Most of us can probably remember that friend in school that seemed to never study while routinely setting the curve on tests, that ‘lucky’ individual who appeared able to turn out A after effortless A while enjoying more free time than most of their peers.
Similarly, most of us had a friend or friends that would devote hour after hour to studying, yet struggle to receive an average grade. These less fortunate students would frustratingly recall the laundry list of preparation and time they had invested and the late hours they’d logged for a middle-of-the-pack grade.
While it is certainly true that some people are simply gifted test takers and truly brilliant students, most of the time, these two types of students are formed from the mastery, or lack thereof, of the same skill: efficient studying.
Like any skill in life, practice and repetition are the seeds that must be sown for proficiency. But what happens when you practice a skill incorrectly with no instruction or guidance?
Anyone who has played golf, basketball or tennis will tell you that no matter how many hours you tirelessly practice, if you have a mechanically flawed swing, shot or stroke, your sweat and time will never match up to the results that you receive. In the same analogous vein, when someone tries to teach themselves or repeats poor form at the gym, the resulting efforts can not only be ineffective, but sometimes painful and counterproductive.
So it is with good reason that people are willing to pay a premium for sound and safe personal training at a gym with a solid reputation, or are willing to spend a good chunk of change for an hour of time with a reputable golf or tennis pro. These individuals have experience dealing with common mistakes and inefficiencies and can supply you with the proper instruction for immediate improvement as well as equip you with a good foundation to practice and improve effectively on your own.
These same principles hold true with studying and learning. A student with a strong work ethic is in a great starting position, but providing that individual with proper technique and efficient practice habits will take them to another level academically. The residual effects of learning to study, prepare and conceptualize efficiently are the greatest tools a student can develop.