Characteristics of "A" Students

from an article by Paul Solomon and Annette Nellen in The Teaching Professor, February 1996

• Ability (Talent) . . . have special aptitude, motivation, or a combination of both. This talent may include either or both creativity and organizational skills.
• Attendance (Commitment) . . . never miss class. Their commitment to the class resembles that of their professor. Attending class is their highest priority.
• Attitude (Dedication) . . . show initiative. Their desire to excel makes them do more work than is required.
• Communications Skills . . . write well and speak confidently and clearly. Their work is well-organized, covers all relevant points, and is easy to listen to/read.
• Curiosity . . . are visibly interested during class and display interest in the subject matter through their questions.
• Performance . . . obtain the highest scores in the class. They exhibit test-taking skills such as an ability to budget their time and to deal with test anxiety. They often volunteer thoughtful comments and ask interesting questions.
• Preparation . . . are always prepared for class. They always respond when called on. Their attention to detail sometimes results in catching text or teacher errors.
• Retention . . . learn concepts rather than memorize details so they are better able to connect past learning with present material.
• Time Commitment (Effort) . . . maintain a fixed study schedule. They regularly prepare for each class no matter what the assignment. They average 2-4 hours of study for every hour in class.
• Adaptability . . . have made the transition to the university academic paradigm, where active engagement for learning is the norm.