What makes a student remarkable?

A recent article from Inc. lists the 8 characteristics of “Remarkable Employees”. Reading this on my return from spring break led me to ponder the qualities that make my students “remarkable”. Is it the same characteristics? I generated my own list and realized that while some items were duplicated on the two lists, others were different enough that this list might be useful as well.


So here it is . . . Qualities of a Remarkable Student:

1. They participate in class. Everyone knows they should but it’s hard to force your hand in the air and voice an opinion when you don’t know what others think. But remarkable students are willing to take risks and share their ideas. They know they don’t have to be right and they know class is much more interesting when everyone communicates and builds knowledge together.

2. They know when to listen. A good learning experience is one where everyone is actively participating in class but no one benefits when everyone talks just to hear themselves. Remarkable students listen as well as speak. Listening builds a sense of community with your classmates and opens the door for learning.

3. They’re involved. These are students who are fully involved and engaged in their classes but are also involved outside of their classes. They are in clubs and organizations related to their interests – both academically and just-for-fun. Want to be remarkable? Join Psychology Club or Active Minds but you don’t have to limit yourself to Social Science related activities: write an article for the school newspaper, dance in Divine Step, get involved in student government, join the ski club. Bottom line, if you have an interest, pursue it!

4. Their learning is connected to their goals. It’s Lasell, of course connected learning is part of being a remarkable student! Exceptional students recognize the value of making connections between their learning, their career goals and their day-to-day lives. How have students engaged in connected learning? Through community involvement, internships, research projects and developing skills related to being a professional through their coursework and assignments.

5. They praise. Yes, this is the same as in the remarkable employees article. Everyone loves praise so if you thought a peer had a good idea, tell him/her. Liked class today? Let your prof. know.

6. They provide constructive criticism. We are all involved in higher education because we enjoy learning and recognize that we can all learn more. Remarkable students are able to identify areas for improvement and share their ideas. I once had a student complain that it was hard to keep different statistical tests straight in her head and it would be so helpful to have a one-page summary of when to use each test. So we worked together to create one and I now hand that out whenever I teach stats.

7. They question. It’s not possible to know everything so remarkable students are curious. They want to expand their learning and are willing to think critically and question themselves and others.

8. They are motivated. You can’t accomplish anything without a drive to succeed. Remarkable students get the most out of their education by pushing themselves beyond perceived limits. If the syllabus states to read only a few pages of chapter 5, remarkable students will read the whole chapter. If a paper assignment asks for 3 sources of information, they’ll use 4. Remarkable students want to get the most out of their education and they are willing to put forward extra effort and go beyond the minimum and beyond what they think they can achieve. Just because you haven’t tried something before, doesn’t mean that you can’t do it successfully. Stretch yourself and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.