Doing well in academics is the most demanded wish of students in schools and colleges. Although consistency, dedication and hard work are the essential elements of academic success, self-confidence is one of the most significant and often neglected element. Having confidence and trust in yourself, and your preparation alone can boost your performance many times. It acts as a catalyst, along with the other elements, to ensure that the hard work you have done shows off on the days you need it.
Confidence can make or break your academic performance. This article will discuss the ways by which students can become academically confident and boost their academic performances.
- Do not compare
One of the biggest sources of under-confidence in academics is – ‘Oh! She is so much more intelligent than me’, ‘He always gets more marks than me’ etc.
Students, very often, compare themselves to other students who they think are somehow better than them. This, then leads to self-doubts and reduction in confidence.
- Understand that every student has different learning power, strengths and weaknesses. The person you are comparing yourself to has evolved from different circumstances and mindset.
- Comparing yourself to others will only lead to two things. Both of them are undesirable situations for a student.
- If the other person is academically better off than you, you will feel discouraged and under-confident.
- If the other person is academically poor than you, you might feel superior and overconfident. This must be avoided at any cost.
- Comparison thus, always leads to unwanted and disastrous results.
- 2. Try to become a better version of yourself every day
The most peaceful and effective ways to gain academic confidence is to compete with yourself every day. Once you start practicing it, it becomes very interesting and engaging.
- Consider that you have a duplicate of yourself in your soul. Challenge him every day to compete you.
- More the times you are able to compete and beat yourself, greater the confidence you gain.
- Be a little better of whatever you were yesterday. Even 1% change everyday will lead to tremendous results in a year.
- 3. Identify the sources of academic under-confidence
And eliminate them!
Academic under-confidence may arise due to several reasons – it may be due to your bad results, or negative comments on your results, or the lack of an academic guide. It may also arise due to the fear of bad results and the opinion of people.
- As far as the negative comments are considered, stop paying much attention to that. Eliminate the friends and people who instead of helping you, discourage you on your academic front.
- Spend time with people who identify your academic strengths and genuinely help you in your weaknesses. They could be your parents, teachers or good friends.
- Know that results will get better automatically if you study dedicatedly and effectively with consistency.
- 4. Do not set unrealistic academic expectations
You cannot hope for a jump from 60% to 95% by studying a week before the exams. Never set unrealistic expectations about your academic performance. Higher the expectations you set, more will be the disappointment and the confidence will never build.
Set your goals keeping in mind your strengths and capacities. This will help you in achieving your goals comfortably and in a better manner. More the goals you achieve, stronger will be your trust on yourself.
All the best!
