The “80/20 Principle” Enables The Best Study Results

If you’ve ever heard of the Pareto Principle, you know that it states that 20% of the work we do gives us 80% of the results we get. By contrast, the same principle also states that 80% of the work we do gives us just 20% of the results we obtain. So how can this information be used to give us academic success?

Most students who study lack essential study skills. This means that most of the time, they spend a lot of wasted time preparing for exams. Instead, they could be spending 20% of the time utilising highly targeted effort.

To succeed in school, you don’t just need to know the subject matter; you need to know how to play the game. If you have average intelligence but have learned how to properly utilise study skills, you’re much more likely to succeed than someone highly intelligent but who has not. The Pareto Principle, therefore, is about focus, not just about effort.

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.

Of course, students also need to focus on the right material when they prepare for exams. When they have so much study material presented to them, though, how can they choose what to 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.

Grades are based on the fact that you meet course outcomes; this means that successfully completing a course cannot be done without meeting the expectations of the curriculum. Parents often don’t understand that the education system has changed since they went to school themselves, and believe their children’s grades are a reflection of their ability.

More often than not, however, students don’t know how to produce work necessary for successful grades. Once they know how to “play the game”, they will be able to get the grades they desire. They can also save time when they study by using their time efficiently.

The Pareto Principle can also be applied to university study. You will be given initial course documents outlining the individual topics you will cover in your course. You will also usually be given a book of readings and perhaps additional textbooks. You will also be given a list of assignments and due dates at the beginning of your course at most universities so you can plan your study time.

Most university courses in the humanities require a lot of reading and essay writing, so good summaries and planning are essential. By reading the essay questions ahead of time and making notes from your readings in response to the demands of the question, you can reduce your study time by up to eighty percent. In other words, twenty percent of your effort will give you eighty percent of your results. Any targeted effort above this can improve your marks significantly.

Focused attention for shorter periods of time is a key to academic success. However, you need to be focused on the right things. You cannot necessarily rely on what teachers say in class, or what other students tell you. You must abide by the official written material available to you. By using this as a guide, learning to write good essays, and ensuring you cover all aspects of required course content, you will be able to substantially improve your academic performance. Best of all, you will do so easily.

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