Get better grades by harnessing the power of the "80/20 Rule

by Dr Marc R. Dussault

Author of Speed Studying Techniques

Did you know that there's a principle whereby you can actually achieve 80% of your results with 20% of the work? This is called the Pareto Principle, and it really does work. In short, it states that we get 80% of results from 20% of our effort. To expand on this further, we can also apply this principle to academic success.

Most students don't have the essential study skills they need. Because of this, they spend most of their time preparing for exams less efficiently than they need to, which means that most of their time is wasted. Why should they do this when they could study in a highly targeted fashion and obtain 80% of their study success with only 20% of the effort?

School success does not necessarily rely on intelligence, but on knowing how to play the game. A student of average intelligence who has learned study skills is far more likely to succeed than a highly intelligent student who hasn't. When applied to academic success, the Pareto Principle is not just about effort but about focus.

Most students don't have the specific and strong focus needed while they study. In fact, only 20% of total study efforts are usually focused, which means that 80% of the time spent studying is wasted.

You need to focus on the right material when you prepare for exams, but when you have so much study material, how do you know what you should focus on?

Australian State education departments have syllabus documents written for each subject in your course of study. Those who are most successful will focus their study on outcomes specified in the documents. Most often, these documents are available online and can be downloaded to your own computer. These will often also include glossary of terms essential to understanding and completing the course of study.

If you need help covering essential material, you can also purchase study guides specific to the state you live in for reasonable prices. These guides can save you time by providing important headings and sub-headings with summaries of essential information for exam success. These books can also fill in gaps in information that can occur as a result of absences and variations from school education standards.

Marks are based on meeting course outcomes and marking criteria. This means that successful results can't be separated from curriculum expectations. Oftentimes, parents don't understand how the education system is so different these days compared with when they were at school. They believe that their children's grades are a direct reflection of their academic abilities.

However, more often than not, children have not learned how to produce work that will produce good grades. Once they know how to play the game, they are able to get better grades. They are also able to save a lot of wasted time reading over course material.

You can also use the Pareto Principle as part of your university study. In this case, you are given initial course documents that outline the topics you will cover in the semester's course. You may also be given initial course documents that tell you what readings and other textbooks you may have to utilise. In addition, you'll be given assignments and due dates at the beginning of your coursework, so that you can plan your study time accordingly.

Most university courses, especially those in the humanities, require students to do a lot of essay writing and reading. This means that good planning and summaries are mandatory. If you read the essay questions ahead of time and then make notes from your readings, your study time can be greatly reduced by up to 80%. In other words, 20% of your effort can give you much greater results. If you apply targeted effort above this, you can further improve your marks.

This means that focusing your attention for shorter periods of time can make you more successful academically. This is provided, of course, that you focus on the right things. Don't just focus on what teachers tell you in class or what other students tell you. Take a look at the official written material you have in front of you and use it as a guide. Then, write good essays and make sure you cover all of the required course content. In this way, you should be able to improve your academic performance substantially. In addition, you'll do it much more easily than you otherwise might be able to.

About the Author:
About the author: Dr Marc R. Dussault can show you how to get the best grades With the least effort. Visit the "Get Better Grades" website for more helpful tips on acheiving great marks by studying more efficiently.