Let’s imagine two students with similar abilities in different academic, social, and family environments. Logic tells us that the better the environmental conditions (quality teaching, a stimulating environment, personalized attention, or a family atmosphere conducive to study), the better their academic results will be.

And yet, we often encounter students who, against all odds, achieve exceptional academic levels. What do they do differently? It’s not just about studying more, but studying better. This article explores the habits backed by cognitive and educational science that these students consistently apply to excel.

1. Deliberate practice and constant self-assessment

Inspired by the work of Swedish psychologist Anders Ericsson , the concept of deliberate practice goes beyond simple studying: it involves intentionally focusing on weaknesses, receiving feedback, and continually adjusting strategies. It’s the same principle used by elite athletes and musicians.

This type of study practice can be taught in educational centers, as is the case with the Talentos program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.

In this framework, high-potential high school students receive problems tailored to their specific proficiency level, with immediate feedback. Program participants have excelled in international math olympiads, demonstrating that this technique works even in resource-limited settings.

2. Planning and time management

Successful students divide their learning into focused blocks with defined goals, using metacognitive strategies to assess and adjust their progress. This self-regulation skill has been extensively studied by B.J. Zimmerman and D.H. Schunk , educational psychologists who have conducted fundamental research on how students plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning.

The most common technique among these students is to organize their time into 25-45 minute periods of deep concentration followed by strategic breaks, accompanied by weekly reviews to adjust and optimize their personal planning system.

In Colombia, the Network of Students of Excellence (REDEC) implemented a strategic planning training program for low-income students in Medellín in 2023. The results showed that those who consistently applied structured planning methods improved their grades in just one semester, regardless of their socioeconomic status .

3. Active recovery and practice tests

One of the most powerful techniques is the practice of actively retrieving information, rather than just rereading it. Methods such as flash cards, practice tests, and the Feynman technique enable deep consolidation of knowledge.

Flashcards force the student to actively recall the answer before seeing it, which strengthens the neural connections associated with learning; their effectiveness increases when used with spaced repetition .

Practice tests involve self-assessment with questions similar to those on a real exam, which not only reveals knowledge gaps but also trains the brain to quickly access information under pressure.

Finally, the Feynman technique consists of explaining a concept as if teaching it to another person, using simple language; this process reveals what is truly understood and what is not, facilitating mental reorganization and a deeper understanding.

There are digital tools like Anki and Quizlet that can help you design tests and flashcards, but with a systematic approach: create your own flashcards, review them daily, and adapt them based on your progress.

The Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP) implemented an active retrieval-based learning system for public school students. Using a spaced practice platform specifically designed for contexts with limited internet access, they helped students from marginalized communities significantly increase their performance, with several national finalists coming from the poorest regions of the country .

4. Spaced effect and distributed repetition

Avoiding last-minute studying is key. Spacing out your studying over time improves long-term retention, as demonstrated by one of the most influential studies on the subject.

High-performing students use scheduled review systems, revisiting previous material according to calculated forgetting curves. Forgetting curves are based on a model initially proposed by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus , who measured how long a person retains information if they don’t review it. This model shows that we forget most content shortly after learning it, unless we review it at strategic intervals. To calculate when to review, algorithms are used that estimate the point at which we are about to forget information (before it is completely lost).

Specific calendars can also be used to strategically distribute review sessions to maximize retention.

The National Institute of Technological Education of Argentina developed the Distributed Study program for technical training students, implementing a method where midterm exams systematically include content from all previous modules in decreasing proportions.

Students who followed this model showed retention of over 85% of the material learned at the beginning of the year, compared to 35% in control groups.

5. Sleep hygiene and physical and mental care

Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t a luxury, but a study strategy. Research shows that adequate sleep strengthens memory and improves academic performance . Many high-achieving students also practice mindfulness or active breaks (brief interruptions during study time during which they engage in light physical movement).

For example, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the Andes has developed programs and courses focused on student well-being and the development of university life skills. They offer the course “Tools for University Life ,” which seeks to support students’ adaptation to the academic environment and promote their independence.

6. Growth mindset

According to psychologist Carol S. Dweck , a professor at Stanford University and author of Mindset: The Attitude for Success , students who believe their intelligence can be developed with effort are more persistent, resilient, and successful.

A prominent example is the program implemented by the Ministry of Education and the Center for Innovation in Education of Fundación Chile, which integrated this perspective into the socio-emotional development of students in vulnerable areas, achieving significant improvements in motivation and academic performance .

Concrete practices that help cultivate this mindset include keeping learning journals to record progress, reframing failures as opportunities for improvement, and actively seeking out challenges that push them out of their comfort zone.

In several public schools in Mexico, the Borderless Mindset initiative implemented an eight-week program focused on developing a growth mindset in high school students from marginalized areas. The results were striking : dropout rates decreased by 35%, while average grades increased significantly, especially among students previously classified as “underachievers.” Most notably, these changes persisted two years after the initial intervention.

7. Strategic collaborative learning

High-achieving students don’t study in isolation. Contrary to stereotypes, they establish highly effective collaborative learning networks where each member contributes their strengths. They use methodologies such as “reciprocal teaching” and “peer explanation,” techniques that multiply conceptual understanding.

The difference lies in the structure: they are not simple study groups, but organized communities with defined roles, clear objectives, and specific methods for collectively solving complex problems.

The Latin American Network of Youth for Science (RedLJC) created “circles of excellence” at public universities in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. These interdisciplinary groups use a systematic method of collaborative learning where students from different fields meet weekly to address problems from multiple perspectives. Participants significantly improved their grades and, more importantly, developed research projects that have received international recognition, demonstrating that strategic collaborative learning enhances results that would be impossible to achieve individually.

Mystery solved: performance within everyone’s reach

Exceptional academic performance is not a mystery reserved for a privileged few. It is a combination of strategic, measurable, and accessible habits that have been validated by both cognitive science and practical experience in the Latin American context.

The good news is that these strategies are transferable and scalable, meaning they can be applied in different contexts and settings. The challenge now is to translate this knowledge into effective educational policies and pedagogical practices accessible to all.

Author Bio: Guillermo José Navarro del Toro is a Research Professor at the University of Guadalajara