Characteristics of successful and struggling students

Successful students have realistic expectations about study and how to balance it with their work and social life.

If you think a student might be struggling, encourage them to seek help or advice

Area	Success characteristics	Indicators a student may struggle
Educational expectations	Shows genuine interest in their course Has realistic expectations of university and the workload Is responsible for their own learning	Shows no interest in their course Makes negative comments about teaching styles or workload
Motivation	Is self-disciplined with good study habits Attends class regularly Prepares for lectures and tutorials by doing preliminary readings and assessments Finishes assignments on time and keeps up to date with reading and revision Uses campus services such as the library, learning skills, seminars, IT resources, etc	Doesn't attend class regularly Doesn't finish and hand in assessments on time Doesn't attend exams Works too many hours which interrupts study time (more than 15 hours per week for full time student) Unwilling to seek help or advice or use campus services, library, etc
Involvement	Understands that uni is about developing personally and socially as well as academically Gets involved in campus-based activities, clubs and societies	Lacks friends at uni and doesn't socialise Socialises too much Fails to re-enrol
Wellbeing	Has healthy eating, sleeping and exercise habits Maintains an even keel emotionally Is aware of and willing to use support services if needed eg. financial assistance, health service, counselling, etc Continues to be involved in family activities and shares some household tasks	Has excessive weight gain or loss Has poor sleep habits Is always tired Appears overly anxious or down Is self critical or has low self esteem Is reluctant to use university support services Avoids family activities and responsibilities