In recent times, the academic world has taken different turns. Enhanced modules of sciences, humanities and arts present newer opportunities for students. This is more so for African students worldwide who are trying to fit into the system one way or another. As basic and tertiary level education keeps evolving, what can the average student do to reach the top?

The importance of making a mark as a student is tantamount to career progression and expertise. Even more, the world of opportunities open to better-performing students can be pretty enormous. This can range from scholarships, fellowships, training and grants. As a prospective or current undergraduate, certain factors may be instructive in helping attain the heights of a leading student.

Below are some of the key pointers that can help build the ideal leading student.

The Power of Niche

In many thriving sectors, you will find out that most people who usually excel dominate a particular niche. It is easy to decide on any choice of course. However, most studies are segmented into various niches.

For instance, it is not enough to go for engineering or petroleum engineering. A more concentrated niche would be marine petroleum engineering, petrology geology, etc. What brings about excellence most times is focusing. It will be a lot easier to focus on one area of a profession than more.

While this may seem more attainable to postgraduate students, an undergraduate student can also take the initiative. In most African universities, majoring in specific courses for your undergraduate programme may not be possible. However, the course works to be taken are relevant to your programme.

The best way to utilise niche power in this sense is to learn the importance of each course to your programme. Taking this into consideration will help you appreciate each class better. I will, in turn, results in doing better at it.

For example, a law student who must take literature classes may wonder about the relevance to law. However, literature is the easiest scholarly way to see people’s different capabilities in terms of intellect, motive, and actions. More so, good literature helps you learn how to write exquisitely, which is a necessary skill for lawyers and law students alike.

Embracing Advancement Opportunities

There are so many opportunities available to students. It can come in the form of seminars, training, internships and scholarships. A leading student knows how to seek out opportunities and seize the moment.

One great benefit of these kinds of opportunities is exposure. Nothing teaches you better or makes you more desirable in your field than the proper exposure. There are aspects of your area that you can only learn while in practice or from experts in preparation. It is the kind of opportunity granted by training and internships.

Also, the need to meet the requirements for some of these opportunities is a potent driving force. While some are open to all kinds of students, most experiences are offered to high performing students. Even more, you get to network with like-minds. Iron sharpens iron, they say. Therefore this works even more to elevate you as a leading student.

Find the Right Balance

The best way to become a leading student is to create a perfect balance in all activities. While most tutors will emphasise time management, there are other aspects to balance as well. You may have heard the term ‘work/life balance, well, there is ‘school/life balance too.

As the saying goes, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”. So, you have to play. Find time to rest, relax and participate in enjoyable extracurricular activities. An overworked person is hardly productive.

Moreover, other benefits can come from this. Finding time to know what’s happening around you other than studying is a suitable means of experience gathering. Networking and honing your soft skills are survival tools in today’s world. Also, you get to know relevant trends that can influence your field.

Nevertheless, time management is handy in enabling you to maintain the cause. It will not help if you are unable to manage each area of your life efficiently. Improperly timed interferences can stifle the growth of either area.

Conclusively, there are different routes to becoming a leading student. Emphasis is on what works for you. Also, regardless of any stage you are currently in your academic pursuit, you can make decisions that will turn you into a leading student this coming 2022.