Academic success is often understood and assessed by high grades. More fundamentally, successful academic performance is about obtaining employability qualifications, critical thinking, and personal skills. First, academic success is when students gain the technical skills necessary to become qualified professionals after university (Cachia et al., 2018). Second, academically excelling students should obtain critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the academy. Knowing particular mathematical formulas or historical facts is insufficient without students being able to analyze them critically. Third, academic success is also about personal development.
In other words, academia teaches essential life and personal skills such as time management, coping with stress, and discipline. One might argue that such skills can be mastered in any other aspect of life, such as sports. However, individuals can maximize personal development only through the academic journey. Students can sharpen their minds and obtain knowledge that helps them better understand themselves and their impact on the world (Cachia et al., 2018). Thus, academically successful students develop not only professionally but also personally. To conclude, for me, the definition of academic success goes beyond doing good on exams or knowing facts or formulas. Instead, academically prosperous students can succeed in professional, cognitive, and personal development.
Reference
Cachia, M., Lynam, S., & Stock, R. (2018). Academic success: Is it just about the grades? Higher Education Pedagogies, 3(1), 434-439. Web.