How to Increase Persistence

Persistent students persevere through difficulty and overcome procrastination by redirecting focus on making action plans, setting short- and long-term goals, and understanding “grit.” Grit means following through with homework that’s been assigned, setting aside time for studying and actually studying, and telling yourself that you finish what you begin. This document discusses all of these approaches in detail and suggests concrete action steps that all students can take to improve their academic performance and well-being.

At-a-Glance Tips:

1. Understand and increase “grit”.
2. Find something you are passionate about and what motivates you.
3. To persevere through difficulty, resist the urge to engage in “grass is always greener” thinking.
4. Try to promote a growth mindset for yourself, rather than a fixed mindset. People who have fixed mindsets tend to believe their ability to learn something new is “fixed,” while someone with a growth mindset believes that eventually s/he will learn something new and improve with deliberate practice and effort.