck.

Habit 2: They Review a Little Without Waiting for Motivation

Here’s something I know to be true:

My strongest students do not wake up motivated every day.

They’re not magical creatures with endless discipline.

What they have is routine.

They build tiny habits that compound…

10 minutes of revision

15 minutes of flashcards

a quick review after class

a short quiz on what they learned today

Research supports this.

Spacing and repetition (not cramming!) consistently produce better exam performance and longer retention.

🔗 [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1815156116]

And it’s not just academic.

The students with these habits are calmer, more confident, and less overwhelmed in exam season.

So, instead of setting a 1-hour study block, try:

➡️ Study for 10 minutes. Stop when the timer rings.

Tiny habits feel doable… and they grow naturally.

Habit 3: They Use Active Learning, Not Passive Reading

This one is huge.

Most struggling students “study” by staring at notes, highlighting everything in sight, or re-reading the same textbook chapter repeatedly.

My top students? They make their brain work.

They:

* draw diagrams

* explain concepts back to me

* teach a friend or sibling

* ask “why?” and “how?”

* quiz themselves without fear

This is called active learning, and decades of research show it dramatically improves understanding and grades, especially in science. A landmark 225-study meta-analysis found that students in active-learning environments performed significantly better on exams than those taught through passive methods.

🔗 [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1319030111]

Try this:

After your child studies, ask, “Teach it to me in two minutes.”

If they can teach it, they understand it. If they can’t, it’s a signal to revisit.

The Real Shift: These Habits Build Confidence, Not Pressure

One of the biggest myths in education is that high achievement requires stress, perfectionism, or superhuman intellect.

It doesn’t.

High-achieving students have learned something far more powerful:

🔥 Mastery comes from small, consistent actions, not marathon study sessions.

🔥 Asking for help early prevents the panic later.

🔥 Active learning frees their brain from memorizing and pushes it into understanding.

As a tutor, I see the transformation every week. Students who arrived timid, overwhelmed, and convinced they were “not science people” grow into confident learners once they shift their habits.

Not their IQ. Not their personality. Their habits.

If you’re raising a child, teaching one, or trying to help a student who is struggling, remember: They don’t need to be brilliant. They need a system.

Even one small shift, like asking questions earlier, reviewing for 10 minutes daily, or teaching the topic aloud can have significant impacts on a student's learning habits.

And if you’re a student reading this? You’re closer to “high achieving” than you think. Consistency will take you the rest of the way.