--- title: Improving Academic Performance | Mark Skoskiewicz (10) description: "Mark Skoskiewicz holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a Major in Finance from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, (he received additional minors in Philosophy and History). At IU, Mark was an undergraduate economics instructor teaching supplemental small group sessions for the department’s introductory economics course. During his junior and senior years, he was a private economics, finance, and accounting tutor. After Indiana, Mark spent 8 years working for Marakon Associates before creating MyGuru in 2009 while earning his MBA at Northwestern Kellogg to make it easier for parents and students to find high quality yet affordable tutors. While Mark wants MyGuru to always be known as a source for excellent tutors, we also aim to be a thought leader on how to improve academic performance through shifts in mindset, well-defined study plans, improved study habits, and even stress reduction strategies. Mark believes these ideas are a powerful, critical complement to working with an expert private tutor. Mark currently shares insights, advice, and information about how to improve academic performance in MyGuru’s improving academic performance blog and in an eBook Plan, Prepare, Perform: A Personalized Approach to Test Preparation. (10)" --- # Improving Academic PerfORMANCE Learn how to improve yourself through targeted learning and improved study skills. Browse by All News study skills academic performance improve study habits improving academic performance online tutoring growth mindset how to improve my grades improve academic performance improve your grades online educational resources tutoring 1-on-1 tutoring GMAT Blog deliberate practice study tips motivation preparing for the initial tutoring session study help ACT/SAT IQ New tutors brain science college student grit online tutors personalized education private tutoring time management Brain Rules LSAT MCAT Reading Comprehension Uncategorized college prep coronavirus high school improve test scores improving grades mindset private tutors study habits working with an online tutor College Admissions GRE Grit drives academic performance Hiring a tutor Improving Writing Study Planning deliberate practice at school distance learning hard work how to study efficiently increase your academic performance malleable brain math skills online tutor tips organization skills set clear objectives share details share materials strategic study plan study strategies studying ACT/SAT study skills College Applications GMAT GMAT prep John Medina LSAT Prep Managing Stress New Partnerships Paul Tough Strategy Development calculus tutoring college admissions interview college advice college entrance education system gre test prep improving cognition memory techniques neuroplasticity note-taking online classroom online statistics tutor productivity remote learning study the right way test prep strategies tutoring skills tutoring tips undergraduate student ACT ACT study help Boston tutors CPS selective enrollment California tutors Carol Dweck Cognitive Skills College majors Customer service ELA ESL tutoring GMAT reading comprehension GMAT testimonials Heidi Grant Halvorson How to Study for standardized exams Key Factors v. 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Competitive Position Micreconomics MyGuru News MyGuru leadership MyGuru locations NCLB NCLEX New York tutors Online Performance Character Power of Practice Revised GRE SAT study help SEL Study plans Success requires more than intelligence Summer tutoring program When to hire a private tutor Writing Sample admissions essays advanced placement anti-bullying ap classes ap physics ap physics tutoring ap test prep auditory learners beyond booksmart choosing a college major college degree college education college essay writing advice college essays college freshman college resume college tips compassion cost of college deep work demand curve effort equality essay writing exam preparation focus foreign language learning gamification gamification in classroom goal setting grad school online graduate school habits health and academic performance healthy living for students high school admissions high school resume homework tips how to do better on standardized tests how to study how to study better how to write an essay improve my writing intelligence interview preparation kinisthetic learners learning styles licensing exams linguistics tutoring math math help math tutor mental contrasting mindfulness motivating students nursing school nutrition online GRE tutoring online LSAT tutoring online gmat tutor online learning ownership mindset physical wellness physics tutoring podcast positive thinking private high school psychology of success reducing stress series 7 exam series 7 exam tutor should I study for the SATs social emotional learning standardized tests statistics tutor strategic planning stress reduction study guides and tips studying for standardized exams studying for the ACT studying for the SATs teaching strategies test taking confidence test taking strategies testimonials text anxiety tips for studying for the ACT tips for studying for the SATs to-do lists tutoring autistic students tutoring students with autism undergraduate degree visual learners writing an essay This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ## Posts by Mark Skoskiewicz: [graduate school](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/graduate-school) [academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/academic-performance) [improve study habits](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/improve-study-habits) [improve test scores](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/improve-test-scores) [how to study efficiently](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/how-to-study-efficiently) ![Improving academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-730728783-jpg/images/shutterstock_124494247-resized-600.jpg?width=204&height=190&name=shutterstock_124494247-resized-600.jpg) Based on our work with students every day and in our review of the research on academic performance (and really, any type of performance), we’d encourage anyone wrestling with doing better in school, preparing for a standardized test, obtaining admission to college, graduate school, or business school, to follow four simple rules. This article will describe these four rules, and also provide links to easy-to-read books that explore each in much more detail.  At the end of the article, we’ll offer a brief summary of how these rules work together to improve academic performance. ### **Rule #1: Adopt a growth oriented, ownership mindset** [how to study better](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/how-to-study-better) [study help](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/study-help) [deliberate practice](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/deliberate-practice) [how to improve my grades](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/how-to-improve-my-grades) [how to do better on standardized tests](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/how-to-do-better-on-standardized-tests) [study guides and tips](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/study-guides-and-tips) [increase your academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/increase-your-academic-performance) [study the right way](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/study-the-right-way) In a previous blog post on [deliberate practice](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/bid/383617/Improving-Academic-Performance-Through-Deliberate-Practice), we learned that it takes focus, motivation, feedback, and a desire to uncover the underlying elements of the big concepts.  More importantly, we learned that it is the way to build new skills, be they academic, athletic, musical, or anything else.   Let's now look at a few different examples of the concept in action, as well as explore what deliberate practice, in an academic context, involves in a bit more detail.![describe the image](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-234800470-jpg/images/shutterstock_114692122.jpg) [study skills](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/study-skills) [study habits](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/study-habits) [deliberate practice at school](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/deliberate-practice-at-school) [improve your grades](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/improve-your-grades) [homework tips](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/homework-tips) ** ![Deliberate practice in school](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-318770006-jpg/images/act-math-section-tutor-chicago.jpg?width=310&height=287&name=act-math-section-tutor-chicago.jpg) [How to Study for standardized exams](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/how-to-study-for-standardized-exams) [studying for standardized exams](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/studying-for-standardized-exams) [studying for the SATs](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/studying-for-the-sats) [studying for the ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/studying-for-the-act) [SAT study help](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/sat-study-help) [ACT study help](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/act-study-help) [should I study for the SATs](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/should-i-study-for-the-sats) [tips for studying for the SATs](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/tips-for-studying-for-the-sats) [tips for studying for the ACT](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/tips-for-studying-for-the-act) > “It is not that I’m so smart.  But I stay with the questions much longer.” [academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/academic-performance) [brain science](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/brain-science) [mindset](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/mindset) ![Train your brain.](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-549375611-jpg/images/shutterstock_89087125-resized-600.jpg?width=187&height=187&name=shutterstock_89087125-resized-600.jpg)Have you ever caught yourself being too critical of your abilities in a given area?  Students in particular can be their own worst enemies.  They don’t realize how powerful an influence mindset can be on day-to-day actions.  In reality, what we think about ourselves and our abilities will determine what we can achieve, especially academically. [test prep strategies](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/test-prep-strategies) [Power of Practice](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/power-of-practice) [study strategies](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/study-strategies) [how to study efficiently](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/how-to-study-efficiently) [ACT/SAT study skills](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/actsat-study-skills) ![describe the image](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-344226759-jpg/images/shutterstock_123859036.jpg?width=396&height=294&name=shutterstock_123859036.jpg) In a previous article [The Underestimated Power of Practice](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/), we talked about the power of practice when considering what makes someone an expert in any given subject.  We explored the idea that genes aren’t as essential as we tend to believe, that an incredible amount of concentrated practice is a much better determinant of future success.  We argued that talent is overrated, and practice is underrated.  We talked about a rule that researchers on performance have developed – you may need to spend 10,000 hours practicing intensely and deliberately to become a world-class athlete, musician, or mathematician. 10,000 hours.  10,000 hours of ‘deep practice’ seems to be the rule to live by when desiring to become a world-class expert at something.  When you begin to really consider that, it’s overwhelming.  Now, you of course don’t need to spend 10,000 hours to build certain types of skills for specific events.  It either isn’t necessary, or isn’t practical.  But, the point is that you need to spend a lot of really intense, focused time practicing and pushing yourself to improve.   ### Follow this blog