Good marks: 7 ways character tops talent when it comes to getting good marks

Everyone wants good marks in their exams. Whether you're taking your first GCSE or you're in the final stretch of your A-Levels you'll be gunning to do your level best.

However, it can sometimes seem that those good marks are completely out of your reach. Maybe you believe that other people are more intelligent than you, your teachers haven't taught you the right way or you don't have enough support at home.

Well, I've got news for you. None of these things matter if you've got character.

What do I mean by character? Let me explain…

Good marks: 7 ways character tops talent when it comes to getting good marks

1. Effort

If you're willing to put the hard work in then you're going to take yourself a long way. Keep putting the effort in consistently and you're going to make progress. I promise.

Action step: Make yourself a weekly routine and see your grades grow as you put in the effort.

2. Attitude

The right positive mental attitude will carry you through hard times and over hurdles. You need to believe that you can do this and stay positive and cheerful as much as possible.

Action Step: Decide to succeed in your pursuit of good marks and stay positive.

3. Resilience

Once you've developed a positive attitude (and the determination to succeed) you need to stay resilient. Obstacles will be put in your way. When the computer crashes losing your almost finished coursework or you get a D in your mocks it's very tempting to give up.

What you need to do is (maybe) have a quick cry, then dry your tears and carry on regardless. You're not going to get good marks by giving up.

Action Step: Get back to it as soon as you can. Get feedback, find out what went wrong and learn from the bad times.

4. Manage your time

Time is precious. It's the one resource you'll never get back. Use it wisely.

Everytime you choose to do something you're also making a choice not to do something else. Is that time on YouTube helping you to get good marks? Is watching your favourite soap going to get you the grades you want?

Action Step: set your priorities and make conscious choices about how you're spending your time.

5. Organisation

Organisation is a great way to bust through stress and worry. Once you know what's happening when and what you need to do to achieve it things will feel so much more under control.

Action Step: Making yourself a revision plan and stick to it.

6. Resources

Having the right text books, revision guides, past papers and exam specifications to hand will make it so much easier to make progress towards good marks.

Action Step: If the course text book you use at school doesn't make a bit of sense to you, go to the library and find a different one. If you find it difficult to learn by reading, find a really good revision channel on Youtube. Be resourceful.

7. Focus

Have your eye on the prize. What is it that you want to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? How do good marks help you get there?

Action Step: Stay focused on what you want and how these exams are going to help you achieve it.

Question: Which of these charcter traits are you going to work on first to help you get good marks in your exams?

Need more advice on how to get good marks? Get your very own copy of my book The Ten Step Guide to Acing Every Exam You Ever Take. In it I show you how to take the right steps towards good marks and the grades of your dreams!

THE TEN STEP GUIDE TO ACING EVERY EXAM YOU EVERY TAKE

Download your free chapter of my book. In this chapter you will learn:

• How to personalise your revision techniques to make them more effective for you
• How to enjoy your revision (yes, I did said enjoy...)

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