--- title: Improving Academic Performance | hard work description: hard work | Here you will find blog posts with pertinent information on taking tests, studying, college admissions, and more. Be sure to read some posts today. --- # Improving Academic PerfORMANCE Learn how to improve yourself through targeted learning and improved study skills. 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In part three, we’ll explore one of the major themes of the book, which is that “character,” and more specifically “performance character” is the more fundamental driver of success, and it too can be nurtured and developed. Tough believes society has gotten significantly off track, focusing too much on building a narrow set of cognitive skills and abilities, and taking a misguided approach to teaching children how to build all-important “character” skills. [academic performance](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/academic-performance) [beyond booksmart](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/beyond-booksmart) [hard work](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/hard-work) [Paul Tough](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/paul-tough) --- This is the first of a three-part introduction to Paul Toughs insightful book, [How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character](https://www.amazon.com/How-Children-Succeed-Curiosity-Character/dp/0544104404/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=myg096d-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=UPN56QNYR7NKZMOC&creativeASIN=0544104404).   The ultra-concise executive summary and key takeaway is that children do not succeed academically because of their innate intelligence, as is commonly assumed. Instead, Tough shares reams of research which suggests character traits like curiosity, grit, and the ability to persevere may be more important to long term academic success, and particularly success in college and life beyond college, than cognitive skills like mathematics, logic, and reading comprehension. The rest of this three-part article will introduce the author, explain the structure of the book, provide an overview of the book's introductory chapter, and offer a brief analysis/review of the book.   **Let’s start by providing some details on the author.**    Tough is a journalist with a specific interest in education, child development, and poverty in America. He's written cover stories for the New York Times Magazine, and his writing has also appeared in Slate, GQ, and Esquire. It's interesting to note that you don't find out until the final chapter that Tough himself was admitted to Columbia University, but ultimately dropped out before earning a college degree. In that final chapter, Tough ponders whether he lacks some of the critical character traits he describes in the book. [intelligence](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/intelligence) [IQ](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/iq) [deliberate practice at school](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/deliberate-practice-at-school) [deliberate practice](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/deliberate-practice) [grit](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/grit) [hard work](https://www.myguruedge.com/our-thinking/myguru-blog/topic/hard-work) --- ![3-steps-to-performing-well-on-standardized-tests.png](https://www.myguruedge.com/hs-fs/file-22397167-png/images/3-steps-to-performing-well-on-standardized-tests.png?width=250&name=3-steps-to-performing-well-on-standardized-tests.png "3-steps-to-performing-well-on-standardized-tests.png")If you ask a random collection of people what is needed to be successful in school, you’ll probably receive quite a few responses along the lines of “hard work” or “a high IQ.” I would never suggest that one shouldn’t work hard, or shouldn’t always try to continually build their intelligence. But I think there’s mounting research and evidence that hard work and intelligence really aren’t the fundamental drivers of academic, professional, interpersonal/social, athletic, or artistic success. Before introducing four more fundamental keys to success, let’s briefly discuss why hard work and intelligence don’t really lead to success, and might even lead to failure. ### Follow this blog