three qualities of good essay

What Makes a Good Essay?

By stephanie whetstone.

The deadline for this year’s Princeton Writes Prize Staff Essay Contest has been set (March 1, 2020)! We hope you are already hard at work polishing your prose, but in case you are struggling to get started, let’s consider what makes a “good” essay.

Dictionary.com defines the essay as “a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.” This leaves a lot of room for creativity. For a personal essay, focus on the personal part. Why are you writing about this subject? Why now? How does your experience connect with your audience’s? A personal essay is not self-indulgent; rather, it is a means of connecting with others through the common experience of being human.

The winners of the Princeton Writes Prize have written about New South, travels in Japan, a timeworn stone step, and a dining room table. None of these subjects is inherently gripping, but they became so when connected to the writer’s thoughtful, heartfelt experience.

Write as specifically as you can about what is important to you, what excites you, what connects you to the world, or what you can’t seem to get off your mind. So how do you start? Think about your purpose: is it to entertain, to explain, to argue, to compare, or to reveal? It can also be a combination of these things.

At Princeton, we are lucky to have one of the great essay writers of our time, John McPhee, on faculty. In his wonderful essay, “Searching for Marvin Gardens,” McPhee has a few stories going at once: the “real time” experience of playing monopoly with a friend, his walk through the streets of Atlantic City, the history of the creation of the game of Monopoly, and a commentary about the economic and social realities of the time in which the essay was written. It begins:

“Go. I roll the dice—a six and a two. Through the air I move my token, the flatiron, to Vermont Avenue, where dog packs range.

“The dogs are moving (some are limping) through ruins, rubble, fire damage, open garbage. Doorways are gone. Lath is visible in the crumbling walls of the buildings. The street sparkles with shattered glass. I have never seen, anywhere, so many broken windows. A sign—”Slow, Children at Play”—has been bent backward by an automobile. At the farmhouse, the dogs turn up Pacific and disappear.”

The primary action puts the reader immediately into the world the writer has created and follows “characters” through a plot. The connecting paragraphs provide context and place the experience in the broader world. You may want to tell your story straight through or, like McPhee, stray from a linear structure—not just beginning, middle, end—moving back and forth in time.

Begin your story at the last possible moment you can without losing important information. If you are writing about the birth of a child, for example, you might want to start in the hospital in the midst of labor, rather than months before.

To shift in time, make sure you have an object or experience to “trigger” the shift, such as McPhee’s dogs. You need not be as accomplished as he to write your own essay, but reading his work and the work of other writers can provide guidance and inspiration.

Remember that an essay is a story, so even though it is nonfiction, it will benefit from the elements of a story: characters, plot, setting, dialogue, point of view, and tone. Is your story funny, sad, contemplative, nostalgic, magical, or a combination of these?

Your job as a writer is to help the reader imagine what you see in your mind’s eye. That requires sensory detail. Be sure to write about sounds, sights, smells, textures, and tastes. Remember, too, that your work will be read by a wide audience, so you need to determine how much of yourself and your intimate experience you are comfortable sharing.

Another great Princeton writer, Joyce Carol Oates, writes with exquisite sensory detail in her essay, “They All Just Went Away.”

“To push open a door into such silence: the absolute emptiness of a house whose occupants have departed. Often, the crack of broken glass underfoot. A startled buzzing of flies, hornets. The slithering, ticklish sensation of a garter snake crawling across floorboards.

“Left behind, as if in haste, were remnants of a lost household. A broken toy on the floor, a baby’s bottle. A rain-soaked sofa, looking as if it had been gutted with a hunter’s skilled knife. Strips of wallpaper like shredded skin. Smashed crockery, piles of tin cans; soda, beer, whiskey bottles. An icebox, its door yawning open. Once, on a counter, a dirt-stiffened rag that, unfolded like precious cloth, revealed itself to be a woman’s cheaply glamorous “see-through” blouse, threaded with glitter-strips of gold.”

No matter what you choose to write about, forgive your first draft if it’s terrible. You will improve it in the editing. And finally, read each draft aloud: tell the story first to yourself.

Happy writing!

Contact Info

B03 New South Building, Princeton University

Phone: 609.258.9980

Email: [email protected]

Eight Characteristics of Good Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Dec 2, 2021 | Better Writing | 31 comments

What’s the difference between bad and good writing?

How important is it for a writer to be able to discern the difference between good writing and bad writing?

Pretty important, if you ask me.

I know some writers aren’t concerned with quality. In today’s do-it-yourself and get-it-done-fast world, quality plays second fiddle to quantity. Who cares if your books are full of typos, bad grammar, and poor logic as long as you have published lots and made a bunch of money?

Readers care. Agents, publishers, and reviewers also care. And while you can still make a million with a bunch of badly written books and a stellar marketing scheme, your work won’t be taken seriously. Also (and this is critical), while it’s possible to make it big by writing badly, it’s not likely. It happens, but it doesn’t happen often. The better your writing, the better your chances for securing a readership and building a career.

The Characteristics of Good Writing

So, what constitutes good writing? Opinions on the matter vary widely. There will be different traits that make good fiction versus good poetry or good nonfiction. However, we can cull together a general list of the characteristics of good writing (in no particular order):

Clarity and focus: In good writing, everything makes sense and readers don’t get lost or have to reread passages to figure out what’s going on. Focused writing sticks with the plot or core idea without running off on too many tangents.
Organization: A well organized piece of writing is not only clear, it’s presented in a way that is logical and aesthetically pleasing. You can tell non-linear stories or place your thesis at the end of an essay and get away with it as long as your scenes or ideas are well ordered.
Ideas and themes: Is the topic of your paper relevant? Does your story come complete with themes? Can the reader visualize your poem? For a piece of writing to be considered well crafted, it has to contain clearly identifiable ideas and themes.
Voice: This is what sets you apart from all other writers. It’s your unique way of stringing words together, formulating ideas, and relating scenes or images to the reader. In any piece of writing, the voice should be consistent and identifiable.
Language (word choice): We writers can never underestimate or fail to appreciate our most valuable tools: words. Good writing includes precise and accurate word choices and well crafted sentences.
Grammar and style: Many writers would wish this one away, but for a piece of writing to be considered good (let alone great), it has to follow the rules of grammar (and break those rules only when there’s a good reason). Style is also important in ensuring that a piece of writing is clear and consistent. Make sure you keep a grammar book and style guide handy.
Credibility or believability: Nothing says bad writing like getting the facts wrong or misrepresenting oneself. In fiction, the story must be believable (even if it’s impossible), and in nonfiction, accurate research can make or break a writer.
Thought-provoking or emotionally inspiring: Perhaps the most important quality of good writing is how the reader responds to it. Does she come away with a fresh perspective and new ideas? Does he close the cover with tears in his eyes or a sense of victory? How readers react to your work will fully determine your success as a writer.

I want to add an honorable mention for originality. Everything has been done before, so originality is somewhat arbitrary. However, putting old ideas together in new ways and creating remixes of the best that literature has to offer is a skill worth developing.

Why You Need to Know the Difference Between Good and Bad Writing

To write well, a writer must be able to recognize quality in a piece of writing. How can you assess or improve your own work if you can’t tell the difference between mediocre and better writing in others’ work? This is why it’s so important for writers to be dedicated readers!

Writing is also an art form and therefore subject to personal taste. Can you read a book and dislike it but acknowledge that the writing was good? Have you ever read a book and loved the story but felt that the writing was weak?

A writer should be able to articulate why a piece of writing succeeds or fails, and a writer should also be able to recognize the qualities in a piece of writing even when it doesn’t appeal to their personal taste. These skills are especially necessary when writers are reviewing or critiquing other writers’ work and when revising, editing, and proofreading their own work.

Where do you stand? Do you rate other people’s writing? Do you worry about whether your own writing is any good? Would you add or remove any characteristics of good writing from this list? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing.

31 Comments

I have had work published. I have even won a competition and still I lack the courage to really commit to it. It’s like I heard a character in a ‘soap’ once saying: ” If I dream of doing it I can always hold onto the dream and live on the’ I could have done it if I tried’, whereas if I go ahead and do it I just might not be ‘good’ and then everything will be gone then, dream and all ! ” Everything you say makes sense but it’s courage I now seek to acquire as well as certain’ devil may care attitude . Courage and self belief and wee bit of discipline. 2012 might just be the year ! Michelle

Michelle, I actually think it’s healthy to have dreams that we don’t fully intend on pursuing. It’s good for the imagination! A person might be interested or passionate about dozens of things and cannot possibly make careers out of them all. But courage is something else… and I don’t think anyone can give you courage. You have to find it within yourself. The first step is to decide that you are going to brave the writing career. After that, you muster up the courage. It’s there inside you, and if you really want it, you’ll find it 🙂 Good luck to you!

Good one, Michelle, and needed too.

So many blog posts on how to drum up business or write enticing posts or articles, or even how to avoid embarrassing grammatical errors (not that those are not important).

So little on just plain old good writing. Writing that is unusually good, that delights, that informs with impact,

I love the freedom an informal style of modern English. But sometimes I worry a bit that contemporary readers are being fed to many tiny sentences to appeal to an ever-diminishing attention span.

A good list you have there. Maybe I would add that I value fluency. That adroit facility of the accomplished writer who’s covered miles of (digital) paper and now can write not only accurate and clear words and sentences but also compelling and memorable prose.

Ah, fluency is definitely necessary to good writing, although I think it comes with experience, so it might only apply to older or more advanced writers. Great food for thought, Bill. Thanks!

Loved this blog post. It actually reminded me of a quote by Oscar Wilde, “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written.”

That quote could spur a debate, I’m sure! Thanks for sharing it, Michael. I’m going to give Oscar Wilde’s idea some serious consideration.

“A writer should be able to articulate why a piece of writing succeeds or fails, and a writer should also be able to recognize the qualities in a piece of writing even when it doesn’t appeal to personal taste”

I’m reading a book right now with a story line that I don’t particularly care for. Eight chapters into it, I’m not fully invested into the story. BUT, the author’s grasp of human emotion/interaction and her ability to explicate the nuances with clarity is brilliant. That fact alone keeps interested and pulls me forward.

Ah! I’ve been there too!

This is a very well written blog, and the advice is good for teaching people how to get their points across. However, my problem is not that I can’t tell good from bad; apparently I’m quite good at assessing the quality of other authors’ writing and helping them iprove it. My problem is that though I love writing and am proud of my plot lines and characters, I don’t have a way with words and I just can’t write. Does anyone have any advice on how to make things WORK once you have everything planned out, or am I doomed to the life of an author who can’t write? That sounded really dismal.

How do really know your writing is bad? If you’ve got a plot that you love, characters that are filled with layers and truth, set them free! Turn off those negative thoughts and just run with it. Write your story through to the end. If you believe in what you’ve got so far then let it lead you. You will surprise yourself. You proved with your post above that you can convey feeling, let your characters have their voice. Take a deep breath and jump/write!! Best of luck and courageous hugs!

Thanks, Beckie. Well said!

My guess is that your way with words isn’t as bad as you think. I didn’t have any trouble understanding what you wrote. However, if you want to strengthen your skills in vocabulary, word choice, and sentence structure, there are two things you can do: read as much as possible and engage with poetry. Pick up an introductory book on poetry and you’ll learn tons of techniques in this area (which you can apply to fiction and nonfiction). This one can be expensive but it’s worth every penny: Perrine’s Sound and Sense . Good luck to you!

Thank you, both you and Beckie. That’s really good advice. 🙂 I’ll try to be more positive.

Yes! Keep your chin up and stick with it.

In my estimation, for what it’s worth, you write very well. You were clear and concise. I understood the points you were trying to convey. You even allowed a bit of your personality to shine through with self deprecation. Don’t be so hard on yourself, if you wish to be a writer then you should write. I am learning that for one to write compelling characters , one must be well acquainted with the characters they are creating. I am working on fleshing out some characters who are too one dimensional. Life is not black and white. I am trying to write in between the lines in gray. Good luck with your writing.

I’ve been perusing your site all morning. I’ve found some terrific tips, some very well-thought common sense approaches to working through difficulties in writing. And as soon as I push the submit button on this I’ll be subscribing!

Though I’ve been published and produced, I find myself in an almost constant state of questioning even the most basic ability to write. On the one hand, a local critic stated “proves he can write” and “there’s a simplicity in the writing that is quite refreshing.” On the other hand, I face a writer’s group (all women) each week who continually tell me my writing is sorely lacking because there aren’t enough issues (conflicts) in any given piece and therefore the characters do not exhibit enough “emotional levels.” Facing this type of weekly demolition has made me think I need to go back to doing what I used to do (before I became unemployed!): write for my own enjoyment and forget about any further publishing.

Where can one go to determine if there is even the slightest bit of talent worth further pursuit? I don’t mean a full-on critique of a piece, but a simple “I’d give it up if I were you.” or “This [writing] shows promise, keep learning and keep writing.”

Hmmm, Paul, possibly find a few dudes for your critiques? Also, are the women published? Have good reviews themselves? Read widely in your genre? Men and women do sometimes have widely varying ideas of what makes a good story. You may be writing good, solid, plot-driven adventures (I don’t know–maybe you’re into steamy historical romance) that don’t rely on a lot of emotional nuance. I’d look for beta-readers who understand what you are trying to accomplish.

Or take the girls with a big grain of salt and use what seems to deepen your own writing while recognizing that women’s brains are different. We have bizarre and incomprehensible ideas about relationships and whatnot. I read an interesting theory from the creators of the Dramatica Pro story outlining software about how a “masculine” character (or story) is about getting from point A to Point Z while overcoming every obstacle in between whereas a feminine character (or story) is about getting everything into balance and restoring chaos to equilibrium. Both perfectly fine stories. (I prefer the masculine-type storylines myself).

Post those good reviews and read ’em every day. I have some really nice rejections that I savor whenever I’m feeling inadequate.

Thanks, Melissa!

Two of the ladies have been published but have no reviews of their work. All have complimented the basic plot lines. Their big complaint would seem to fall into the theory from Dramatica Pro you mention; they are looking for every female character to make absolute sense to them strictly within their belief structure of how the characters should/must react to a particular situation. Otherwise, they give solid line-edit critiques and they do point out the occassional hole in content.

None of them read within my genre – if I even have one, that is. I’d classify my novels as “budscapades” (you like my mash-up moniker?) – in other words the main characters are male (female characters do show up along the way) and they are definitely plot driven stories. In entering the Amazon Breakout Book Award Contest, I classified the novel as “bromantic comedy” (plenty of action for guys with a hint of romance for women).

Both your suggestions are solid. I’m sticking with the ladies but will weigh their critiques carefully before implementation and I’ll have to find some men who can show the same amount of weekly dedication to the process.

Thanks, Paul! I think that critique groups can be immensely beneficial, but I also think that each writer has to decide which feedback to apply and which to discard. Objectively, there’s good writing and bad writing, but subjectively, we all have our opinions and preferences. I guess you have to decide whether you want to step up the emotional levels in your characters and add more conflict or if you want to keep your work minimalist.

Here’s what matters: once you do publish, unless you are looking for awards and accolades, the trick is really to find your audience. And there is an audience for everything (as popular culture demonstrates). You might also take a hard look at what the others in your writing group are producing and ask whether this group is a good match to your writing style and needs. You can also ask one of the women in the group to work more closely with you to bring those emotional levels up, if you think you’d like to stretch yourself and experiment a little.

Final word of advice: do not give up on writing or publishing. Forge ahead! You might even look for a creative writing class or workshop — you’ll get a broader range of feedback.

And thank you, Melissa (not Melissa-me, Melissa-you) for putting some analysis into the question of what makes good writing. I get so frustrated with the “Good writing is subjective; it’s just what you like or don’t like,” crowd. The more you study writing, the more you begin to see the difference between good vs bad.

The difficulty, I suppose, is because writing is as complex as any other language. It’s too complex to learn by having the rules explained to us by helpful parents, “Now dear, this is a verb. It always goes after the subject. Is it time to make a poo-poo?” We learn the rules of spoken language by hearing it at a time when our brains are primed and programmed to take it in. Many people don’t start learning to read or write until after that language window is closed. Those of us who learned to read at the same time we were learning to talk have an advantage.

Yes, I’d have to agree that the younger we are when we are taught to read and write, the more naturally it comes. There is much about writing that is subjective, but I believe there is plenty that can be assessed critically and objectively: grammar, spelling, and punctuation, for starters.

i tell every mother about my baby can read…they agree and then dont get it for their child..

I have to admit, I share a lot of the insecurities that I have read in the comments here. I’m pretty young and new to the game, and I’m worried that even if I somehow finish this idea that I have (non-fiction) I wont be taken seriously given my lack of a college degree. I have this internal conflict raging in my subconscious, so much so that I’m starting to have dreams about it. Do I go ahead and share my thoughts with others or should I keep them to myself?

It doesn’t help that I have a fear of failure, I suppose. Writing is where I clarify my ideas and feelings, and I’m afraid that my work will be ripped apart by people that dislike it or dismiss my thoughts, mostly because I’ll take it as them dismantling my soul. Does anyone else feel this way?

As I’m writing this I’m slowly realizing that I think that what I need is a little encouragement from people that don’t know me. Man, writing is awesome!

Even if you have a degree, people can still rip your ideas apart. I believe strongly in the value of higher education, but I also know (for a fact) there are plenty of folks with degrees who lack common sense or good hearts. And there are plenty of bright people with good hearts and common sense who do not have degrees. Then again, if you’re that torn up about not having a degree, why not just go get one?

Having said all that, I think you can simply shift your focus. Most of the best writers in the literary canon did not have degrees. Many did not even finish high school. Of your favorite authors, how many have BAs or MAs? Do you know? Do you care? (I don’t.)

As for failure, everyone’s afraid of it. I don’t think we’re meant to eliminate the fear. It’s more a matter of moving forward even though we are afraid. I would say that if you publish a book, some people are not going to like it. That’s just the way it is. So what? Focus your attention and energy on all the people who do like it. If you work hard and write, and put it out there (and do your marketing), you’ll find your audience. Embrace them, and don’t worry so much about everybody else. Good luck to you!

never worry about what anyone says…if someone takes the time for a a scathing review instead of just chucking it in the trash, then you must have struck a chord with that person…all publicity is good publicity…people will want to find out what made this reviewer so angry/….if they are intelligent…

Writing well is the price of admission. But beyond the basics is where it gets squishy. Eudora Welty said something like “You’re only writing when you surprise yourself”. What does that mean? You write until you discover.

I don’t know–I would say you’re only writing when you’re putting words on the page. Surprises and discoveries are bonuses in the writing process for me. Maybe it’s because I write a lot of nonfiction, which isn’t full of discovery or surprise the way fiction is.

Great article. I’m going to link to it on Reddit!

i think another goal of writing is to use the fewest words possible to convey an idea…similies and metaphors fill this bill…but simple truth sticks with people especially when it is a parable for something much more meaningful.

I think that’s a good goal, although it’s not every writer’s goal. I love clear, simple language, but there are exceptions when I come across a poem or story that is dripping with rich language.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Subscribe and get The Writer’s Creed graphic e-booklet, plus a weekly digest with the latest articles on writing, as well as special offers and exclusive content.

Pin It on Pinterest

SAT BootCamp
SAT MasterClass
SAT Private Tutoring
SAT Proctored Practice Test
ACT Private Tutoring
Academic Subjects
College Essay Workshop
Academic Writing Workshop
AP English FRQ BootCamp
1:1 College Essay Help
Online Instruction
Free Resources

7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay

Bonus Material: 30 College Essays That Worked

The college essay is one of the most important aspects of a student’s application.

It gives applicants an opportunity to articulate their personal values, character traits, and perspectives. It’s also a chance to add more value to your application, simply by demonstrating who you are outside of your resume and transcript.

A “successful” college essay is one that makes the most of these opportunities and, in many cases, earns an acceptance.

We’ve demystified what most admissions officers look for in college applications . But what are these officers looking for in the college essay itself? What are the top qualities of a successful application essay?

In analyzing various essays of admitted applicants, we’ve come up with a list of the characteristics that most of these pieces have in common. We’ll be referring to some of these pieces throughout the post.

Plus, we give you access to 30 college essays that earned their writers acceptance into Ivy League schools. Grab these below.

Download 30 College Essays That Worked

Here’s what we cover:

What is The College Application Essay (in a nutshell)?
7 Qualities of a Successful Essay
Bonus: 30 College Essays That Worked

The College Application Essay In a Nutshell

Most students applying to a college or university in the U.S. must submit an application essay (or “personal statement”) with their application.

Depending on the application platform the college uses (typically either Coalition or the Common App ), students have 500-650 words to craft a response. While each of these platforms has college essay prompts, it’s helpful to view these prompts as general guidelines as to what colleges are looking for in a response.

Based on these prompts and our own experience coaching college essay students , the application essay is:

the chance to say what the rest of your application doesn’t say
a demonstration of your character, values, and/or voice
the platform to show who you are outside of a resume/transcript
an introspective personal essay

The college essay is NOT :

a rehashing of your resume
an excuse or explanation of other components of your application
a formal, five-paragraph essay
what you think “colleges want to hear”

A standard college application includes an academic transcript, recommendation letters, extracurricular / activities section, an optional resume, and standardized test scores. The essay is an addition to these 4 general components, so it makes sense that it should complement them by saying something new.

That’s why we like to define the essay as a “demonstration of character, values, and/or voice.” True, these elements can be inferred from other components of the application. But the essay is your opportunity to clearly and personally demonstrate what matters to you, who you are at the core, and/or your essential perspectives of the world.

For this reason, the college essay is introspective and personal. Colleges want to hear that “I” voice in the application essay, loud and clear, and they want active, intelligent reflection.

You can see this in action in the 30 college essays that worked, which you can download below.

( Note: Some colleges might require applicants to submit supplemental essays in addition to their personal statement. These often have very specific prompts and different word lengths. Here are 8 great tips for approaching supplemental essays . )

7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay

We’ve assessed several college essays of applicants admitted to a wide range of schools, including Ivy League institutions. While extremely diverse, these pieces generally had the following characteristics in common.

1. Introspective and reflective

Many English teachers tell their students not to use the first-person “I” in their essays. While this might be the standard for some academic essays, the college essay should include that “I.” What’s more, it should include a lot of that “I”!

This can be understandably uncomfortable for students, many of whom may simply not be used to talking about themselves openly and declaratively on a page. It can also feel awkward from a stylistic point of view for students who are not used to writing in the first-person.

Yet colleges want to hear your words in your own voice, and they are especially interested in learning more about your perspectives on the world and insights gleaned from your various life experiences. That’s why many successful college essays are highly introspective, full of the writer’s active reflections on what they’ve learned, how they view the world, and who they are.

We typically see the bulk of such introspection at the end of an essay, where the writer summarizes these reflections (although this is by no means standard), as we can see in the conclusion to Erica’s essay here, which describes her earlier attempt to write and publish a novel:

Sometimes, when I’m feeling insecure about my ability as a novelist I open up my first draft again, turn to a random chapter, and read it aloud. Publishing that first draft would have been a horrible embarrassment that would have haunted me for the rest of my life. Over the past half-decade, I’ve been able to explore my own literary voice, and develop a truly original work that I will be proud to display. This experience taught me that “following your dreams” requires more than just wishing upon a star. It takes sacrifice, persistence, and grueling work to turn fantasy into reality.

In her personal statement, Aja reflects deeply on what she specifically learned from an experience described earlier on in the piece:

I found from my experiment and questioning within my mind that my practices distinguished me from others, thereby allowing me to form relationships on the basis of common interest or personality, rather than cultural similarities, that summer. I valued the relationships more, and formed a deep connection with my lab partner, whom I had found was similar to me in many ways.

Notice how both of these selections contain a lot of that first-person voice, which is critical to elaborating perspectives, learning points, and introspective thoughts. And did we mention that admissions officers are looking for those specific perspectives, learning points, and thoughts that compose who you are?

2. Full of a student’s voice

An academic transcript can be revealing to admissions officers. The same goes for recommendation letters and resumes. But it’s hard to convey an individual voice in these application components. The college essay is your prime vehicle for speaking directly to colleges in your own words about what matters to you.

Successful college essays thus veer away from the formal voice many students employ when writing academic essays. Rather, they showcase a student’s unique way of expressing themselves on a page, which can be, for example, humorous, informal, intimate, lyrical, and/or speculative.

Voice is at the forefront of Elizabeth’s essay about her love for “all that is spicy:”

I am an aspiring hot sauce sommelier. Ever since I was a child, I have been in search for all that is spicy. I began by dabbling in peppers of the jarred variety. Pepperoncini, giardiniera, sports peppers, and jalapeños became not only toppings, but appetizers, complete entrées, and desserts. As my palate matured, I delved into a more aggressive assortment of spicy fare. I’m not referring to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the crunchy snack devoured by dilettantes. No, it was bottles of infernal magma that came next in my tasting curriculum.

Notice how Elizabeth’s descriptions of her passion for spice are rich with her voice: playful, intelligent, and humorous. This also gives us insight into a specific aspect of her character–that’s the power of voice when it comes to personal essay writing, and college admissions officers are very interested in applicants’ characters.

3. Descriptive and engaging

You don’t have to be a natural creative writer to compose a successful college essay. Yet competitive essays aren’t afraid to dive deeply into a subject and describe it, whether that description relates to imagery, emotions, perspectives, or insights. A college essay shouldn’t leave the reader guessing in any way–it should be highly specific and it should tell your story in an engaging fashion.

Harry’s more intellectual essay presents his views on common values in society. He is careful to be very specific and descriptive in these views, incorporating both a relevant incident from history and his own direct relationship to the issue:

Admittedly, the problem of social integration is one I feel can be widely overstated – for example, when I was looking into some research for a similar topic a couple of years ago, I found numerous surveys indicating that ethnic minorities (especially Islam) identify much more closely with Britain than do the population at large. Still though, I, like many others, find myself constantly troubled by the prospect of the war from within that seems to be developing. This fear is fuelled by events such as the brutal killing of the soldier Lee Rigby at the hands of two British Muslims a couple of years ago.

In her essay, Amanda is extremely detailed in describing her experience as a caretaker for a difficult child. The result is a clear portrait of the challenge itself and Amanda’s relationship to this challenge, told from the perspective of an engaging storyteller:

Then I met Robyn, and I realized how wrong I was. Prone to anger, aggressive, sometimes violent (I have the scar to prove it). Every Sunday with Robyn was a challenge. Yoga, dancing, cooking, art, tennis – none of these activities held her interest for long before she would inevitably throw a tantrum or stalk over to a corner to sulk or fight with the other children. She alternated between wrapping her arms around my neck, declaring to anyone who passed by that she loved me, and clawing at my arms, screaming at me to leave her alone.

The successful college essays we see always emerge from a place of honesty. Writing with honesty also is more likely to accurately convey a student’s unique voice, inspire reflection and introspection, and result in a descriptive, meaningful piece (all of the qualities listed in this post!).

Sometimes this means adopting a candid or direct voice on the page. James starts his essay frankly in this singular statement:

Simply put, my place of inner peace is the seat of that 50 foot sliver of carbon and kevlar called a rowing shell, cutting through the water in the middle of a race.

Or it might mean describing a challenge, vulnerability, or perspective truthfully, as Martin does in his essay about the experiences that have molded his character over the years:

Looking back, I have never been the “masculine boy” as society says my role to be. I have always thought I do not fit the social definition of a male as one who is “manly” and “sporty” and this alienating feeling of being different still persists today at times. However, I also have become more comfortable with myself, and I see my growth firsthand throughout high school.

Given that many universities value “truth” in their own mission statements and mottos, admissions officers will prioritize those essays that ring with a student’s honest voice.

5. Unconventional & distinct

This is by no means a requirement of a successful college essay. But many of the essays that earn students acceptance at their dream schools veer away from the predictable or expected, as we saw in Elizabeth’s essay above (“I am an aspiring hot sauce sommelier”). They are, in a nutshell, 100% unique.

We’ve seen some essays, for example, that follow more radical structures, such as list formats or experimental narratives. Others focus on unexpected subjects, like Shanaz’s piece on the relevance of Game of Thrones in her life and trajectory of learning.

And, time and again, successful college essays step away from what admissions officers already see in applications–academics, standardized tests, extracurricular activities, and classes. They may focus on something very specific (hot sauce or Game of Thrones ), seemingly ordinary (eating a kosher meal in public or working on a problem set), or personally interesting (a historic murder or wrestling game).

Regardless, the essays that “work” emphasize the unexpected, as opposed to the expected. Distinct essays will also feel as if they could not have been written by anyone else .

6. Well-written

This might also sound like an obvious quality of a successful essay, but it’s still worth mentioning. The most competitive application essays showcase strong writing skills, providing evidence of a student’s ability to tell a specific story artfully and well.

Essays should also be error-free, grammatically precise, and stylistically on point. Successful pieces also might demonstrate versatility through varied sentence structure, word choice, and rhetorical or literary devices. Lastly, well-written essays typically adhere to a specific storytelling structure.

This excerpt from Justin’s essay about his experience in the California Cadet Corps, for example, displays a high command of language, word choice, and sentence structure:

Through Survival, I learned many things about myself and the way I approach the world. I realized that I take for granted innumerable small privileges and conveniences and that I undervalue what I do have. Now that I had experienced true and sustained hunger, I felt regret for times when I threw away food and behaved with unconscious waste.

7. Meaningful

Above all, a successful college essay adds value to a student’s holistic college application. It is full of meaning , in that it

showcases a student’s unique voice
elucidates an applicant’s particular perspective(s), character trait(s), and/or belief(s) and
honestly conveys a significant component of who a student is

It might be difficult to compress the entirety of who you are into 650 words. Yet it is most certainly possible to craft 650 words that add significant meaning to an overall application in terms of a student’s personal potential for the future. This is exactly what admissions officers are looking for .

What can you do to ensure that your college essay aligns with these successful qualities? You can check out examples of essays that do!

You can download 30 actual college essays that earned their writers acceptance into Ivy League schools, right now, for free.

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University. Over the last decade, Kate has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay.

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED POSTS

How Colleges Read Your Application: A 4 Step Process

March 1, 2021

Do you know what happens after you hit that "Submit" button? Learn about how selective colleges read your application.

4 Social Media Tips for College Applicants

4 Essential Social Media Tips for College Applicants

March 8, 2020

Yes, college admissions officers may view your Instagram profile! Use these social media tips to ensure what you post doesn't compromise your application.

5 Things Asian Parents Get Wrong About College Admissions

November 5, 2017

We address common misconceptions about college admissions and provide tips for overcoming them, based on the insights we’ve developed over the past 12 years.

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy preferences.

Student smiling as she studies at dining table at home

19 August 2022

What are the key elements of a good essay?

It’s likely you’ll have to write many essays throughout your time at uni. While you may know generally what an essay is and how to write one, it’s important to keep improving your approach to research, writing and essay structure. There’s always areas in which you can improve.

Here, we’ve recapped some essay basics, as well as things that your assessor will be looking for.

Essay basics

An essay is a piece of writing where you present your opinion, backed up by evidence, in response to a topic. This opinion is referred to as ‘your contention, position or thesis statement’. There are many different types of essays, but they have several common features to help you plan and complete them – if you follow these guidelines!

Essays commonly contain the following:

your point of view, supported by ideas, arguments and evidence
the summary and analysis of other writers’ research and opinions
a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion
a reference list.

Always leave enough time to prepare for writing an essay: you will need to complete the required reading (both from your classes and wider sources), brainstorm keywords and concepts, decide on your point of view, and draft an outline of the contents of your paragraphs.

What your assessor is looking for

Always follow your specific task instructions and check your assessment rubric to confirm exactly what you are being asked to do. Most commonly, these are the elements that your assessor will be looking for when they mark your essay.

You have answered the essay question directly.
You have met the assignment criteria.
You have drawn on readings and discussions from your weekly seminars and classes (your unit’s weekly topics should be your guide for all of your assessments).
You have provided a position on the topic and shown your understanding of it.
You have completed the set and recommended readings.
You have discussed and analysed sources, and formatted them in the required referencing style.
You have planned your essay so that is readable, clear and logically sequenced, with a distinct introduction, body and conclusion.
You have kept within the set word limit.

By following these guidelines, you will set yourself up to achieve the best that you can.

Could you use some help?

This is just a taste of the Academic Skills Guide to Essay Writing . It contains information and resources on how to write an essay, including a guide to paragraph structure , a paragraph planner and a handy explanation of the steps of the writing process. Have a read if you’re looking for detailed guidance about an aspect of essay writing, or about essays more generally.

We also have Academic Skills Guides about researching, referencing, oral presentations and preparing for End of Unit assessments.

And, if you’ve got more questions, chat to a Writing Mentor , make an appointment with a Language and Learning Adviser or check out Deakin’s online tutoring service Smarthinking . The Study Support team love chatting about essays and they are ready to help you out.

How to Be a Good Person Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

What does it mean to be a good person? The essay below aims to answer this question. It focuses on the qualities of a good person.

Introduction

What does it mean to be a good person, qualities of good person, works cited.

The term “good” has relative meanings depending on the person who is defining it. Several qualities can be used to define what constitutes a good person. However, there are certain basic qualities that are used to define a good person. They include honesty, trust, generosity, compassion, empathy, humility, and forgiveness (Gelven 24).

These qualities are important because they promote peaceful coexistence among people because they prevent misunderstandings and conflicts. A good person is fair and just to all and does not judge people. He or she is nice to everyone regardless of religion, race, social and economic class, health status, or physical state (Gelven 25).

A good person treats other people with respect, care, and compassion. Respect shows that an individual values and views the other person as a worthy human being who deserves respect. Compassion is a quality that enables people to identify with other people’s suffering (Gelven 27). It motivates people to offer help in order to alleviate the suffering of others. A good person has compassion for others and finds ways to help people who are suffering. Showing compassion for the suffering makes them happy.

It promotes empathy, understanding, and support. In addition, good people are forgiving. They do not hold grudges and let go of anger that might lead them to hurt others. They think positively and focus their thoughts on things that improve their relationships (Needleman 33). They avoid thinking about past mistakes or wrongs done by others. Instead, they think of how they can forgive and move on.

A good person is honest and trustworthy. This implies that they avoid all situations that might hurt the other person, such as telling lies, revealing secrets, and gossiping (Needleman 34). As such, their character or personality cannot be doubted because they do not harbor hidden intentions.

They act in open ways that reveal their true characters and personalities. On the other hand, good people are kind and respectful. They offer help voluntarily and work hard to improve the well-being of other people. In addition, they treat all people equally despite their social, physical, or sexual orientations. Good people do not discriminate, hate, deny people their rights, steal, lie, or engage in corrupt practices (Tuan 53).

Good people behave courageously and view the world as a fair and beautiful place to live in (Needleman 40). They view the world as a beautiful place that offers equal opportunities to everyone. Good people believe that humans have the freedom to either make the world a better or worse place to live in. They act and behave in ways that improve and make the world a better place.

For example, they conserve the environment by keeping it clean for future generations. A popular belief holds that people who conserve the environment are not good but just environmental enthusiasts. However, that notion is incorrect and untrue. People conserve the environment because of their goodness. They think not only about themselves but also about future generations (Tuan 53). They are not self-centered and mean but generous and caring.

Good people are characterized by certain qualities that include trust, honesty, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, respect, courage, and goodwill. They do not steal, lie, discriminate, or deny people their rights. They think about others’ welfare and advocate for actions that make the world a better place. They promote justice and fairness because they view everyone as a deserving and worthy human being.

Gelven, Michael. The Risk of Being: What it Means to be Good and Bad . New York: Penn State Press, 1997. Print.

Needleman, Jacob. Why Can’t We be good? New York: Penguin Group US, 2007. Print.

Tuan, Yi-Fu. Human Goodness . New York: University of Wisconsin Press, 2008. Print.

Forgiveness in the Christian Texts and the World Today
Traditional Practices That Discriminate Against Women
Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
The Thread of History
People are forced and pressured
Information Perception: Questioning and Verifying Its Accuracy
Mechanical Solidarity in Eating Christmas in the Kalahari
Africa Is Not Ready to Embrace Abortion
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, December 19). How to Be a Good Person Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-it-means-to-be-a-good-person/

"How to Be a Good Person Essay." IvyPanda , 19 Dec. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/what-it-means-to-be-a-good-person/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'How to Be a Good Person Essay'. 19 December.

IvyPanda . 2018. "How to Be a Good Person Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-it-means-to-be-a-good-person/.

1. IvyPanda . "How to Be a Good Person Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-it-means-to-be-a-good-person/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "How to Be a Good Person Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-it-means-to-be-a-good-person/.

More From Forbes

College essays that worked and how yours can too.

Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to Linkedin

Harvard And MIT Sue Trump Administration Over Foreign Student Rule

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 08: A view of Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University on ... [+] July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The college essay is a pivotal piece of the college application showcasing your individuality and differentiated outlook to admissions officers. What makes an essay truly shine? Let’s dive into the words behind three standout essays highlighted by university websites and a school newspaper's brand studio so you can get into the right mindset for crafting your own narrative.

Embracing Differences: Finding Strength In Uniqueness

Essay Excerpt: ‘Bra Shopping ’ (Harvard)

Featured by the Harvard Crimson Brand Studio , Orlee's essay recounts a student's humorous and insightful experience of bra shopping with her grandmother, weaving in her unique family dynamics and challenges at her prestigious school.

What Works:

Humor and Honesty: The student's humor makes the essay enjoyable to read, while her honesty about her challenges adds depth.
Self-Awareness: She demonstrates a strong sense of self-awareness, embracing her uniqueness rather than trying to fit in.
Resilience: Her narrative highlights resilience and the ability to find strength in differences.

For Your Essay : To write an essay that embraces your uniqueness, start by identifying a quirky or challenging experience that reflects who a key insight into your experience. Think about how this experience has shaped your perspective and character. Use humor and honesty to bring your story to life, and focus on how you have embraced your differences to become stronger and more resilient.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, finding connections: humor and self-reflection.

Essay: ‘Brood X Cicadas ’ (Hamilton College)

As an example on Hamilton's admissions website, Nicholas writes about the cicadas swarming his hometown every 17 years and draws a parallel between their emergence and his own transition to college life. He uses humor and self-reflection to create a relatable and engaging narrative.

Humor: Nicholas uses humor to make his essay entertaining and memorable. His witty comparisons between himself and cicadas add a unique twist.
Self-Reflection: By comparing his life to the cicadas’, he reflects on his own growth and readiness for change.
Relatability: His narrative about facing new experiences and challenges resonates with readers who have undergone similar transitions.

For Your Essay: To infuse humor and self-reflection into your essay, start by identifying an ordinary experience or object and think about how it relates to your life. Write down funny or insightful observations about this connection. Use humor to make your essay more engaging, but ensure it still conveys meaningful self-reflection. This balance can make your essay both entertaining and profound.

Persistence and Multicultural Identity: Life Lessons From Tortilla Making

Essay: ‘ Facing The Hot Griddle ’ (Johns Hopkins University)

In this essay published by Hopkins Insider, Rocio uses the process of making tortillas to explore her multicultural identity and the challenges she has faced. Her story beautifully weaves together her Guatemalan heritage and her experiences growing up in the United States.

Metaphor and Symbolism: The process of making tortillas becomes a powerful metaphor for the student’s journey and struggles. The symbolism of the masa harina and water mixing parallels her blending of cultural identities.
Personal Growth: The essay highlights her perseverance and adaptability, qualities that are crucial for success in college.
Cultural Insight: She provides a rich, personal insight into her multicultural background, making her story unique and compelling.

For Your Essay: To write an essay that explores your identity through a metaphor, start by thinking about an activity or tradition that holds significant meaning for you. Consider how this activity relates to your life experiences and personal growth. Use detailed descriptions to bring the activity to life and draw connections between the process and your own journey. Reflect on the lessons you've learned and how they've shaped your identity.

A winning college essay isn’t simply about parading your best accomplishment or dramatizing your challenges. It’s not a contest for which student is the most original or entertaining. Rather, the essay is a chance for you to showcase your authenticity, passion, resilience, social awareness, and intellectual vitality . By sharing genuine stories and insights, you can create an essay that resonates with admissions committees and highlights your unique qualities.

For you to have the best possible essay, mindset is key. Here’s how to get into the zone:

Reflect Deeply: Spend time thinking about your experiences, challenges, and passions. Journaling can help you uncover deep insights.
Discuss and Share: Talking about your stories with friends, family, or mentors can provide new perspectives and emotional clarity.
Immerse Yourself: Engage in activities that you are passionate about to reignite the feelings and memories associated with them.
Draft Freely: Don’t worry about perfection on the first try. Write freely and honestly, then refine your narrative.

The secret to a standout college essay lies in its authenticity, depth, and emotional resonance. By learning from these successful examples and getting into the right mindset, you can craft an essay that not only stands out but also provides a meaningful insight into who you are. Remember, your essay is your story—make it a piece of writing that you will always be proud of.

Editorial Standards
Reprints & Permissions

Published April 1, 2024
9 Minute Read

The Characteristics of a Good Leader

What Are the Characteristics and Qualities of a Good Leader?

Leaders shape our teams, organizations, communities, and world.

We need good leaders to help guide us and make the essential decisions, big and small, that keep things moving forward.

Our society is usually quick to identify a bad leader, but how can you identify a good one? What would most people say are the qualities of a good leader?

What Good Leadership Looks Like

Based upon our decades of research and experience working with leaders at thousands of organizations around the world, we’ve found that the best leaders consistently possess certain fundamental qualities and skills. Here are 12 essential leadership traits.

12 Essential Leadership Qualities

Self-Awareness
Communication
Learning Agility
Collaboration

1. Self-Awareness

While this is a more inwardly focused trait, self-awareness and humility are paramount qualities of leadership. The better you understand yourself and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you can be as a leader. Do you know how other people view you and understand how you show up at work and at home? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness and how to strengthen each component.

Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important things a leader can do. It helps ease tensions and conflict, fosters trust, and improves your effectiveness. Creating a culture of respect is about more than just the absence of disrespect. Respectfulness can be shown in many different ways, but it often starts with showing you truly value others’ perspectives and making an effort to build belonging in the workplace — both critical components of supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

3. Compassion

Compassion is one of the most powerful and important acts of leadership. It’s more than simply showing empathy or even listening and seeking to understand — as compassion requires leaders to act on what they learn. After someone shares a concern or speaks up about something, they won’t feel truly heard if their leader doesn’t then take some type of meaningful action on the information, our researchers have found. This is the core of compassionate leadership , and it helps to build trust, increase collaboration, and decrease turnover across organizations.

Motivating others and garnering commitment are essential parts of leadership. Purpose-driven leaders ensure they connect their team’s daily tasks and the values of individual team members to the overall direction of the organization. This can help employees find meaning in their work — which increases engagement, inspires trust, and drives priorities forward. You’ll want to communicate the vision in ways that help others understand it, remember it, and go on to share it themselves.

5. Communication

Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined . The best leaders are skilled communicators who can communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information and storytelling to soliciting input and using active listening techniques . They can communicate well both orally and in writing, and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographies, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication among leaders at your organization will directly affect the success of your business strategy, too.

6. Learning Agility

Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. If you’re a “quick study” or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But anybody can foster and increase learning agility through intentional practice and effort. After all, great leaders are really great learners.

7. Collaboration

The most effective leaders can work with a variety of colleagues of different social identities , locations, roles, and experiences. As the world has become more complex and interconnected, good leaders find themselves spanning boundaries and learning to work across various types of divides and organizational silos. When leaders value and embrace collaboration, whether within their teams or cross-functionally, several benefits arise — including increased innovation, higher-performing teams, and a more engaged and empowered workforce.

8. Influence

For some people, “influence” may sound unseemly. But as a leader, you must be able to influence others to get the work done — you cannot do it all alone. Being able to persuade people through thoughtful use of appropriate influencing tactics is an important trait of inspiring, effective leaders. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently. It requires high levels of emotional intelligence and trust.

9. Integrity

Integrity is an essential leadership trait for the individual and the organization. It’s especially important for top-level executives who are charting the organization’s course and making countless other significant decisions. Our research has found that leader integrity is a potential blind spot for organizations , so make sure you reinforce the importance of honesty and integrity to managers at all levels.

10. Courage

It can be hard to speak up at work, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That’s part of the reason courage is a key leadership trait — it takes courage to do what’s right! Leaders who promote high levels of psychological safety in the workplace enable their people to speak up freely and share candid concerns without fear of repercussions. This fosters a coaching culture that supports courage and truth-telling . Courage enables both team members and leaders to take bold actions that move things in the right direction.

11. Gratitude

Being thankful can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and better sleep. Sincere gratitude can even make you a better leader. Yet few people regularly say “thank you” in work settings, even though most people say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. The best leaders know how to show frequent gratitude in the workplace .

12. Resilience

Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks — it’s the ability to respond adaptively to challenges. Practicing resilient leadership means you’ll project a positive outlook that will help others maintain the emotional strength they need to commit to a shared vision, and the courage to move forward and overcome setbacks. A good leader focuses on resilience, both taking care of themselves and also prioritizing leading employee wellbeing , too — thereby enabling better performance for themselves and their teams.

Characteristics of a Good Leader download cover

Download a PDF action guide and summary of these characteristics of a good leader, so you always have a visual reminder available of these 12 qualities of good leadership.

Develop the Characteristics of a Good Leader in Yourself & Others

Our 3 core beliefs about leadership & leadership development.

At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we’ve been researching the qualities of a good leader and the role of leadership for over 5 decades. Here are 3 of our core beliefs about good leaders and effective leadership.

Good leaders are made, not born.

First, we believe that leaders are made, not born. Put another way, leadership is a skill that can be developed . Good leaders are molded through experience, continued study, intentional effort, and adaptation. So you can strengthen any of these 12 characteristics of a good leader, if you’re open to growth, use your experiences to fuel development , and put in the time and effort toward self-improvement.

Similarly, organizations can help their people hone these top leadership qualities by providing ample opportunities for training, offering support for learning from challenges, and providing access to coaching and mentoring programs .

Leadership is a social process.

It’s also essential to recognize that leadership is less about one strong or charismatic individual, and more about a group of people working collectively to achieve results together . If you demonstrate several of the characteristics of a good leader, but fail to grasp this key point, chances are you won’t get very far on your own. You may be well-liked and respected, but it will be challenging to accomplish team or organizational goals. At CCL, we like to say that the outcomes of leadership are about creating direction, alignment, and commitment, or DAC , within a group.

Good leadership never stops.

Also, we believe that leadership isn’t a destination, it’s a journey — it’s something that you’ll have to work at regularly throughout your career, regardless of what level you reach in your organization or what industry you work in. Different teams, projects, and situations will provide different challenges and require different leadership qualities and competencies to succeed. So you will need to be able to continue to apply these leadership characteristics in different ways throughout your career. Just continually keep learning and growing, and you’ll be an agile learner with a long career .

We Can Help You Develop the Qualities of a Good Leader

Organizations can strengthen leadership qualities and foster deeper levels of engagement at work through providing a variety of on-the-job learning experiences, mentoring, and formal development opportunities. At CCL, we have many award-winning leadership solutions with clients around the world, and we’d be honored to work with you and your organization as well.

But individuals don’t have to wait to begin strengthening these leadership characteristics within themselves. If you decide you want to work proactively on developing your leadership qualities and skills, download our action guide & visual summary of this content. And get our tips on how to convince your boss to make an investment in you and your future. We’re here to support you every step of the way on your journey to becoming a better leader!

Ready to Take the Next Step?

After you download the 12 Characteristics of a Good Leader , keep on learning and growing: never miss our exclusive leadership insights and tips — subscribe to our newsletters to get our research-based articles, webinars, resources, and guides delivered straight to your inbox.

Keep these qualities of a good leader top of mind in the future: download a PDF summary of this article as an action guide and visual reminder of the leadership qualities to nurture in yourself, on your team, and at your organization in the future.

PDF & Print-Friendly Version
Download as PDF

Based on Research by

With over a decade of experience in education, Micela provides internal research and evaluation support to build our capacity as a provider of evidence-based leadership solutions in the field of education. She is particularly interested in youth leadership development, using research and evaluation to help improve program implementation, and the role of trust as a critical ingredient for organizational change. She has also co-authored 2 books on youth leadership development: Social-Emotional Leadership: A Guide for Youth Development and Building Bridges: Leadership for You and Me .

Stephanie is a researcher with a background in developmental and educational psychology. Her research at CCL focused primarily on promoting equitable and inclusive organizational cultures, exploring collective leadership through networks, and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys.

Don't miss a single insight! Get our latest cutting-edge, research-based leadership content sent directly to your inbox.

Qualities Of A Good Parent Essay | Essay on Characteristics of Good Parent and Essay on Qualities of Good Parent

October 14, 2021 by Prasanna

Qualities Of A Good Parent Essay: A decent parent can be characterized contrastingly relying upon the individual you ask, there isn’t only one straightforward reply. As kids grow up, they normally spend a decent part of consistently with their folks. Everything the parents do and say, the kid ingests it in their mind. Kids will ultimately start to get more established and begin settling on choices all alone.

Parents don’t generally concur with them, however, a decent parent remains close by and upholds them. It is likewise fundamental for Parents to make their youngsters their main goal, kids won’t ever feel dismissed thusly. Regardless of individuals’ various qualities and sentiments, three of the critical characteristics of a decent parent are setting a genuine model, unequivocally cherishing your kid and being accessible for them.

You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Essay on Characteristics of Good Parent

There are various things that I think about with regards to nurturing. Parents have various obligations yet there are three characteristics that I believe are vital. Being a decent good example is significant, just as paying attention to your youngsters and restraining them properly. Assuming you need to be a decent parent you need to put your children first.

Parents assume a significant part in the existence of a youngster. Albeit, the development of so many toys and the impact of companions have significantly influenced kids’ conduct of current time, Parents with great attributes can utilize these powers to shape the character and conduct of a kid for the great. I accept that the ideal guardian ought to be an acceptable moral person, great audience and tolerance.

Parents ought to have great moral people since they are good examples of youngsters. It has been realized that kids are the impression of their parent’s attributes. For example, my folks don’t smoke, bet or drink. They express ethics in the entirety of their activities. They showed us how to regard older folks, and be delicate to others’ sentiments constantly. They have been my venerated image for my entire life since they had the option to bring up six kids so well and none of us wandered off-track.

Moreover, being a decent audience is vital. When Parents have the opportunity to pay attention to their kids, the correspondence is open between parties. To outline, my sibling bombed his science subject in school. My folks didn’t pass judgment or chasten him, rather they conversed with him and paid attention to his interests. They discovered that he didn’t comprehend his illustration well as a result of his allocated seat. He was sitting close to a forced-air system, and it annoyed him.

Having persistence has a ton to do with nurturing. In spite of the fact that kid’s conduct goes crazy here and there because of specific issues like the state of mind, Parents apply additional miles of persistence to comfort them with affection and care. For instance, my sister when she was in her rudimentary years, wouldn’t go to class. My mom was in every case behind schedule for work, on account of my sister’s activity. She would consistently attempt to pay off her with something so she would go into class.

How to be a Good Parent?

Initially, a decent parent should content kids’ material necessities, in particular a home, food, garments, etc. This arrangement ought to be satisfied essentially fair and square of least youngsters’ prerequisites or better contingent upon Parents monetary abilities, however not vastly better so that not to satiate and therefore ruin the kid.

Second, great Parents ought to effectively advance kid’s physical and mental turn of events. This incorporates restraining the youngster, adjusting the kid to physical activities and examining, furnishing the kid with as best instruction as could really be expected, and illuminating or prompting the kid on any issue the person experiences during life. The greater part of these exercises suggests investing a ton of energy with youngsters, which is by and large dangerous as grown-ups normally have a ton of activities in their lives even with no nurturing considered. Yet, great Parents ought to consistently secure freedoms to go through with their youngsters however much time as could reasonably be expected.

Additionally, great Parents ought to ensure their kids. It might suggest assurance of youngster’s wellbeing, that is they should attempt to keep the kid from getting sick and deal with the kid in the event that the individual anyway got sick. Parents ought to likewise shield their kids from any risks both inside and outer. An illustration of an inner risk might be plausible of getting snared on cigarettes, liquor, or medications. An outside risk might be any evil expectation from some other individuals, as menaces at school.

Nurturing is a difficult situation that accompanies huge obligations. In this way, it is vital that Parents ought to have extraordinary people, a decent audience and persistence, so they would have superb youngsters.

Short Essay on Qualities of Good Parent

Our folks, maybe, are the main individuals for youngsters during their whole life. They are our first educators; they are an ideal help for us when we deal with any issues. However, who are they, acceptable Parents? Which individual attributes should a decent parent have? In this article, I will attempt to depict some significant characteristics to be such sort of parent.

In any case, I accept that to turn into a decent parent this individual ought to be cautious and be prepared to invest all his free energy in his youngster. A genuine parent is even prepared to reject his own desires and wants to bring appreciates to his kid. Here I generally recollect my mother who was prepared to commit every single moment of her life when I was little. In my youth I visited a ton of exercises like swimming, moving, and painting. As of late, I have acknowledged how long my mom spent on every one of these, in light of the fact that she carried me to these classes, then, at that point, she was sitting tight for me, after that we returned home together. Thus, I think forfeiting is one of the significant provisions of a decent parent.

Also, a decent parent consistently upholds his youngster’s start. I think it is in the youth when a child acknowledges who he needs to be for what’s to come. That is the reason is very imperative to restrict limitations on kid’s leisure activities. My mother had never been against my skating, however, I realize that even presently she isn’t partial to this hobby. Be that as it may, I think she knows how significant this diversion is for me.

To wrap things up is that a decent parent is consistently prepared to shield his youngster from any risk in the world. Youngsters are extremely dynamic, they like investigating this world, however now and again they face some hazardous. Structure my youth I have the memory of when I was assaulted by the snake. I was truly terrified, yet my mother, in spite of the reality she feared winds, fled the snake.

To summarize, to be a decent parent is a dependable arrangement and there is no recipe for an optimal parent. In this article, I have recently focused on some of the potential characteristics of good Parents, which I accept as the most significant.

FAQ’s on Qualities Of A Good Parent Essay

Question 1. What are the good qualities of parents?

Answer: The important qualities of parents are:

Keeping their children safe
Teaching them the right moral values
Loving their children unconditionally
Having respect for their children’s emotions
Accepting children for who they are
Helping children with their studies

Question 2. What are the bad habits of parents?

Answer: The signs of bad parenting are:

Too much involvement or ignorance for children’s matter
Not paying attention
Not teaching discipline and moral values
Too strict discipline
Shaming on children
Not helping with the studies of children

Question 3. Why parenting is important?

Answer: Father and mother assume a significant part in our psychological, physical, social, monetary and vocation advancement. Parents are the most valuable endowment of God for us. They help us in each progression of our life, they prepared us exceptionally hard style for future difficulties.

Picture Dictionary
English Speech
English Slogans
English Letter Writing
English Essay Writing
English Textbook Answers
Types of Certificates
ICSE Solutions
Selina ICSE Solutions
ML Aggarwal Solutions
HSSLive Plus One
HSSLive Plus Two
Kerala SSLC
Distance Education

How to Write an Essay about Your Qualities

In this tutorial, you will learn how to write an essay about your qualities. We’ll also write a sample essay together!

Whether you’re writing for your homework or college applications, writing such an essay is easy if you know where to start and what to do. So, let’s get right to it.

To write an essay about your qualities, consider what makes you stand out. Pick a main idea, choose three qualities that best describe you, write an introduction and a paragraph for each quality, and write a conclusion.

Let’s face it: you have many qualities, and writing such an essay could be tricky, especially if you don’t organize your thoughts first. So, let’s make things easier for you!

First, pick a main idea.

You need to choose a central idea that overarches the qualities you want to talk about in your essay. To do this, you can think of a personality trait or behavior you can describe using three supporting points— three prominent qualities.

Whatever you choose will be your essay’s thesis .

For example, our main idea can be: “ I am a people’s person . ”

Next, choose three qualities that best support the main idea.

Let’s use the Power of Three to keep your ideas flowing.

The Power of Three divides an essay’s main idea into three supporting points. It is a three-part structure that helps you create your essay’s body paragraphs.

It’s easy to get stuck if you don’t divide your essay’s subject. Similarly, dividing it into only two supporting ideas is not enough, although it may be better than having one undivided main idea.

But dividing it into three is the best way to go. Three is the perfect number of supporting ideas, and it always works.

Make sure you choose ideas distinct from one another to make your essay clear to your readers. But, you should reflect all three supporting points in your thesis statement .

Now, let’s see how this works when writing about your qualities.

For our sample essay, let’s choose these qualities:

I am kind to my family.

This quality talks about how you treat the people closest to you — your family . It also relates to being a people’s person, which should be reflected in the essay.

We can answer questions like these in this part of our essay:

“Why is it important to be kind to your family?”
“How do you show kindness to your family?”

I am a loyal friend.

Like the first one, this quality relates to being a people person.

However, it is different from being kind to your family because it talks about a quality related to your friends .

In this part of our essay, we will answer questions like:

“Why do you think you need to be loyal to your friends?”
“How do you show loyalty to your friends?”

I am approachable.

Lastly, also related to being a people’s person, this quality talks about a trait related to people who are not really familiar to you — acquaintances and strangers .

We will answer the following questions in this part of our essay:

“What does it mean to be approachable?”
“Do you do something to look approachable to other people?”

Notice how all three qualities relate to being a people person. These three, plus our main idea, are enough for now. Later, you will understand how we can expand them into an entire essay.

Now we have a clear picture of our essay’s structure after dividing the main idea into three distinct supporting points.

Now, write an introduction and a body paragraph for each quality.

Now that we have a general idea of what to write in our essay, we can create the introductory paragraph and three body paragraphs, one for each quality we chose.

To write an introductory paragraph , you need an opening sentence (the introduction) that briefly sets the context of your essay. Next comes the thesis (the main idea) and three supporting points.

Here’s an example of an introductory paragraph:

“Our qualities make us unique. Others say I am a people’s person because I am kind to my family, I am a loyal friend, and I am approachable. I help my family in any way I can and avoid using harsh words when we have disagreements. I support my friends and call them out when they are wrong. And I love smiling nicely so other people won’t be scared of approaching me.”

Note that this paragraph goes from a general statement to three specific ideas.

Great! Now, let’s move on to our body paragraphs , containing our three supporting points — the three qualities we want to discuss in our essay.

To write a body paragraph, start with a topic sentence summarizing it. Then, you will briefly explain it and provide examples to illustrate your idea.

Here are examples of body paragraphs for our essay:

Paragraph 1

“I always choose to be kind to my family because it builds my relationship with them. I help my parents with cleaning up around the house, and even buying groceries sometimes. I also help my siblings with their homework and school projects. And I avoid harsh, insulting words when we have disagreements. Instead, I try to stay calm, understand their point of view, and talk to them kindly.”

Paragraph 2

“My loyalty to my friends is one of the qualities I am proudest to have. I always express my genuine happiness to my friends when they achieve something, big or small. And sometimes, although it is hard, I tell them what they need to hear instead of just telling them what they want. For example, I remember telling my friend Kate she was wrong when she got the highest score for our exam because of cheating. She knows I always support and want the best for her, so she appreciated that I called her out for her mistake.”

Paragraph 3

“Whenever I am at an event, strangers and acquaintances tell me I am approachable. They tell me I look easy to talk to, friendly and welcoming because I always have a nice smile. For instance, I attended a party my new colleague invited me to, where I did not know many people. So, I just smiled and politely introduced myself. After a few minutes, my colleague’s friend — a stranger — told me she found me approachable and would love to be friends.”

Note how all three body paragraphs follow the diagram above. They started with topic sentences, followed by explanations and examples.

Finally, write the conclusion.

Restating your main idea and the three supporting points you used (paraphrasing your introductory paragraph) is the quickest and easiest way to write the conclusion for your essay.

Let’s try this time-tested method for our essay.

Here’s an example of a concluding paragraph:

“Our qualities make us all unique, and they either make people like or dislike us. Many people tell me I am a people’s person. I get along well with my family because I always choose to be kind to them. I always express my loyalty to my friends. And I enjoy smiling, making people feel welcome and comfortable when they are around me.”

Finally, we’re done writing our sample essay!

I hope this has been helpful. Now go ahead and write your essay about your qualities!

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

‘The Bear’ Wants You to Stop Worshiping Toxic Chefs

Side-by-side photographs of a pot on a stove and Jeremy Allen White of “The Bear.”

By Aaron Timms

Mr. Timms is a cultural critic working on a book about modern food culture.

Sometime over the past few decades, a strange thing happened: We started treating chefs as temperamental rock stars and restaurants as a barometer of cultural vitality. While pursuits like fashion, music, art and film all seemed to stagnate, retreating into repetition and nostalgia as the economics of these industries cratered, food surged ahead, becoming a rare bright spot in a culture stuck for new ideas. Seasonal, showy, produce-driven cooking was everywhere, and every medium-size city throughout the country had its artisanal pizza place, its special-occasion farm-to-table restaurant, its ramen spot with big ideas about broth.

But with growing cultural importance came heightened scrutiny of the restaurant industry’s failings: poor pay, punishing hours, a toxic culture of macho aggression and brutality. From the reported bullying and violence at Mission Chinese Food in New York to allegations of chronic mold at the Los Angeles jam destination Sqirl, the restaurant business suddenly seemed like a problem industry, just like aviation, fashion and finance, where the catalog of abuses was as long as any tally of creative accomplishments.

Into this environment in 2022 came “The Bear,” a show that seemed both forged in the fire of the food world’s worst excesses and determined to seek a way out of the inferno. Through its first two seasons (the third dropped last night), it follows Carmen Berzatto, known to everyone as Carmy, a hotshot chef called back to Chicago after his brother dies by suicide and leaves him the family restaurant. “The Bear” is both the culmination of two decades of chef veneration and a case for an improved version of it, a plea not to break from the religion of food altogether but to reform it and in doing so create a different culture that’s truly worthy of veneration. In the real world of professional kitchens — with their prosciutto-thin financial margins, boilingly stressful working conditions and entrenched hierarchies of abuse — “The Bear” might seem like a flimsy case for change. But the televised fantasy of a better, more moral restaurant culture, with better, more moral chefs, is part of what makes the show such intoxicating entertainment.

Carmy exhibits both the worst and the best elements of the tortured chef-genius archetype. For centuries, the glory of art excused the sins of the artist, and people happily appreciated the work of Céline, Picasso, Beethoven and all the rest despite the monstrousness of their personalities. Our culture started venerating chefs who exhibited this kind of creative callousness: David Chang, Marco Pierre White, Mario Batali and even Anthony Bourdain were all, in their different ways, avatars of the bawdy, abusive world of the male-dominated kitchen, and their accounts of culinary life glorified the notion that conflict is endemic to gastronomic invention.

We had a tendency to forgive or at least ignore those traits, since witnessing Mr. Bourdain’s journeys into the global culinary wonderland or the spectacle of Guy Fieri racing toward another diner in his convertible through an eternal American summer created a pervasive sense of excitement around food and all its possibilities. On the plate, if nowhere else, things in America seemed to be getting better.

In recent years there’s been a profound and important shift in public attitudes. “The Bear” is perhaps best appreciated as a kind of real-time metabolizing of the tension between temperament and creation. The show presents us with a tortured genius, but it helps us understand why he’s tortured and emphasizes — most important to the narrative’s moral scheme — that he wants to get better. Ultimately, the show grapples with the question: Can our love affair with restaurant culture be redeemed?

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

Want all of The Times? Subscribe .

International
Today’s Paper
T20 World Cup
Express Shorts
Mini Crossword
Premium Stories
Health & Wellness

UPSC Essays Simplified: Structure and Flow of a good essay– the third step

How to build a 'structure and flow' in a good essay our expert takes you through the third stage of writing an essay in upsc essentials' new series. don't miss the essay exercise towards the end of the article..

How to write essays for UPSC Civil Services Exams? This is one of the most popular questions among aspirants. In UPSC Essentials’ special series UPSC Essays Simplified , we take you through various steps of writing a good essay. While there is no set formula or fixed criteria prescribed, Manas Srivastava talks to Ravi Kapoor , our expert, in this new series who guides the aspirants with a simplified framework on how to write a good essay. Don’t miss ‘The Essay Exercise’ towards the end of the article.

Ravi Kapoor focuses on the following steps of pre-writing and writing stages which will help aspirants to write a ‘good essay’.

	)
	)

Today, we will focus on Step 3.

About our Expert: Ravi Kapoor IRS (R) , has now ditched his coveted rank of deputy commissioner and has offered free quality mentorship to UPSC aspirants, drawing upon his ten years of experience to create customised and productive curriculum. Through a free mentorship programme, he integrates tailored educational materials, psychological principles, visual learning techniques, and a strong emphasis on mental well-being into his teaching skills granting aspirants a chance to learn from his expertise.

How to have a ‘Structure and Flow’ in a good essay?

Everyone knows that an essay should be broken down into an introduction, body and conclusion. But what is written inside these 3 components and HOW it is written makes the difference between an essay fetching average or excellent scores.

Structuring and flow refer to the organisation of the essay and your ideas therein.

A good structure is a way of organising information that fits well with the essay topic and the ideas you wish to present in your arguments such that the reader can make sense of the entire write-up without much effort.

Good flow refers to how your arguments and counterarguments connect from one to another such that the reader finds it logically connected and easy to comprehend.

An essay without these elements will appear to be disorganized, jargoned, hard to comprehend and overall, complicated.

Contrary to popular belief, flow and structure are not subjective writing skills that are inborn in good writers but can be learned and improved upon. What follows is a series of structuring techniques that will help you choose the best one for any essay topic you may encounter.

What are different types of structures?

1. 2 side face-off:.

This is the oldest trick in the book. While writing the body of the essay, you divide it into arguments and counterarguments. In other words, you compare one side of the debate with the other.

For example:

“Thinking is like a game; it does not begin unless there is an opposite team”

The body of the essay can be divided into 2 parts- one agreeing with the statement and one disagreeing with it as follows:

Thinking is reciprocal as thought builds on other thoughts. The Socratic method, championed by Socrates, is a testament to this idea. Socrates would go around Athens spreading knowledge by asking questions and inciting dialogue which would lead the conversationist to the point of realization about something new and profound.

Similarly, when Einstein said he was standing on the shoulders of giants, he meant that his theory of relativity was built using many ideas developed by mathematicians and physicists who came before him.

The reciprocal nature of thought helps to improve it by allowing dissent and counterarguments much like a game of chess. An example is the Case study pioneered by Harvard Business School wherein one case is debated upon in detail considering various strategies before arriving at the optimal one.

While dissent and opposition can lead to many a good idea, there are more ways for thought to develop into ideas within human consciousness. Human cognition is too complex to be restricted to one mode of thinking. A Case in point is intuitive or creative thinking that can arise spontaneously without the interlocking of two human intelligences.

For instance, creative geniuses often hit upon their best ideas out of the blue in ‘Eureka’ moments that seem to arise from within the subconscious mind without the presence of an opponent.

Another example is ‘thought-experiments’ used by philosophers that are designed to be introspective exercises that one engages with, with oneself. Thought experiments are indispensable tools for philosophers and physicists to offer insight into a profound problem of logic and metaphysics.

2.Dimensional analysis:

It has become fashionable to break the essay topic into various dimensions such as Social, Cultural, Historical, Economic etc. But this is not a one-size-fits-all method and may or may not work with every essay topic.

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in the school…”

While this topic can be written about based on various dimensions such as economic, historical, social etc, it is not necessarily the best structure for it.

Instead, a better way to present the information in this essay topic would have a mix of chronology and analysis in the following way-

We are blank slates when we are born onto which society and culture leave their imprint. Through childhood and adolescence, the education system seeks to put us through a treadmill of learning, hoping for a fully functional human to emerge at the end. Sadly, the world that awaits a young adult after school is often very different from what the education system has imparted.

Memorization, exams, grades and NCERT books amount to nothing in a world driven by start-ups, ChatGPT and Social Media influencers…. Please note that the dimensions such as social, cultural and historical factors can also be mentioned in the body of the essay as supporting content ideas.

In most essay topics, these dimensions are best used to describe the reasons and impact of an issue or debate instead of as just a structure.

3. Timeline and Chronology

Some essay topics are uniquely suited for a chronological structure wherein you take the reader through a historical journey or evolution such as :

“History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man”

This topic is about the ancient debate between rationality and idealism. To write well about it, you would have to trace the through major historical intellectual movements such as the Scientific Revolution, the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, etc. While doing so, you could mention how each stage was relevant for rational thinking versus idealism with relevant examples.

While you do so chronologically, remember to also present a balanced approach in your arguments- On every stage, you can mention how rational thinking and idealism have been in a tight relationship, but both have been an integral part of human consciousness representing creativity and logic. You may also mention how this to and fro has enriched human civilisation and led to the development of science and art.

4. Anecdotes and stories

Many students like to start their essays with an anecdote- a personal story or an imaginary one about characters highlighting the debate presented in the essay topic. While this is not a bad strategy, it requires a fair amount of creative writing ability to pull off properly. It is also important to mention that anecdotes are not the most suitable vehicle to comprehensively deal with the essay topic as not all arguments can easily fit into a personal story.

An example of a good use of anecdotal structure is:

“Not all who wander are lost”

About 2000 years ago, a wandering prince changed the world by questioning the most profound and radical assumptions about human existence. Prince Siddhartha was bathed in luxury and wanted for nothing. But when we saw the naked reality of the world and all its suffering, he could not silence his mind to the questions that we take for granted- why is there suffering and death? If suffering is inevitable then what is the point of life? Is there peace to be found or are we doomed to suffer in this life?

He wandered for years in search of answers, as lost as a soul can be. But in the end, it was his wandering that changed the world forever. When he became the Buddha, he not only found himself but saved millions of others from being lost themselves….

Anecdotes can make for good hooks or introductions to an essay but may not serve well to cover the entire body of the essay.

The Essay Exercise


	1. Use Anecdotes or historical examples in intro 2. 2 side face-offs in body of the essay 3. Balanced conclusion
	Start with comparing USSR and USA in the cold war. Preparation for nuclear war and hint at how being pre-emptive is strategic but not always a good thing.
	Argument- Counter-argument-
	Conclude by saying that we must strike a balance between preparedness and being spontaneous:

Important points to note:

You can choose which type of structure to use- there is no single best choice.
You may use more than 1 type of structure.
You may use structures for introduction, body and conclusion.

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

The UPSC articles of Indian Express is now on Telegram. Join our Telegram channel- Indian Express UPSC Hub and stay updated with the latest Updates. For your answers, queries and suggestions write at manas.srivastava@ indianexpress.com .

Manas Srivastava is currently working as deputy copy editor at The Indian Express and writes for UPSC and other competitive exams related projects.

Manas Srivastava is currently working as Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express (digital) and majorly writes for UPSC-related projects leading a unique initiative known as UPSC Essentials. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than four years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called ‘Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik’ and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called ‘You Ask We Answer’.His talks on ‘How to read a newspaper’ focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also currently working on a monthly magazine for UPSC Aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University’s Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women’s Studies by the Women’s Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on ‘Psychological stress among students’ at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More

government jobs
Sarkari Naukri
UPSC Civil Services Exam
UPSC Essentials
UPSC Specials

Salman Khan's wedding plans with Sangeeta Bijlani were called off at the last minute, as revealed by Warda Nadiadwala, the wife of producer Sajid Nadiadwala. The couple had planned to get married on the same day as Warda and Sajid's wedding, but Salman backed out. He even joked about eloping with Sajid on stage.

UPSC Magazine

Read UPSC Magazine

Trump vs Biden US Presidential Debate 2024 Live Updates: With fitness, age and danger to democracy in question, two Presidential hopefuls to face off today 1 hour ago
India vs England Live Score, T20 World Cup 2024 Semi Final: IND wipe out ENG for 103, win by 68 runs, face South Africa next for title 4 hours ago
IND vs ENG Semi Final, Guyana Weather Live Updates: India beat England by 68 runs to set final against South Africa 4 hours ago
Latest News Today Live Updates: Should collectively denounce attempts to undermine credibility of our democracy, says President Murmu 7 hours ago

Best of Express

More police powers, denigrating Satyagraha, names in Hindi: Karnataka objects in its report to Centre

Buzzing Now

Jun 28: Latest News

01 US issues fresh sanctions against Iran over nuclear escalations
02 Banganga Tank damaged: BMC slaps showcause on contractor who deployed excavator for desilting
03 Fight with family, financial struggles and injuries: Quartermiler Kiran Pahal overcomes hurdles to qualify for Paris Olympics
04 Global Chess League to hold second edition in London in October
05 Bihar govt will bring stringent law to curb exam papers leaks: Deputy CM
Elections 2024
Political Pulse
Entertainment
Movie Review
Newsletters
Web Stories

Who is really an excellent university student and how to identify them? A development of a comprehensive framework of excellence in higher education

Open access
Published: 26 June 2024

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

Ivana Mašková ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2533-7745 1 , 2 ,
Dalibor Kučera ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7023-8140 2 &
Alena Nohavová ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0386-4440 2

39 Accesses

Explore all metrics

This paper addresses the need for a more comprehensive framework of excellence in higher education, which goes beyond academic achievement alone, placing emphasis on its integration with personal characteristics, and acknowledging the diversity in the student population. Two research studies were conducted to establish this comprehensive framework. The pilot study aimed to offer a conceptual definition of the excellent university student according to the perceptions of the academic community. The study, which involved 26 teachers and 159 students, was informed by teacher interviews, student essays, and focus group discussions. The established conceptual framework of excellence was based on a subset of essential attributes that could be embodied by a real student. The conceptual framework comprises facets of expertness, proactive learning, and being a good person organised within the dimensions of educational and personal excellence. It is complemented by academic achievement and underpinned by genuine study motivation. Building upon the findings of the pilot study, the main study aimed to develop and implement a systematic procedure for identifying excellent students. The study, which involved 53 teachers and 112 students, was based on a multisource assessment of multiple contextually relevant criteria of excellence. The identification procedure involved three phases: teacher nomination and assessment, academic achievement assessment, and peer assessment. As a result, 10 excellent students were identified who met all the conceptual criteria of excellence. In conclusion, this paper presents a comprehensive conceptual and methodological framework for defining and identifying excellent university students, grounded in both theoretical principles and empirical findings.

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Since ancient times, individuals excelling in any field of human endeavour have been the subject of broad fascination and admiration serving as role models and inspiring others to reach their own highest potential. Naturally, excellent individuals generate considerable interest also for psychologists and researchers who have devoted special attention to studying, understanding, and explaining excellence to find which specific behaviours, traits, and experiences excellent athletes, professionals, or students share, and which developmental paths they follow (Chen et al., 2020 ; Fuster de Hernàndez, 2020 ; Hirsch & Segolsson, 2021 ; Kallas, 2014 ). Although we believe that the notion of excellence is highly relevant across disciplines, in this paper, we highlight the importance of concentrating on individual-level excellence within the context of higher education. In the field of higher education, there is a growing body of research focused on investigating the characteristics, motivations, and trajectories of excellent university students. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify qualities associated with excellence that universities could cultivate in other students as well (e.g. López et al., 2013 ; Mirghani et al., 2015 ). To ensure that such research generates valid findings and meaningful conclusions which can accurately navigate educational policy and practice, it is first necessary to develop a rigorous conceptualisation and operationalisation of excellence in higher education. However, the field lacks clear and practical guidance on how to conduct research on individual-level excellence in a conceptually and methodologically sound way.

In the theoretical part of this paper, we discuss limitations of the current approaches to define and identify excellent university students, which tend to focus solely on high academic achievement. We advocate for a more holistic framework that integrates academic achievement with the personal and motivational characteristics, acknowledging student diversity and the variability of ways in which excellence manifests itself (Gardner, 2015 ; Miller & Kerr, 2002 ). We argue that the exceedingly high value placed on academic achievement may have negative consequences, such as a decrease of student well-being, an increase of academic dishonesty, and a switch towards unfavourable motivational patterns (Kötter et al., 2017 ; Luthar & Kumar, 2018 ; Yaniv et al., 2017 ). Methodologically, we advocate for greater consideration of the socially-construed context-dependent nature of the construct of excellence (Terzi, 2020 ).

The empirical part of this paper consists of two distinct yet interrelated research studies, conducted at a European university. The first pilot study, based on qualitative data from teachers and students, seeks to establish a context-specific conceptual framework of the excellent university student. The second study aims to develop and implement a methodological framework for identifying excellent university students. As a result, this paper presents a comprehensive framework of excellence that could be particularly helpful for research based on sampling excellent university students.

Conceptual underpinnings of excellence

Since the term excellence has recently become a ubiquitous buzzword in social science and beyond, it is often used broadly to refer to any field-specific desired outcome. Thus, despite its growing appeal, excellence has been documented as an ambiguous, or even as an empty concept (Bruno-Jofré & Hills, 2011 ; Brusoni et al., 2014 ). To unravel the real meaning behind the term, it is necessary to first review its conceptual underpinnings.

Excellence is generally defined as an “outstanding merit or quality” (“Excellence”, n. d. ); the corresponding adjective excellent as “extremely good, of very high quality” (Summers, 2003 , p. 350). The specific understanding of excellence at an individual level, however, diverges into distinct viewpoints along a continuum with technical goodness (being good at or doing well) at one end, and non-instrumental moral goodness (doing good) at the other (Franks, 1996 , p. 297). The first perspective acknowledges a person’s excellence through the resulting product they created (Norton, 1980, as cited in Franks, 1996 ). Put differently, excellence equals outstanding performance, and individuals are considered excellent when they reach a certain level of a key performance indicator (Brusoni et al., 2014 ). The opposite view is in accordance with the original understanding of the term and has its roots in the ethical theory of the Ancient Greeks. From this historical perspective, excellence, or arete , had to do with values and ideals rather than performance, since it was related to quality of character, and thus a feature of the noble and good human (Jahanbegloo, 2014 ).

The most comprehensive conceptualisation of excellence integrates the duality of professional or performance excellence (observable, measurable outcomes) and personal excellence (personal qualities or virtues) into a single framework (Miller & Kerr, 2002 ). While the integrative approach to excellence is rare in the existing literature, parallels can be identified, mainly in integrative conceptual frameworks of giftedness. Although the conceptual definitions of excellence may not explicitly include high intellectual abilities, the indirect link between excellence and intellectual abilities can be presumed based on the predictive power of cognitive ability on academic achievement, which is an integral part of excellence (Rohde & Thompson, 2007 ). In this respect, the conceptual frameworks of giftedness emphasise several closely related but distinct elements, including, but also going beyond, ability as measured by conventional test scores (Renzulli & Reis, 2020 ; Sternberg, 2009 ). As each of these elements plays a crucial role in contributing to the manifestation of gifted behaviour, their synthesis becomes imperative. In essence, an individual cannot be considered gifted if they lack any of the qualities that together form the theoretical foundation of giftedness. For example, the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness is based on three interacting clusters of traits: above-average, though not necessarily superior, ability in terms of both general and specific ability; task commitment, referring to focused motivation directed toward a specific task or performance area; and creativity (Renzulli & Reis, 2020 ). Likewise, the conceptual framework of giftedness proposed by Sternberg ( 2009 ) synthesises wisdom, intelligence, and creativity. Here giftedness is considered

a function of creativity in generating ideas, analytical intelligence in evaluating the quality of these ideas, practical intelligence in implementing the ideas and convincing others to value and follow the ideas, and wisdom to ensure that the decisions and their implementation is for the common good of all stakeholders. (p. 255)

Specifically, wisdom, regarded as the most crucial yet rarest quality of a gifted individual in the giftedness conceptual framework (Sternberg, 2009 ), clearly aligns with personal excellence in the excellence framework.

The present study strongly advocates the holistic approach to excellence, since it promotes the realisation of the human potential to its fullest extent. We argue that the emphasis on both facets of excellence is particularly important when conceptualising excellence in higher education to be in line with the core mission of higher education institutions: to help individuals fulfil their potential by fostering intellectual, personal, and moral growth (Astin & Antonio, 2012 ; Hoff, 2009 ). Moreover, excellence in higher education goes beyond the academic world since it also represents that which students take with them after leaving university to become excellent professionals, parents, and citizens (Gardner, 2015 ). Given that excellence in the workplace entails high-quality work and ethical and social responsibility at its centre (Gardner et al., 2001 ), it can be assumed that excellence in higher education cannot only pertain to high-quality academic work, but also to the development of personality and character (Hoff, 2009 ).

Conceptual frameworks of the excellent student

Although excellence is one of the most fashionable concepts in education these days (Astin & Antonio, 2012 ), relevant literature providing solid conceptual underpinnings of the construct of the excellent student is limited and entails predominantly theoretical work that lacks empirical data on how the construct is perceived by students and teachers. Since sources focusing exclusively on university students are extremely scarce, all the literature presented here covers students of all educational levels. In this respect, several integrative conceptualisations of the excellent student that acknowledge both achievement and personal attributes can be found in the existing literature. The technical facet of excellence, equivalent to individual expertness, comprises the knowledge and strategies that are needed to address specific tasks, and it is manifested in high academic achievement (Ferrari, 2002 ; Li, 2004 ; Parkash and Waks, 1985, as cited in Bruno-Jofré & Hills, 2011 ). The non-technical personal facet, on the other hand, prevents the reduction of excellence to merely a matter of technical expertness, and emphasises the importance of the values, skills, and outcomes that people need to function well in a particular community (Ferrari, 2002 ). Hence, an integral part of excellence is outstanding academic achievement coupled with personal qualities that have been conceptualised as (a) being a good person (Ferrari, 2002 ) or possessing a moral and virtuous character (Li, 2004 ), (b) showing personal mastery including the desire for self-improvement, curiosity, and willingness to work hard to fulfil this curiosity (Erez, 2004 ), and (c) having good work habits in terms of neatness, persistence, efficient time use, and self-discipline (Franks, 1996 ). In addition, a certain level of intellectual skills may be considered part of excellence, as intellectual skills, particularly general cognitive ability, strongly influence academic achievement (Rohde & Thompson, 2007 ). Indeed, being intelligent was identified as one of the relevant aspects in conceptualising an ideal university student (as discussed below; Wong et al., 2021 ).

In contrast to limited conceptualisations of excellence, a rich empirically-based conceptual framework of what is valued in a student provides the related notion of the ideal university student. In this respect, the characteristics of the ideal student include good grades and personal qualities, such as reflectiveness and supportiveness towards others, but also the education-related qualities of engagement, interest, and taking responsibility for their own learning (Llamas, 2006 ; Wong et al., 2021 ). Nevertheless, whereas the features of an excellent university student can be embodied by a real person, the notion of the ideal student constitutes the aspirations and imaginations of desirable student characteristics that may not exist in one individual (Wong et al., 2021 ). Thus, although the aforementioned conceptualisations may resemble the conceptual frameworks of the excellent student to a certain extent, they are not intended to guide research in student sampling as they are far too complex and not very realistic.

Research on excellence in higher education

This paper specifically highlights the relevance of a notion of excellence in the context of higher education. University students are a specific population in multiple ways. They find themselves in the final stage of formal education, and, at the same time, at the beginning of an unfolding career path. Since excellence in higher education is considered a direct antecedent of occupational (and citizenship) excellence (Gardner, 2015 ), it is of particular significance. Moreover, the stage of emerging adulthood, which usually overlaps with studying at university, is characterised by malleability of attitudes, traits, and behaviours. Emerging adults may greatly benefit from interventions focused on establishing positive behaviour patterns that may, in turn, help them to fulfil their potential and live a fulfilling and meaningful life in the long term (Arnett & Schwab, 2012 ; Nelson et al., 2008 ). If universities use the unique opportunity of this life stage to cultivate excellence in university students, it may not only have a direct effect on students’ personal growth, but also promote the growth of communities, organisations, and the whole society (Gardner, 2015 ; Hoff, 2009 ).

Educational researchers may already be aware of the above-mentioned significance of investigating and cultivating excellence in higher education, as there is a growing body of empirical research focused on concrete excellent students. These research studies typically aim to explain determinants of excellence, such as contextual or personal factors that impact the development of excellence (e.g. López et al., 2013 ; Monteiro et al., 2014 ). Alternatively, they explore the career paths pursued by excellent students with the aim of better understanding, for instance, their career choice decisions (e.g. Fuster de Hernàndez, 2020 ; Kass & Miller, 2018 ). Reviewing the approaches adopted by the most recent research, several criteria have been used to operationally define excellent university students. Sampled excellent students achieve high grades (e.g. Mirghani et al., 2015 ; Monteiro et al., 2014 ), exceed a set cut-off point of the grade point average (GPA; e.g. Al Shawwa et al., 2015 ), or they are enrolled in degree programmes designed for high-achieving students (e.g. Shonfeld & Ronen, 2015 ). Additionally, the samples of excellent students were constituted of those scoring high (exceeding a set cut-off point) on admission examinations (e.g. Kass & Miller, 2018 ; López et al., 2013 ) or national standardised examinations (e.g. Fuster de Hernàndez, 2020 ).

The above-described approaches suggest that current higher education research favours the unidimensional technical view of excellence and equals excellence with high achievement. From the standpoint of the present study, defining excellent university students solely via academic achievement indicators is problematic in several ways as discussed in the following sections.

Shortcomings of approaches equating excellence with high academic achievement

The negative side of high academic achievement.

Excellence, by its nature, is an inherently positive construct (Gardner, 2015 ). Likewise, high academic achievement has commonly been perceived as a surrogate of desirable and positive outcomes, linked for instance to job performance or earnings (e.g. French et al., 2014 ). Nevertheless, there are several less-considered negative aspects associated with high academic achievement, including problematic motivational patterns, an increased tendency towards academic dishonesty, and psychological vulnerability in high-achieving students. Performance pressure resulting from the high value placed on academic achievement may be deemed a common culprit of these issues (Bardach et al., 2020 ; Luthar & Kumar, 2018 ; Ma et al., 2013 ).

First, a matter of concern may be the motivation of high-achieving students that does not necessarily derive from genuine interest in the study material, but tends to be fuelled by the external pressure to stand out (Luthar & Kumar, 2018 ). As a consequence, high achievers may be more interested in obtaining a high GPA, high class ranks, and awards than in true learning (Geddes, 2011 ). In the classroom, high achievers tend to pursue performance-competitive goals, which means that they are primarily motivated by the desire to outperform their peers. On the contrary, the students who display a genuine interest in the course material and strive to develop knowledge and skills are lower achieving mastery-oriented individuals (Senko & Miles, 2008 ).

Even more problematic is the potential link between academic achievement and academic dishonesty. While evidence based on self-reported survey data suggests that students with higher GPA cheat less (Whitley, 1998 ), research based on observation of actual or experimentally-driven behaviour showed that high achievers behave in a dishonest way just as much as low achievers (e.g. Williamson & Assadi, 2005 ). Further, Yaniv et al. ( 2017 ) showed that under competitive conditions, high-achieving students (in terms of GPA, high-school matriculation average grades, and psychometric exam scores) were more likely to cheat in an examination compared to their lower achieving counterparts. The obvious discrepancy between survey-based and actual data can be explained by the inverse relationship between actual and self-reported cheating since the students who cheat more are also more likely to be dishonest in self-reports about their cheating (West et al., 2004 ).

These results suggest that high-achieving students tend to behave dishonestly at least in that they may pretend to behave in a more favourable way than they actually do. Since the desire to do better than others can significantly increase the likelihood of cheating (Van Yperen et al., 2011 ), the suggested link between academic achievement and academic dishonesty may be mediated by the above-mentioned performance-oriented motivation (Senko & Miles, 2008 ). In fact, both performance-oriented motivation and dishonest behaviour may be directly promoted by the high value placed on academic achievement (Bardach et al., 2020 ; Ma et al., 2013 ). With respect to cheating in the university setting, grade pressure was identified as one of its strongest determinants (Ma et al., 2013 ).

Finally, performance pressure can have detrimental effects on the well-being, healthy personal development, and even cognitive functioning of students. There is a consistent body of evidence showing that the highest-achieving students display the highest levels of both subjectively perceived stress and physiological stress reactions (Kötter et al., 2017 ; Yoo et al., 2021 ). The elevated levels of stress resulting from the high and ongoing pressure to achieve can make high-achieving students a particularly vulnerable group prone to psychological health issues, such as depression and anxiety, or to the misuse of drugs and alcohol (Luthar & Kumar, 2018 ). Moreover, the findings of Modrek and Kuhn ( 2017 ) suggest that high-performing students in demanding, highly competitive academic settings may be at risk not only with respect to their well-being, but also to cognitive regulation and independent learning skills.

Such findings further highlight the need for a more sustainable framework of excellence particularly in higher education settings. From this study’s perspective, linking excellence solely to high academic achievement may induce performance pressure, leading to detrimental effects on students’ motivation, moral behaviour, and healthy development, potentially resulting in high-achieving students displaying behavioural and motivational patterns incongruent with personal excellence attributes. Moreover, among the various occupational and age groups, university students tend to be the most psychologically vulnerable in terms of poor mental health outcomes (Evans et al., 2018 ; Stallman, 2010 ; Wittchen et al., 1998 ). Thus, we argue that university students could particularly benefit from a framework of excellence that attenuates the excessively high value placed on academic achievement.

Lack of attention to diversity in the student population

Currently, higher education is characterised by a substantial increase in diversity of the student body related to student demographics, socio-economic status, language, cultural and educational background, skills, values, and attitudes (Smit, 2012 ). This trend has been followed by the emerging discourse calling on universities to acknowledge and appreciate diversity, and to actively search for ways to understand student competences and find ways to recognise the dignity of difference (Sacks, 2002 ; Smit, 2012 ). The notion of excellence is in accordance with this discourse as it concerns student’s heterogeneity in terms of the diverse abilities, interests, dispositions, and ambitions of students. Since also diverse paths to excellence are acknowledged, excellence becomes a plural rather than a uniform concept (Terzi, 2020 ). In this respect, Gardner ( 2015 ) noted that

in the intellectual field alone there are many kinds of excellence. There is the kind of intellectual activity that leads to a new theory, and the kind that leads to a new machine. There is the mind that finds its most effective expression in teaching and the mind that is most at home in research. There is the mind that works best in quantitative terms and the mind that luxuriates in poetic imagery. (p. 127-128)

From this perspective, Gardner ( 2015 ) encouraged “to honour the many facets and depths and dimensions of human experience and to seek the many kinds of excellence of which the human spirit is capable” (p. 134).

The current research approach towards excellence in higher education, however, fails to consider the diversity of student biographies, experience, and competences promoting instead a very narrow view of excellence that can be achieved only by the students whose talents and interests match the one-sided criteria of excellence. Moreover, equating excellence with high academic achievement contradicts the call for a widening diversity in the student population and for addressing equity issues because it is inattentive to the vulnerable students. Specifically, using GPA as a proxy of excellence seems to put vulnerable students at a further disadvantage. GPA tends to be lowered, for instance, by students with learning difficulties or physical health issues, or by students who work during their studies (Bergey et al., 2017 ; DeBerard et al., 2004 ; Tessema et al., 2014 ). Thus, the narrow approach to sampling excellent students may overlook vulnerable individuals, such as students with conditions that affect their learning, those from disadvantaged backgrounds who work to pay for their university studies, individuals who approach learning tasks differently, and those with highly specialised talents, interests, creativity, or motivation (Renzulli & Reis, 2020 ).

The present paper adopts a view on excellence that refers to the culmination and realisation of an individual’s potential to the fullest extent, and it manifests itself in an individual-specific way by extraordinary doing and thinking (Astin & Antonio, 2012 ; Gardner, 2015 ). Indeed, the perception of excellence in this paper aligns with the current perspective on high ability and talent development. As Van de Vijver and Mathijssen ( 2024 ) suggest

the ultimate goal of talent development is self-actualization in the meaning of realizing one’s potential and having a meaningful way of living driven by self-determined goals that integrate personal interests and societal contributions. This also implies that a wide range of talents should be nurtured and developed, including moral talents, in order to be able to capture the uniqueness of each individual. (p. 34)

Thus, we argue that more attention should be paid to diversity in the student population and that a broader set of criteria needs to be employed to sample excellent university students.

The nature of excellence: the attribute of context specificity

In literature, two significant attributes of the construct of excellence have been identified, and research on individual-level excellence should align with these for conceptual and methodological soundness. These attributes are: (a) the attribute of diversity (Gardner, 2015 ; Terzi, 2020 ), as discussed above, and (b) the attribute of context specificity (Terzi, 2020 ), which is explored in this section.

Excellence is a social construct made real through social processes and interactions. By their definition, social constructs are complex, dynamic social realities that can be (re)interpreted and (re)shaped in different ways and hence, different populations and cultures may promote different meanings of excellence (Ferrari, 2002 ; Terzi, 2020 ; Young & Collin, 2004 ). Thus, the relevance of criteria employed to operationally define excellent individuals should closely match the perception of a prototypical excellent individual in the target population to enhance the ecological validity of a study. In other words, the fundamental task for research on individual-level excellence should be the rigorous conceptualisation and operationalisation of the phenomenon under investigation to ensure valid findings and meaningful conclusions (Mašková & Kučera, 2022 ; Terzi, 2020 ).

In this respect, occupational research focusing on excellent professionals in various occupations gives an example of good practice in dealing with the construct of excellence. In this area, the selection of excellent individuals has been based mainly on the evaluative judgements of a particular reference group in relation to its standards, such as awards received from the professional communities (e.g. Chen et al., 2020 ), nomination or recommendation by supervisors (e.g. Hirsch & Segolsson, 2021 ; Kallas, 2014 ), peers (e.g. Collinson, 1999 ), or students (in the case of teachers; e.g. Fichten et al., 2018 ). Thus, the methodologies of these studies reflect the context-dependent nature of excellence, since they operationalise excellence in accordance with its socially-construed definition arising out of the communities which excellent individuals are members of. The contextual relevance of criteria used to define and identify excellent university students in higher educational research is, however, unclear, since there is a lack of justification for the use of particular criteria in studies on excellent university students.

Research setting

The research was conducted in the setting of the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia (FE USB), which is a public higher education institution in the Czech Republic that ensures bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programmes mainly in teacher education, and provides also several non-pedagogical degree programmes, such as psychology, geography, informatics, and linguistics. In 2019, when the research was conducted, 2160 students were enrolled at the FE USB. Out of this number, 1693 were full-time students (71% females; 1% doctoral students; < 1% international students). The FE USB provides only Czech-language study programmes free of charge. The population of the Czech Republic is ethnically homogenous (Czech Statistical Office, 2014 ); thus, the number of minority students at the FE USB is negligible.

Research ethics

The research was undertaken in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the FE USB Ethics Committee (Ref No EK 003/2018). All participants approved informed consent statements before participating in the study.

Pilot study

There is a paucity of empirical data on how the construct of the excellent university student is perceived by teachers and students in various cultural settings. This study makes an initial step in attempting to fulfil this gap by investigating the perspective of the academic community at the FE USB. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, we aim at providing a comprehensive overview of the characteristics attributed to the excellent student by teachers and students. Second, we attempt to establish a realistic set of essential attributes that may be embodied by an actual student and to convert them into a rating scale. The results of this study should inform the procedure of the excellent student identification that is designed and implemented in the main study. The central research question for this study is:

How is excellence defined in university students?

In addition, we address the specific research sub-questions:

What are the attributes of the excellent student according to the FE USB academic community?

What are the essential attributes of the excellent student?

In this respect, we established three criteria, all of which need to be fulfilled for an attribute to be considered essential Footnote 1 : (a) the attribute is a core attribute of the excellent student, i.e. a student cannot be considered excellent if they fail to show the respective attribute, (b) the attribute is universal in that it applies to students across different disciplines and study levels, and (c) the attribute is broadly agreed upon by students and teaching staff members at the FE USB.

Participants

A total of 185 individuals participated in this study, thereof 26 teaching staff members (66% females, 77% assistant professors, 15% associate professors, 8% full professors, mean age = 45.92, SD = 6.82) representing the various departments at the FE USB and 159 full-time students (73% females, mean age = 23.06, SD = 3.82) pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degree courses of varying specialisations including teacher education, psychology, informatics, and geography. The first phase of the study included 107 student participants enrolled on a psychology course designed for students of various degree courses and study levels, and 14 teaching staff members who represented all the departments participating in full-time student education at the FE USB. To recruit teacher participants, the heads of respective departments were informed about the study aims and invited to either participate themselves or recommend a colleague who might be interested. The second phase involved 12 teacher participants and 52 student participants from various departments at the FE USB. The teacher and student participants were recruited through an e-mail invitation and classroom announcements (in the case of students). The participants of the third phase were 40 teacher education students enrolled in a psychology-focused course. The student participants of the first and third phase were invited to participate during their respective lectures.

In the first phase of the study, which aimed at providing a comprehensive description of the attributes of the excellent student, the student participants were asked to write a short essay in answer to the questions: “In your opinion, who is the excellent university (undergraduate and full-time) student? How do they typically behave and what characteristics make them stand out among other university students?” Concurrently, interviews were conducted with teacher participants (for the interview schedule see Supplementary Material 1 ). The recordings of the interviews, typically lasting 20—30 min, were transcribed and further analysed, along with the content of the essays, which varied from one to several paragraphs. To enhance the credibility of the findings, we subsequently shared a draft of the list of the attributes of the excellent student with the participants (Creswell, 2012 ). Specifically, we asked the entire group of student participants and two teacher participants to reflect on its accuracy.

In the second phase, which aimed at extracting a subset of the essential attributes of the excellent student, focus group discussions with students and teaching staff members at the FE USB were conducted. Focus group discussions were selected as the optimal research method because they facilitate gathering a broad range of perspectives while also providing valuable data on consensus and diversity among participants (Hennink, 2014 ). Four student focus group discussions and two teacher focus group discussions were conducted. The student focus group size varied from 12 to 15 participants, whereas the teacher focus groups comprised 5 and 7 teaching staff members. The duration of the focus group discussions ranged from 80 to 120 min. Each focus group discussion was moderated by the first author, accompanied by a research assistant (a trained psychology undergraduate student) responsible for taking detailed notes on the key points raised and any significant nonverbal behaviour. Subsequently, the first author reviewed the notes to prevent observer bias. Each session began with introductions and an overview of the study’s purpose, schedule, and ethical considerations. The participants then engaged in a data-generating activity where they discussed the relevance of the pre-established set of the excellent student’s attributes and suggested modifications (for the discussion guide see Supplementary Material 1 ). All focus group sessions were audio-recorded and the discussions were transcribed verbatim. After each session, the data were analysed to derive a preliminary set of the essential attributes of the excellent student, which was then presented to the participants in a consecutive focus group to discuss the credibility of the findings. In this step, we employed the process of progressive, iterative content validation (Kidd & Parshall, 2000 ). Data saturation was reached after the sixth focus group session when no new data emerged that would lead to further refining the final set of essential attributes of the excellent student (Saunders et al., 2018 ).

In the third and final phase, which aimed at developing an other-rating scale to assess an individual’s match with the essential attributes, the resulting list of essential attributes of the excellent university student was converted into an evaluative instrument by adding a Likert-type scale and instructions. The suitability of the other-rating scale for the purposes of identifying excellent students at the FE USB was tested by administering it to the participants involved in the third phase of the study with the instruction to assess a fellow student they considered excellent. In addition, the participants were asked to reflect on the accuracy of the list of essential attributes of the excellent university student to enhance the credibility of the results.

Qualitative analysis – interviews and essays

To process the qualitative data from the individual interviews with teachers and student essays, thematic analysis was used, which is a well-established method for identifying, analysing, and reporting themes within qualitative data (Boyatzis, 1998 ). A theme is a pattern found in data that describes and organises the dataset or even interprets aspects of the research topic. For the purpose of this study, inductive thematic analysis was conducted, which means that data were coded in an inductive (data-driven) way without being informed by a pre-existing coding frame (Boyatzis, 1998 ; Braun & Clarke, 2006 , 2013 ). To enhance the rigor of the analysis, multiple coders took part in the coding process to bring diverse perspectives on the data, thus resulting in a more robust data analysis and enhanced credibility of the analytical framework (Boyatzis, 1998 ; Olson et al., 2016 ). Specifically, the first author and two research assistants (trained psychology undergraduates) analysed the data collaboratively using the systematic six-stage procedure suggested by Braun and Clarke ( 2006 , 2013 ).

In the first phase of familiarisation with the data, each coder independently read and re-read all textual materials (interview transcripts and student essays) to identify potential patterns in the data.

In the second phase of generating initial codes, all coders produced preliminary codes, i.e. the most basic elements of raw data or information that can be assessed in a meaningful way regarding the research topic (Boyatzis, 1998 ) from the data. Coding was performed manually without the assistance of any commercially available software. During this phase, the coders met regularly to discuss the individually produced codes, which were refined, merged, and deleted to avoid redundant and irrelevant codes. This resulted in the early version of a codebook which was applied to the data set. The process of mutual discussions, revising and refining the codebook, and reapplying it to the data was repeated until full agreement on the coding system was reached.

In the third phase of searching for themes, the codes and the collated data relating to each code were reviewed to identify a thematic overlap of different codes. After discussion, the codes were sorted into potential themes.

In the fourth phase of reviewing themes, the collaborative analysis was followed by a revision of the themes, whereby the coders returned to all the coded data in the first step and then to the entire data set to ensure that the themes fit the data well. To determine whether the coders were consistent in assigning text segments to the themes, we calculated the percentage of agreement as suggested by Creswell ( 2012 ), which showed a 100% agreement among coders. As a result, a set of 24 coherent, distinctive, and conceptually significant themes was established to provide a meaningful overview of the data in terms of breath and diversity.

In the last phase of defining and naming themes, each theme was provided with a fitting label, description, and an illustrative sample of extracts from the data.

Qualitative analysis – focus group discussions

Qualitative content analysis was used to study the focus group discussions systematically (Krippendorff, 2019 ). The concept-driven (i.e. based on what is already known) and data-driven (i.e. based on the actual data) approaches of qualitative content analysis were combined to develop the main categories. These categories were based on the pre-established comprehensive set of the excellent student’s attributes, and they specified the essential observable qualities and behaviours related to such attributes in a data-driven way (Schreier, 2012 ). The transcripts were double-coded by two coders (the first author and the research assistant involved in the focus group sessions) after each successive focus group session. As in the above-described process of interviews and essay analysis, coding was performed manually without the assistance of any commercially available software.

In the first step, an initial coding frame was generated containing data both relevant and irrelevant to the research question to avoid bias when selecting the relevant parts of the material. The criteria for considering the data relevant were: (a) the attribute was a core attribute of the excellent student, i.e. it was necessary for a student to be considered excellent, (b) the attribute was universally applicable to students across disciplines and study levels, (c) the attribute matching criteria (a) and (b) was agreed upon within and between focus groups. The main criterion for considering the data irrelevant was that it described the non-essential attributes of an excellent student. For such attributes, broad agreement within and between focus groups was not reached in that one or more participants considered an attribute unnecessary/redundant and/or specifically related to a particular discipline and/or study level. The consistency of the coding between the two coders was checked with respect to relevant and irrelevant data.

The second step involved the creation of a substantive coding frame that applied only to the relevant data. The coders then jointly divided the material into coding units according to thematic criteria allowing each unit to correspond to one topic, which fit exactly one category in the coding frame (Schreier, 2012 ).

In the third step, they performed the coding independently, checked the consistency of the coding, and modified the coding frame until full agreement on the set of essential attributes of an excellent student was reached. Each essential attribute was then converted into an item referring to readily observable and quantifiable student behaviours and qualities.

In the last step, the final set of attributes was further analysed and structured in higher-order categories describing the nature of the essential attributes of the excellent student. The coders inductively generated three comprehensive and fittingly labelled categories, to which the respective attributes were assigned. Finally, informed by the conceptual underpinnings of the construct of excellence, they subsequently assigned each of these categories to an overarching dimension of either educational or personal excellence , which represent the basic conceptual distinction related to the construct (Ferrari, 2002 ; Miller & Kerr, 2002 ).

Main findings

The first phase of the study resulted in a set of 24 attributes of the excellent university student, validated through the member checking procedure. This set provides a comprehensive overview of characteristics attributed to the excellent student by the academic community at the FE USB. The attributes range from prerequisites or direct manifestations of professional success, such as cognitive abilities, integration of theory and practice, achievement, through inter- and intrapersonal skills, such as healthy self-esteem, respectful behaviour and good manners, to intrinsically motivated and proactive study behaviour, such as genuine study motivation, engagement in classes, and field of study as a hobby. The labels and descriptions of the attributes, along with sample quotes are presented in Supplementary Table 1 (see Supplementary Material 2 ).

The second phase of the study revealed that although all the attributes are perceived as desirable student characteristics, only a subset can be considered essential. During the focus group discussions, the participants acknowledged that reducing the entire set to a subset of core attributes was necessary because these attributes should pertain to a real person: “An excellent student is not a superhero, just a human being of flesh and blood that has the right to not be perfect (student participant, 3rd student focus group)”. Nevertheless, the crucial role of personal excellence in the conceptualisation of the excellent student was strongly emphasised: “A good student has to be a good person in the first place. They can have the best grades in the world and the rest, but it matters little if they are a horrible person (student participant, 2nd student focus group)”. In this respect, a final set of 10 essential attributes of the excellent student was established that matched the dualistic conceptualisation of the construct of excellence. Specifically, the three essential attributes of thoroughness and punctuality, deep and complex knowledge, and integration of theory and practice were aggregated into the category labelled expertness . Another set of four essential attributes, (engagement in classes, openness to interdisciplinarity, openness to extra learning and experience, and field of study as a hobby) were aggregated into the category labelled proactive learning . Finally, the three essential attributes of fairness and honesty, cooperativeness and helpfulness, and self-reflection were aggregated into the category labelled being a good person . Whereas the category of being a good person matches the personal excellence dimension, the expertness and proactive learning categories correspond to the educational excellence dimension. The 10 items describing the essential attributes of an excellent student are displayed in Table 1 . The presentation of the items is structured according to the overarching categories and dimensions, which altogether constitute the conceptual framework of the excellent university student.

Finally, the third phase of the study, which aimed at pre-testing the newly developed rating scale based on the 10 items, identified no problems concerning the clarity of the instructions, item formulation, or the feasibility of assessment. In addition, the list of essential attributes was validated by the participants. For the instructions and the answer options regarding the rating scale see Table 1 .

Other relevant findings

To gain a comprehensive picture of the conceptual framework of the excellent university student, further relevant findings that resulted from the focus group discussions have to be acknowledged. Specifically, two additional attributes – genuine study motivation and academic achievement – were considered a fundamental part of the conceptual framework of the excellent student although items referring to these attributes were not included in the rating scale.

First, the focus group discussions revealed that genuine study motivation was broadly perceived as a core attribute of the excellent student. However, it was not included in the rating scale due to the fact that in current psychological research, it is uncommon for an external observer to assess an individual’s motivation. It is also questionable whether such methodology would generate reliable results unless combined with other approaches (Fulmer & Frijters, 2009 ). Nevertheless, study participants perceived that genuine study motivation is inherently expressed through the behaviours and qualities referring to the excellent student’s essential attributes:

An individual has to be genuinely motivated to display all the qualities we are talking about here [participants were discussing the final set of essential attributes]. I cannot imagine that without being genuinely motivated an individual could be like this. I mean, if they were just extrinsically motivated, maybe they would display one or two of those qualities, but definitely not the entire set. Genuine motivation is a fundamental prerequisite for a student to be excellent. (teacher participant, 2 nd teacher focus group)

Thus, although the rating scale lacks an item explicitly referring to genuine study motivation, this attribute is considered an inherent underlying attribute upon which the conceptual framework of the excellent university student is built. For purposes of further empirical investigation, genuine study motivation was conceptualised as a combination of mastery-goal orientation and the deep learning approach to learning (Biggs, 1987 ; Elliot & Harackiewicz, 1996 ). For further details see the main study and Mašková and Nohavová ( 2019 ).

Second, academic achievement plays an important role in the conceptual framework of the excellent student although the participants had moderate and non-specific expectations for the academic achievement of the excellent student. The participants acknowledged that a student’s excellence should be translated into more tangible outcomes: “An excellent student should excel in something, but not necessarily in everything (student participant, 3rd student focus group)”. Further, grades were perceived as a complementary indicator of student excellence since it is not necessary for an excellent student to achieve the best grades although they need to have an above-average GPA. “Grades aren’t everything; however, a student with under-average grades definitely cannot be considered excellent (teacher participant, 1st teacher focus group)”. Academic achievement was not integrated into the rating scale, since objective methods of academic achievement assessment were available, and they were preferred to external assessment.

The conceptual framework of the excellent university student, displayed in Fig. 1 , consists of 10 items organised within the dimensions of educational and personal excellence. The dimension of educational excellence is complemented by academic achievement and both dimensions are underpinned by genuine study motivation.

A conceptual framework of the excellent university student

This study aimed to fill the gap in the empirically-based conceptualisations of the excellent university student by providing the perspective of the FE USB academic community. To fulfil the objectives of the study, three subsequent steps were undertaken. First, based on the data from interviews with teachers and student essays, we established a comprehensive overview of the desirable characteristics attributed to the excellent student. Second, based on data from focus group discussions, a subset of broadly agreed-upon essential attributes of the excellent student was established. Finally, we developed a rating scale based on these attributes, allowing for assessment by teachers and peers. Importantly, our results support the multidimensionality of the construct of excellence, recognised in theoretical literature but neglected empirically (e.g. Ferrari, 2002 ; Parkash & Waks, 1985, as cited in Bruno-Jofré & Hills, 2011 ). The 24 characteristics constituting the comprehensive depiction of the excellent student are congruent with the theoretical underpinnings of excellence in that they include but also go beyond academic achievement. The identified excellence-related qualities range from cognitive abilities (Rohde & Thompson, 2007 ), through good working habits (e.g. thoroughness and punctuality, time management skills; Franks, 1996 ), to qualities associated with personal mastery (e.g. self-development, genuine study motivation; Erez, 2004 ), as well as morality and virtuousness (e.g. fairness and honesty, cooperativeness and helpfulness; Li, 2004 ). Because of its complexity, the overview largely overlaps with the conceptual framework of the ideal student by Wong et al. ( 2021 ). In contrast, the more parsimonious conceptual framework of the excellent student based on three categories (expertness, proactive learning, and being a good person) and two overarching dimensions (educational and personal excellence), is more realistic and applicable to real students. The category of expertness emphasises mastery of study-related knowledge and skills, aligning with the technical dimension of excellence (e.g. Li, 2004 ; Parkash and Waks, 1985, cited in Bruno-Jofré & Hills, 2011 ). The category of proactive learning involves students’ active engagement beyond requirements, reflecting the conceptual characteristics of taking responsibility for their own learning, curiosity, and self-motivation (Erez, 2004 ; Llamas, 2006 ). The category of being a good person represents the ethical aspect of excellence, such as morality, virtuousness, and supportiveness towards peers (Ferrari, 2002 ; Li, 2004 ; Llamas, 2006 ; Wong et al., 2021 ).

The findings lay the groundwork for reconsidering individual-level excellence as a multifaceted phenomenon that goes beyond academic achievement alone. Moreover, they have practical value for higher education institutions, offering a conceptual framework for understanding desirable student qualities.

The objective of this study is to develop and implement a procedure for identifying excellent students. Specifically, we aim to identify students who meet all the conceptual criteria of excellence as presented in the pilot study. The key research question specific to this study is:

How can students meeting all the conceptual criteria of excellence be identified?

Three groups of participants took part in the study: members of the teaching staff (teachers), students nominated as excellent by their teachers (nominees), and the nominees’ fellow students (peers).

Regarding the participating teachers, only holders of a PhD degree and primary faculty members at the FE USB participated in the study. External teaching staff and lecturers without a PhD degree were excluded since these teachers may have had limited contact with students. 106 teachers fitting the above-mentioned criteria were invited to participate via a paper form delivered to them by the assistants of their respective departments; thereof 53 (50%) were both willing and able to participate since they knew at least one student who they considered excellent.

All participating nominees were full-time students at the FE USB pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Doctoral students were excluded, since their study duties as well as their roles at the university significantly differ from that of undergraduate students. Part-time students were excluded because they attend in-person lessons less frequently and have limited contact with both teachers and peers. Out of the 80 nominees who were invited to participate personally or by e-mail, 60 (75%) actually participated; thereof 49 were once nominees and 11 were multiple nominees (nominated by more than one teacher). Out of the 60 participating nominees, 16 were classified as the most eligible nominees (based on the criteria mentioned in the Procedure section), and 13 of the most eligible nominees actually participated (3 once nominees and 10 multiple nominees).

A peer was considered a fellow student enrolled in the same study programme and in the same year of study as the most eligible nominee. To select suitable peers, the list of each of the nominee’s peers was displayed in the university information system. Peers who were nominees themselves were excluded from the list to reduce assessment bias potentially resulting from different perspectives on the assessed behaviours. Based on the course record data of the students available in the system, suitable peers were ordered according to the number of classes they had shared with the nominee in the recent academic year. Peers sharing exactly the same course record with the nominee were listed randomly. Four peers at the top of the list were invited to participate via e-mail. If one or more peers refused to participate, a subsequent peer was invited until four peers for each of the 13 most eligible nominees agreed to participate. Totally, 79 peers were invited to participate, thereof 52 (66%) actually participated.

For the purposes of assessment of a nominee by teachers and peers, we employed the rating scale of the excellent student’s essential attributes (further referred to as the rating scale; see Table 1 ).

Further, two types of objective indicators of academic achievement were formulated for the purposes of academic achievement assessment: (a) GPA and (b) other academic achievement indicators falling into four distinct categories. Data obtained in the pilot study suggest that GPA can be considered a legitimate indicator of excellence in higher education. To further confirm that GPA was a suitable indicator in the setting of the FE USB, we examined the link between GPA and the underlying attribute of genuine study motivation (see the pilot study). The results, which were published elsewhere (see Mašková & Nohavová, 2019 ), revealed that GPA does not contradict the underlying motivational attribute. These findings allowed us to conclude that the use of cumulative GPA for excellent student identification was acceptable. Since academic achievement is a multidimensional construct (Steinmayr et al., 2015 ), besides GPA, we considered other significant indicators of academic achievement of contextual relevance for our research setting: (a) significant achievement in a subject-related contest or student competition (i.e. awards for various kinds of achievement, e.g. The Outstanding Thesis Award), (b) membership of academic organisations/societies (e.g. University Senate), (c) a leadership role in extracurricular activities (e.g. Biology Olympiad organising committee member), and (d) significant achievement in research (e.g. authorship of a peer reviewed publication; Benbow, 1992 ; Kuncel et al., 2001 ; Mould & DeLoach, 2017 ).

The procedure of excellent student identification was grounded in a multisource assessment approach, which enhances the validity of the results by requiring convergent outcomes across multiple sources for a student to be considered excellent (Mathison, 1988 ). The procedure comprised three phases: teacher nomination and assessment, academic achievement assessment, and peer assessment. Each phase involved collecting and evaluating the data (objective data on academic achievement and subjective teacher- and peer-level data) against the set criteria – eligibility thresholds. The procedure and eligibility criteria are displayed graphically in Fig. 2 . An overview of all data collected and evaluated is displayed in Table 2 .

A procedure of excellent student identification

Since we considered teachers the most qualified source for student assessment, the initial step was to ask teachers to nominate the students they considered excellent. At the same time, teachers assessed the nominees on the rating scale. All eligible teaching staff members were provided with a form that asked them to nominate up to three students they considered excellent according to their own criteria of excellence, and to assess them on the rating scale. To ensure the anonymity of the responses, no personal identification was required. Participants were asked to place the forms in sealed boxes in the office of their respective department assistants. The attached instructions asked them not to inform students about the ongoing research to avoid (a) familiarising the nominees with the research interest until the investigation was finalised, (b) promoting an undesirable competitive environment among students, and (c) hurting the feelings of non-nominated students. To ensure that the teachers’ own criteria of excellence corresponded with the perception of the prototypical excellent university student at the FE USB, we set an initial eligibility threshold: a nominee should score at least something between on each of the rating scale items. Therefore, a nominee scoring disagree or fully disagree on any of the rating scale items in the teacher assessment phase would not be further considered an eligible candidate for the study. In sum, 80 students were nominated, thereof 15 by more than one teacher. All nominees passed the initial eligibility threshold.

Subsequently, cumulative GPA and data on the other academic achievement indicators were obtained from the participating nominees. Out of the 80 nominees, 60 agreed to participate in an online survey that asked them to provide basic demographic characteristics, academic achievement indicators (cumulative GPA and data on the other four academic achievement indicators), and to complete a set of psychological questionnaires (not relevant for the present study). The obtained academic achievement data were verified to the highest possible degree by consulting external sources, such as university records. Based on the findings of the pilot study and findings by Mašková and Nohavová ( 2019 ), we set the GPA cut-off threshold that a student needs to pass to be considered excellent. This cut-off value should distinguish between above average and below average students in terms of grades. Whereas the first can be conceptually considered excellent, the latter cannot. Since we had found that the mean value of cumulative GPA in a sample of second-year students at the FE USB was 2.13 (Mašková & Nohavová, 2019 ), we set the GPA cut-off value to 2.0 Footnote 2 after taking into consideration the effect of GPA inflation. Footnote 3 Regarding the other indicators of academic achievement, an eligibility threshold was set for a student to comply with at least one of the indicators to be considered excellent.

The GPA cut-off threshold was passed by 34 once nominees and 10 multiple nominees. Thereof, 18 once nominees and all 10 multiple nominees complied with one other academic achievement indicator. Additionally, six once nominees and seven multiple nominees complied with more than one other academic achievement indicator. The high number of eligible nominees necessitated narrowing the sample to the most eligible ones to make the subsequent step (peer assessment) manageable. In this respect, our decisions were guided by the principles of the multisource assessment methodology, requiring convergence of outcomes across multiple sources to enhance the research validity (Mathison, 1988 ). We primarily relied on the convergence of multiple nominators, as teacher nomination and assessment were more comprehensive, covering both dimensions of excellence. However, this approach was exclusive for once nominees. Thus, for once nominees, the subjective data obtained by a single source had to be confirmed by available objective data. Consequently, we narrowed the pool of candidates to (a) multiple nominees who passed the academic achievement thresholds and (b) once nominees who passed the GPA eligibility threshold and complied with more than one other academic achievement indicator. The 16 most eligible participants were contacted by a research assistant and asked whether they agreed with the peer assessment. Out of the 16 most eligible candidates, 13 agreed and signed an additional informed consent. The participants were informed about the nature of the peer assessment procedure, and that their peers would assess their common study-related behaviour.

Finally, peer assessment was considered an integral part of the procedure of excellent student identification. Given that peers see their student colleagues from a different perspective than teachers, they can provide unique information beyond teacher assessment (Lavrijsen & Verschueren, 2020 ). Peers are likely to know the nominees for a longer time (since the beginning of their studies), and to observe them on more occasions and in less formal settings than teachers, who usually meet them on limited occasions (mainly in classes of short-term courses). Thus, peers tend to be highly accurate in their judgements of each other’s qualities (Funder, 2012 ). Research has shown that four peer assessors are able to achieve satisfactory inter-rater reliability (Conway & Huffcutt, 1997 ). Thus, we asked four suitable peers to assess a candidate using the rating scale in an online form. Only such peers were invited to participate in the study who objectively (based on the data of the course records in the university information system) shared most of the classes with the nominee, and thus were expected to know the nominee well. Nevertheless, to ensure that the peers actually knew the nominee, they were asked to proceed with the assessment only if they perceived their level of familiarity with the nominee sufficient to assess their study-related behaviour and qualities displayed in the university setting. The participants (peers) were ensured about the confidentiality of the data, and they submitted their responses anonymously with no personal identification. The administration of the peer assessment phase was ensured by a research assistant who was informed about the participants’ identities but had no access to the data. The researchers who could access the data had no information about the participants’ identities.

For each candidate, the ratings were first assessed separately to determine the extent to which they match the attributes, and to exclude candidates that clearly mismatch any of the attributes. Although several studies suggest that the rater-ratee interpersonal relationship has only a minimal effect on peer assessment accuracy in higher education (e.g. Azarnoosh, 2013 ; Magin, 2001 ), the severity bias deriving from negative interpersonal affects could still influence individual ratings (Taggar & Brown, 2006 ). Thus, when setting the baseline eligibility threshold for peer assessment, we paid attention primarily to inter-rater agreement which is associated with enhanced validity (Conway & Huffcutt, 1997 ). The eligibility threshold was set as follows: an inter-agreement occurs when a nominee scores at least something between on each of the rating scale items according to at least three peer assessors. On the contrary, should a nominee score disagree or fully disagree on a single item according to two or more assessors, this nominee would no longer be considered an eligible candidate for the study. The evaluation of the individual peer assessments revealed that seven multiple nominees and all three once nominees satisfied the eligibility threshold. In contrast, three multiple nominees were excluded as they were assigned ratings of somewhat disagree or fully disagree on the same item by more than one peer assessor. For the three excluded candidates, these items were 2, 4, and 10, respectively (see Table 1 for item wording).

The second eligibility threshold was based on composite scores for each of the three scales (expertness, proactive learning, and being a good person), derived from the combined teacher and peer ratings. To determine an individual’s scale composite scores, we first calculated the item composite scores, which involved summing all teacher and peer scores for each item and dividing by the number of assessors who provided valid ratings (an invalid rating was considered 0 = I don’t know/I’m unable to assess ). Then, we calculated the scale composite scores by averaging the item composite scores across all items within that scale. To ensure that a candidate matched each of the three facets of excellence, we established that each of their scale composite scores should equal or be higher than 4.0. All 10 remaining candidates passed this threshold.

To prevent participants from biasing the results of the investigation, the basis of participant selection and participants’ role in the present study was deliberately withheld until the investigation was finalised. All participating nominees were debriefed immediately after it ended. The debriefing provided the information that they had been nominated as excellent. Concurrently, they were asked not to share this information with their fellow students to avoid hurting their feelings.

Psychometric properties of the rating scale

We first tested whether the developed instrument had satisfactory psychometric properties before excellent students’ profiles were analysed. In this respect, item analysis and scale properties were evaluated using the full set of ratings of 10 excellent students. Although these ratings are not independent, since multiple assessors rated the same ratee, using the full set of ratings was necessary to improve the accuracy of the results by obtaining higher rater-to-item ratio (Stewart et al., 2009 ). Still, the small sample size of 63 ratings only informed of the general trends in item properties (Penfield, 2013 ). The main weakness detected was the low reliability estimate of the expertness scale (α = 0.59; ω = 0.66), which was considered marginally acceptable given the tentative nature of the results and explorative purpose of the study (Hair et al., 2018 ). In sum, the corrected item-total correlation coefficients and reliability estimates indicate an acceptable homogeneity of items and internal consistency of the three scales, which correspond to three distinct facets of the conceptual framework of the excellent university student. Thus, the instrument was left unmodified for the purposes of this study. Item and scale properties are displayed in Table 3 .

Excellent students’ profiles

The pilot implementation of the procedure of excellent student identification resulted in a final sample of 10 excellent students. The excellent student sample included two males and eight females; their age ranged from 20 to 28 years (mean age = 24.2, SD = 1.99). All excellent students were enrolled in teacher education study programmes at the FE USB. One student was pursuing a bachelor’s degree, the remaining students were studying on a master’s programme. An overview of their background- and excellence-related data is presented in Table 4 , and a detailed overview of assessment-related data can be found in Supplementary Table 2 (see Supplementary Material 2 ).

The highest number of nominations in the sample, which exceeded the modus number of two nominations, was reached by student “A”, who was nominated six times. Student “A” displayed also a very high absolute value of GPA = 1.08, which nearly corresponds to straight A’s, and complied with three out of the four other achievement indicators. Likewise, her composite scores were the highest for all three scales compared to other excellent students. The highest absolute value of GPA = 1.0, which corresponds to straight A’s, was displayed by student “B”, who, on the other side, complied with a single other academic achievement indicator. In contrast, student “I”, who was derived from the group of once nominees, was unique in that she complied with all four other academic achievement indicators.

Table 5 presents the individual rankings based on the composite scores for the scales of expertness, proactive learning, and being a good person, along with the respective number of nominations and objective academic achievement indicators a student complied with. The ranking based on expertness scores showed that the most highly ranked students were those with the highest number of teacher nominations and exceeding the modus of two nominations. Likewise, with exception of student “C” who displayed the lowest GPA in the sample, the nominees who ranked highest were also those with the highest absolute value of GPA. Proactive learning scores, on the other hand, tended to be associated with the number of other academic achievement indicators a student complied with. Additionally, compared to students who ranked lower, the most highly ranked students had gained significant achievement in a subject-related contest or student competition, and were members of academic organisations/societies. Regarding scores on the being-a-good-person scale, the highest rank was achieved by students “A” with the highest number of nominations and “I” who complied with all other academic achievement indicators. For the remaining students, there was no clear pattern of association between the scores on the being-a-good-person scale and academic achievement.

Figure 3 displays the inter- and intra-individual variabilities in the individual scale composite scores for expertness, proactive learning, and being a good person. The individual profiles based on the scores of the three scales tend to have non-flat and individually-unique shapes indicating that (a) the scales adequately represent the essential attributes of the prototypical excellent student as a multifaceted rather than unidimensional construct, and (b) individuals differ in terms of achieving the highest/lowest scores on distinct scales in a unique way.

A line graph of individual composite scores for expertness, proactive learning, and being-a-good-person scales

This study presents the results of the implementation of a specific methodological framework to identify excellent university students, which is based on a multisource assessment of multiple contextually relevant criteria of excellence. Specifically, a scale of the excellent student’s essential attributes and objective academic achievement indicators were employed. The identification of excellent students was informed by subjective teacher- and peer-level data on the rating scale (comprising of the subscales of expertness, proactive learning, and being a good person) and objective data on academic achievement. Both types of data were evaluated against the set eligibility criteria in order to select a final excellent student sample that reliably met all the conceptually derived criteria of excellence. In line with the nature of excellence as a plural rather than uniform construct (Gardner, 2015 ), we intentionally set the criteria broad and flexible to maintain diversity in the sample. As a result, the students in the final sample were excellent in their unique ways and, with the exception of student “A” who manifested excellence in every aspect, their major strengths lay in various areas. In addition, the differences in job status and involvement of vulnerable students with conditions affecting their learning (learning difficulties in student “D” and chronic medical conditions in student “E”) indicate that the developed methodological framework respects diversity in the student population.

The data generated by implementing the framework at the FE USB provides findings that support the need to (a) use multiple sources in student assessment and to (b) apply a multifaceted approach to excellence. First, the teacher and peer assessment discrepancies resulting in the exclusion of three of the most eligible candidates highlighted the importance of relying on more than one source in the subjective assessment of a student to ensure the validity of the results. Such a discrepancy implies that the teacher’s view may be biased due to limited exposure to only a narrow portion of a student’s behaviour and/or qualities. For example, high engagement in classes may be limited only to a teacher’s classes/subjects, and the qualities of a good person may apply to teacher-student interaction but not student–student interaction. Thus, to gain a holistic picture of a student’s behaviour and qualities displayed in various situational contexts, both teacher and peer assessment are required as each source can provide important and unique information.

Second, we found that both subjective and objective data were an integral part of the developed framework. In this respect, although expertness was likely to be associated with GPA, GPA tended to be an unreliable indicator of mastery of study-related knowledge and skills. Support for this argument can be found in student “C” who ranked high in expertness despite showing the lowest GPA in the excellent student sample. This argument is further supported by the case of one of the most eligible candidates who was rated low on one of the expertness scale items although they passed the GPA threshold. Further, the fact that several nominees did not pass the GPA threshold shows that teacher assessment alone is not a sufficient indicator of educational excellence unless corroborated by objective measures. This discrepancy may be explained by a large influence of other student characteristics, particularly perceived engagement, on teacher and peer nominations. Such influence was found to bias identification of students with high abilities (Lavrijsen & Verschueren, 2020 ). Thus, by combining the subjective assessment of educational excellence-related attributes with objective academic achievement assessment, it is possible to reliably identify educationally excellent students. From the perspective of personal excellence assessment, we may conclude that the being-a-good-person scale was an irreplaceable part of the identification method, since it was independent of educational excellence-related data. Supported by the ultimate exclusion of another eligible candidate who was rated low on the being-a-good-person item, we argue that GPA or any academic achievement measure alone cannot guarantee that high-achieving students also display a moral and virtuous character. These findings highlight the requirement to assess the two dimensions of excellence simultaneously to sample such students who meet the conceptual criteria of excellence in higher education.

In conclusion, the methodology of the multisource assessment of multiple criteria of excellence seems to be an appropriate method to reduce bias in excellent student sampling.

General discussion

This paper was underpinned by two main research questions: How is excellence defined in university students? How can students meeting all the conceptual criteria of excellence be identified? To answer these questions, two studies were conducted at a higher education institution in the Czech Republic.

With regard to the first research question, our findings corroborated the theoretical assumptions that the excellent student is an individual who embodies both educational and personal excellence (e.g. Ferrari, 2002 ). These dimensions of excellence were found to be independent of each other (as discussed later), yet conceptually, they are co-existing entities that should occur simultaneously in an individual for them to be considered truly excellent. In this complex view, individual-level excellence refers to students who are deeply knowledgeable, capable of turning their knowledge and skills into action to achieve desirable high-quality outcomes, engaged in learning, and seeking the enhancement of knowledge and experience by doing more than what is required. Concurrently, they are prosocial, moral, self-reflective, and genuinely motivated as that they adopt mastery-goal orientation and a deep learning approach to learning (Biggs, 1987 ; Elliot & Harackiewicz, 1996 ).

To provide a clear answer to the second research question, we developed and piloted a methodological framework based on the two-dimensional concept of excellence. Educational excellence was covered by subjective measures: scales of expertness and proactive learning, as well as objective measures: cumulative GPA and four other academic achievement criteria. Personal excellence, which could hardly be covered by objective indicators, was addressed by the subjective measure of the being-a-good-person scale. The multisource assessment procedure of excellent student identification was initiated by teacher nominations and assessment, and followed by academic achievement assessment and peer assessment. Before providing readers with more specific guidelines on how to identify excellent university students in more general settings, it is necessary to review and integrate the outputs generated during the process of excellent student identification.

The present research revealed that educational and personal excellence are mutually independent, since personal excellence cannot be reliably predicted from educational excellence indicators. In contrast, various indicators of educational excellence seem to be interrelated to a large extent. First, expertness, which refers to mastery of study-related knowledge and skills, tends to be closely linked to (a) the highest GPA values fully or nearly corresponding to straight A’s and (b) the highest number of nominations. Second, proactive learning, which refers to students’ engagement in learning and the enhancement of knowledge and experience by doing more than what is required, might be to some extent indicated by other academic achievement indicators (both in terms of quality and quantity).

Considering the procedural aspects of excellent student identification, the method of nomination, which has been usually employed in research on individual-level occupational excellence (e.g. Kallas, 2014 ), might be one of the most crucial steps in sampling excellent individuals. Our findings confirm that teachers nominated only such students that (at least in the nominator’s view) complied with the agreed-upon socially-construed definition of a prototypical excellent student arising from the academic community at our particular institution. However, since about one-fourth of the nominees displayed under-average GPA, the subjective assessment of educational excellence needs to be combined with the objective assessment of academic achievement to prevent nomination bias and ensure a reliable evaluation of educational excellence. Further, a bias resulting from limited exposure to only a narrow portion of a student’s behaviour and/or qualities in specific situational contexts can be reduced by combining the perspective of teachers with that of peers. The integration of various perspectives is especially important in the evaluation of personal excellence, which cannot be corroborated by objective measures.

Based on the synthesis of the above-presented findings, a more straightforward methodology for excellent student identification can be proposed. Considering that only such individuals are nominated, who (at least from the nominator’s perspective) comply with the attributes related to personal excellence, the collection and cross validation of both teacher and peer nominations could ensure that only personally excellent individuals are included in the pool of nominees. The nomination phase should be followed by the assessment of objective achievement indicators. In this respect, we assume that the criteria of excellence would most likely be met by multiple nominees who display high GPA and comply with multiple other academic achievement indicators. Nevertheless, a cautious approach towards the procedure of peer nomination is warranted. It is advisable to invite only a small group of peer nominators, since the invitation of the entire student community at an institution from which an excellent student sample should be drawn could lead to (a) promoting an undesirable competitive environment among students and (b) unintentional prior familiarisation of the selected excellent students with the research interest, which would disallow researchers to make participants blind (to deliberately withhold key information from the participants until the investigation is finalised) if required. For a step-by-step guideline for implementing the framework in general university settings, see Supplementary Material 3 .

Limitations

The main limitation of the new conceptual and methodological framework of excellence is that it was developed within the culturally and contextually specific setting of a single higher education institution. Regarding the conceptual framework of the excellent university student, it may clearly serve as a solid base for further research to build upon; nevertheless, it reflects the views of a specific academic community which can differ cross-institutionally as well as cross-culturally. The limitation of reduced generalisability applies also for the methodological framework, which is based on preliminary findings from a limited number of participants. In particular, the other-rating scale should be considered a tentative instrument that needs to be subjected to further psychometric analyses.

A related limitation is the specific context of a small higher education institution. First, the settings of a small institution enable a more convenient assessment of students due to the smaller number of nominees. In this respect, we expect that implementing the framework in the settings of larger institutions will prove to be more challenging. Second, teacher nomination and assessment, and especially peer assessment, depend on the extent of familiarity with nominees, which is facilitated by the setting of an institution with smaller classes, and groups of fellow students that tend to know each other well. In this study, we relied on the results of peer assessment with reasonable confidence since the addressed peer assessors regularly interacted with and observed the target student in class, a factor which could help them provide fitting ratings. Thus, the level of familiarity between peers and nominees was not pre-assessed. Such pre-assessment is, however, advisable when implementing the framework in the settings of larger institutions. Likewise, in this study, we did not assess the closeness of friendship between the peer and the nominee. This procedure, however, may be useful when a large pool of suitable peers is available, and it is necessary to standardise the peer assessors (e.g. only ratings by peers in a neutral relationship with a ratee may be considered). Further, the requirement of a reasonable extent of mutual familiarity among students and teachers makes the framework less suitable for part-time students. In addition, the proposed framework is better suited for small-scale studies with a qualitative research design that requires only a relatively small sample of subjects.

Finally, the comprehensive framework of excellence was primarily developed for research purposes to provide a conceptually and methodologically sound method of sampling excellent students. Consequently, the identification procedure required narrowing the final sample to students meeting all set criteria of excellence, with convergence of outcomes across multiple assessment sources. However, a weakness of this procedure is that students whose qualities are overlooked by teachers and/or peers may be excluded, as teacher/peer nomination, along with their convergence, are integral to the proposed identification process. Theoretically, this disadvantage could be addressed by initially assessing academic achievement before moving on to teacher and peer assessment (without nomination). However, implementing this approach could pose significant challenges, especially with a large student population, making the identification process exceedingly complex. Nevertheless, when the framework is intended for talent development rather than research, adjustments to the identification procedure are essential to guarantee a wider pool of candidates, providing opportunities for talent development. This may involve eliminating the need for convergence of assessment sources.

This research presents a comprehensive framework of excellence in higher education that (a) recognises both academic achievement and the personal qualities of a student, (b) acknowledges the variability of student potential that leads to different ways in which excellence manifests itself, and (c) reflects the nature of excellence as a contextually dependent social construct. As a result, this research represents an initial step towards searching for, identifying, and examining truly excellent university students, while also opening up a fruitful research area. With the aid of the framework, educational and psychological research could learn more about excellent individuals, recognise their strengths, and the paths that lead them to becoming excellent. Additionally, their post-university careers can be followed and the assumed transfer of higher education excellence to occupational excellence could be investigated more closely.

Within the article, the following terminology is used for clarity: a core attribute is one that a student must demonstrate to be considered excellent, while an essential attribute meets all three criteria set by the authors. Participants determine whether an attribute is core based on their judgment, while authors determine whether an attribute is essential based on all the data collected during focus group discussions.

According to the Czech university grading system, the best grade is 1 (= A), the worst is 4 (= F). Hence, the higher absolute value of GPA indicates poorer performance.

GPA inflation refers to an upward shift in university students’ GPA over an extended period of time without a corresponding increase in their academic ability. Consequently, GPA could exhibit an inconsistent pattern of development over time, typically a sharp decrease in the second semester followed by a steady increase during the later periods of study before a repeated drop in the final term (Grove & Wasserman, 2004 ). Thus, we expect that second-year students who participated in the study by Mašková and Nohavová ( 2019 ) may exhibit a worse GPA compared to students of other years of study. Consequently, the observed mean GPA was rounded to a higher GPA threshold value.

Al, S. L., Abulaban, A. A., Abulaban, A. A., Merdad, A., Baghlaf, S., Algethami, A., Abu-Shanab, J., & Balkhoyor, A. (2015). Factors potentially influencing academic performance among medical students. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 6 , 65–75. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S69304

Article Google Scholar

Arnett, J. J., & Schwab, J. (2012). The Clark University poll of emerging adults: Thriving, struggling and hopeful . https://www2.clarku.edu/clark-poll-emerging-adults/pdfs/clark-university-poll-emerging-adults-findings.pdf

Astin, A. W., & Antonio, A. L. (2012). Assessment to excellence : The philosophy and practice of assessment and evaluation in higher education (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Azarnoosh, M. (2013). Peer assessment in an EFL context: Attitudes and friendship bias. Language Testing in Asia, 3 (1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/2229-0443-3-11

Bardach, L., Oczlon, S., Pietschnig, J., & Lüftenegger, M. (2020). Has achievement goal theory been right? A meta-analysis of the relation between goal structures and personal achievement goals. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112 (6), 1197–1220. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000419

Benbow, C. P. (1992). Academic achievement in mathematics and science of students between ages 13 and 23: Are there differences among students in the top one percent of mathematical ability? Journal of Educational Psychology, 84 (1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.84.1.51

Bergey, B. W., Deacon, S. H., & Parrila, R. K. (2017). Metacognitive reading and study strategies and academic achievement of university students with and without a history of reading difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50 (1), 81–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219415597020

Biggs, J. B. (1987). Study Process Questionnaire manual. Student approaches to learning and studying . Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd.

Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development . SAGE Publications, Inc.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners . SAGE Publications Ltd.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Bruno-Jofré, R., & Hills, G. (2011). Changing visions of excellence in Ontario School Policy: The cases of living and learning and for the love of learning. Educational Theory, 61 (3), 335–349. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00407.x

Brusoni, M., Damian, R., Sauri, J. G., Jackson, S., Komurcugil, H., Malmedy, M., Matveeva, O., Motova, G., Pisarz, S., Pol, P., Rostlund, A., Soboleva, E., Tavares, O., & Zobel, L. (2014). The concept of excellence in higher education. ENQA AISBL.

Chen, J., Lee, J. C. K., & Dong, J. (2020). Emotional trajectory at different career stages: Two excellent teachers’ stories. Frontiers in Psychology, 11 , 1034. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01034

Collinson, V. (1999). Redefining teacher excellence. Theory into Practice, 38 (1), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849909543824

Conway, J. M., & Huffcutt, A. I. (1997). Psychometric properties of multisource performance ratings: A meta-analysis of subordinate, supervisor, peer, and self-ratings. Human Performance, 10 (4), 331–360. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1004_2

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.

Czech Statistical Office. (2014). Národnostní struktura obyvatel [Population by nationality]. https://www.czso.cz/documents/10180/20551765/170223-14.pdf

DeBerard, M. S., Spielmans, G. I., & Julka, D. L. (2004). Predictors of academic achievement and retention among college freshmen: A longitudinal study. College Student Journal, 38 (1), 66–80.

Google Scholar

Elliot, A. J., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (1996). Approach and avoidance achievement goals and intrinsic motivation: A mediational analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70 (3), 461–475. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.461

Erez, R. (2004). Freedom and creativity: An approach to science education for excellent students and its realization in the Israel arts and science academy’s curriculum. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 15 (4), 133–140. https://doi.org/10.4219/jsge-2004-461

Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36 (3), 282–284. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089

Excellence. (n.d.). In Oxford English Dictionary . Retrieved March 21, 2021, from https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=excellence

Ferrari, M. (2002). Conclusion: What is excellence and how to study it? In M. Ferrari (Ed.), The pursuit of excellence through education (pp. 221–239). Psychology Press.

Fichten, C., Jorgensen, M., Havel, A., King, L., Lussier, A., Asuncion, J., Budd, J., Nguyen, M. N., & Amsel, R. (2018). Information and communication technologies: Views of Canadian college students and “excellent” professors. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6 (9), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i9.3390

Franks, D. R. (1996). A situational study of the meanings of personal excellence for secondary mathematics teachers and students. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 31 (3), 295–317. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376324

French, M. T., Homer, J. F., Popovici, I., & Robins, P. K. (2014). What you do in high school matters: High school GPA, educational attainment, and labor market earnings as a young adult. Eastern Economic Journal, 41 (3), 370–386. https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2014.22

Fulmer, S. M., & Frijters, J. C. (2009). A review of self-report and alternative approaches in the measurement of student motivation. Educational Psychology Review, 21 , 219–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-009-9107-x

Funder, D. C. (2012). Accurate personality judgment. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21 (3), 177–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412445309

Fuster de Hernàndez, M. M. (2020). Choosing to be a teacher: Understanding the career choice of academically excellent university students who had graduated from high performing high schools in the Dominican Republic. [Doctoral Dissertation, Western Michigan University]. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/3579

Gardner, H., Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Damon, W. (2001). Good work: When excellence and ethics meet. Basic Books.

Gardner, J. W. (2015). Can we be equal and excellent too? Harper Colophon Books.

Geddes, K. A. (2011). Academic dishonesty among gifted and high-achieving students. Gifted Child Today, 34 (2), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/107621751103400214

Grove, W. A., & Wasserman, T. (2004). The life-cycle pattern of collegiate GPA: Longitudinal cohort analysis and grade inflation. The Journal of Economic Education, 35 (2), 162–174. https://doi.org/10.3200/JECE.35.2.162-174

Hair, J. F., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Black, W. C. (2018). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning EMEA.

Hennink, M. M. (2014). Focus group discussions: Understanding qualitative research. Oxford University Press.

Hirsh, Å., & Segolsson, M. (2021). “Had there been a Monica in each subject, I would have liked going to school every day”: A study of students’ perceptions of what characterizes excellent teachers and their teaching actions. Education Inquiry, 12 (1), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2020.1740423

Hoff, J. W. (2009). Excellence and the pursuit of competence in contemporary universities. In J. Strain, R. Barnett, & P. Jarvis (Eds.), Universities, ethics, and professions: Debate and scrutiny (pp. 95–108). Routledge.

Jahanbegloo, R. (2014). The pursuit of excellence and the role of philosophy. Co-herencia , 11 (20), 179–186. http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/cohe/v11n20/v11n20a09.pdf

Kallas, K. D. (2014). Profile of an excellent nurse manager. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 38 (3), 261–268. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000032

Kass, E., & Miller, E. C. (2018). Career choice among academically excellent students: Choosing teaching career as a corrective experience. Teaching and Teacher Education, 73 , 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.03.015

Kidd, P. S., & Parshall, M. B. (2000). Getting the focus and the group: Enhancing analytical rigor in focus group research. Qualitative Health Research, 10 (3), 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/104973200129118453

Kötter, T., Wagner, J., Brüheim, L., & Voltmer, E. (2017). Perceived medical school stress of undergraduate medical students predicts academic performance: An observational study. BMC Medical Education, 17 , 256. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-1091-0

Krippendorff, K. (2019). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology . SAGE Publications, Inc.

Kuncel, N. R., Hezlett, S. A., & Ones, D. S. (2001). A comprehensive meta-analysis of the predictive validity of the graduate record examinations: Implications for graduate student selection and performance. Psychological Bulletin , 127 , 162-181. https://doi.org/10.1037//q033-2909.127.1.162

Lavrijsen, J., & Verschueren, K. (2020). Student characteristics affecting the recognition of high cognitive ability by teachers and peers. Learning and Individual Differences, 78 , 101820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101820

Li, J. (2004). High abilities and excellence: A cultural perspective. In L. V. Shavinina & M. Ferrari (Eds.), Beyond knowledge: Extracognitive aspects of developing high ability (pp. 187–208). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.

Llamas, J. M. C. (2006). Technologies of disciplinary power in action: The norm of the ‘Good student.’ Higher Education, 52 (4), 665–686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-1449-1

López, B. G., Cerveró, G. A., Rodríguez, J. M. S., Félix, E. G., & Esteban, P. R. G. (2013). Learning styles and approaches to learning in excellent and average first-year university students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28 (4), 1361–1379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0170-1

Luthar, S., & Kumar, N. L. (2018). Youth in high-achieving schools: Challenges to mental health and directions for evidence-based interventions. In A. W. Leschied, D. H. Saklofske, & G. L. Flett (Eds.), Handbook of school-based mental health promotion: An evidence-informed framework (pp. 441–458). Springer.

Chapter Google Scholar

Ma, Y., McCabe, D. L., & Liu, R. (2013). Students’ academic cheating in Chinese universities: Prevalence, influencing factors, and proposed action. Journal of Academic Ethics, 11 (3), 169–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-013-9186-7

Magin, D. (2001). Reciprocity as a source of bias in multiple peer assessment of group work. Studies in Higher Education, 26 (1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070020030715

Mašková, I., & Kučera, D. (2022). Performance, achievement, and success in psychological research: Towards a more transparent use of the still ambiguous terminology. Psychological Reports, 125 (2), 1218–1261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294121996000

Mašková, I., & Nohavová, A. (2019). Beyond grades: GPA and its relationship to achievement goal orientations and student approaches to learning. GRANT Journal, 8 (2), 49–54.

Mathison, S. (1988). Why triangulate? Educational Researcher, 17 (2), 13–17. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X017002013

Miller, P. S., & Kerr, G. A. (2002). Conceptualizing excellence: Past, present, and future. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14 (3), 140–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103464

Mirghani, H. O., Mohammed, O. S., Almurtadha, Y. M., & Ahmed, M. S. (2015). Good sleep quality is associated with better academic performance among Sudanese medical students. BMC Research Notes, 8 (1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-015-1712-9

Modrek, A., & Kuhn, D. (2017). A cognitive cost of the need to achieve? Cognitive Development, 44 , 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.08.003

Monteiro, S., Almeida, L. S., Vasconcelos, R. M., & Cruz, J. F. A. (2014). Be (com) ing an excellent student: A qualitative study with engineering undergraduates. High Ability Studies, 25 (2), 169–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2014.966066

Mould, T., & DeLoach, S. B. (2017). Moving beyond GPA: Alternative measures of success and predictive factors in Honors programs. Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council , 18 (1), 149–168. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcjournal/552

Nelson, M. C., Story, M., Larson, N. I., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Lytle, L. A. (2008). Emerging adulthood and college-aged youth: An overlooked age for weight-related behavior change. Obesity, 16 (10), 2205–2211. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.365

Olson, J. D., McAllister, C., Grinnell, L. D., Gehrke Walters, K., & Appunn, F. (2016). Applying constant comparative method with multiple investigators and inter-coder reliability. The Qualitative Report, 21 (1), 26–42. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2447

Penfield, R. D. (2013). Item analysis. In K. F. Geisinger, B. A. Bracken, J. F. Carlson, J.-I. C. Hansen, N. R. Kuncel, S. P. Reise, & M. C. Rodriguez (Eds.), APA handbook of testing and assessment in psychology: Vol. 1. Test theory and testing and assessment in industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 121–138). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14047-007

Renzulli, J. S., & Reis, M. S. (2020). The Three Ring Conception of Giftedness: A change in direction from being gifted to the development of gifted behaviors. In R. J. Sternberg & D. Ambrose (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness and talent (pp. 335–355). Springer.

Rohde, T. E., & Thompson, L. A. (2007). Predicting academic achievement with cognitive ability. Intelligence, 35 (1), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2006.05.004

Sacks, J. (2002). The dignity of difference: How to avoid the clash of civilizations . Continuum.

Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., Burroughs, H., & Jinks, C. (2018). Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52 , 1893–1907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8

Schreier, M. (2012). Qualitative content analysis in practice . SAGE Publications Ltd.

Senko, C., & Miles, K. M. (2008). Pursuing their own learning agenda: How mastery-oriented students jeopardize their class performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33 (4), 561–583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2007.12.001

Shonfeld, M., & Ronen, I. (2015). Online learning for students from diverse backgrounds: Learning disability students, excellent students and average students. IAFOR Journal of Education , 3 (2), 13–29. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1100564.pdf

Smit, R. (2012). Towards a clearer understanding of student disadvantage in higher education: Problematising deficit thinking. Higher Education Research & Development, 31 (3), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.634383

Stallman, H. M. (2010). Psychological distress in university students: A comparison with general population data. Australian Psychologist, 45 (4), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2010.482109

Steinmayr, R. Meißner, A., Weidinger, A. F., & Wirthwein, L. (2015). Academic achievement. In. Oxfordbibliographies.com. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0108

Sternberg, R. (2009). Wisdom, intelligence, creativity, synthesised: A conceptual framework of giftedness. In T. Balchin, B. Hymer, & D. J. Matthews (Eds.), The Routledge International Companion to Gifted Education (pp. 255–264). Routledge.

Stewart, S. M., Bing, M. N., Davison, H. K., Woehr, D. J., & McIntyre, M. D. (2009). In the eyes of the beholder: A non-self-report measure of workplace deviance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94 (1), 207–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012605

Summers, D. (Ed.) (2003). Longman dictionary of contemporary English . Longman.

Taggar, S., & Brown, T. C. (2006). Interpersonal affect and peer rating bias in teams. Small Group Research, 37 (1), 86–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496405284382

Terzi, L. (2020). On educational excellence. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, 27 (2), 92–105. https://doi.org/10.7202/1074040ar

Tessema, M. T., Ready, K. J., & Astani, M. (2014). Does part-time job affect college students’ satisfaction and academic performance (GPA)? The case of a mid-sized public university. International Journal of Business Administration, 5 (2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijba.v5n2p

Van de Vijver, A., & Mathijssen, S. (2024). A Philosophical Approach to Talent Development. Roeper Review, 46 (1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2023.2285053

Van Yperen, N. W., Hamstra, M. R., & van der Klauw, M. (2011). To win, or not to lose, at any cost: The impact of achievement goals on cheating. British Journal of Management, 22 , S5–S15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2010.00702.x

West, T., Ravenscroft, S., & Shrader, C. (2004). Cheating and moral judgment in the college classroom: A natural experiment. Journal of Business Ethics, 54 (2), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-004-9463-x

Whitley, B. E. (1998). Factors associated with cheating among college students: A review. Research in Higher Education , 39 (3), 235–274. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40196379

Williamson, W. P., & Assadi, A. (2005). Religious orientation, incentive, self-esteem, and gender as predictors of academic dishonesty: An experimental approach. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 27 (1), 137–158. https://doi.org/10.1163/008467206774355411

Wittchen, H. U., Nelson, C. B., & Lachner, G. (1998). Prevalence of mental disorders and psychosocial impairments in adolescents and young adults. Psychological Medicine, 28 (1), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291797005928

Wong, B., DeWitt, J., & Chiu, Y. L. T. (2021). Mapping the eight dimensions of the ideal student in higher education. Educational Review , 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.1909538

Yaniv, G., Siniver, E., & Tobol, Y. (2017). Do higher achievers cheat less? An experiment of self-revealing individual cheating. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 68 , 91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2017.04.005

Yoo, H. H., Yune, S. J., Im, S. J., Kam, B. S., & Lee, S. Y. (2021). Heart rate variability-measured stress and academic achievement in medical students. Medical Principles and Practice, 30 (2), 193–200. https://doi.org/10.1159/000513781

Young, R. A., & Collin, A. (2004). Constructivism and social constructionism in the career field. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 64 (3), 373–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2003.12.005

Download references

Open access publishing supported by the National Technical Library in Prague.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic

Ivana Mašková

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Ivana Mašková, Dalibor Kučera & Alena Nohavová

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivana Mašková .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest.

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Current themes of research:

Conceptual and methodological issues in educational psychology.

Vulnerability to burnout and occupational health issues in university students and academic staff.

Academic and work-related motivation in university students and academic staff.

Most relevant publications:

Vallone, F., Galvin, J., Cattaneo Della Volta, M. F., Akhtar, A., Chua, S., Ghio, E., Giovazolias, T., Kazakou, Z., Kritikou, M., Koutra, K., Kovacevic, S., Lee-Treweek, G., Mašková, I. , Mavritsaki, E., Nastic, J., Plassová, M., Stuchlíková, I., & Zurlo, M. C. (2023). Technostress and Academic Motivation: Direct and Indirect Effects on University Students’ Psychological Health. Frontiers in Psychology , 14, Article 1211134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1211134 .

Mašková, I. (2023). Work-related coping behaviour and experience patterns in university students: A review of 20 years of research. Frontiers in Psychology , 14, Article 1062749. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1062749 .

Mašková, I. , Mägdefrau, J., & Nohavová, A. (2022). Work-related coping behaviour and experience patterns, career choice motivation, and motivational regulation of first-year teacher education students – Evidence from Germany and the Czech Republic. Teaching and Teacher Education , 109 , 103,560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103560 .

Mašková, I. , & Kučera, D. (2022). Performance, Achievement, and Success in Psychological Research: Towards a More Transparent Use of the Still Ambiguous Terminology. Psychological Reports , 125 (2), 1218–1261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294121996000 .

Supplementary information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 26.2 KB)

Supplementary file2 (docx 66.5 kb), supplementary file3 (docx 32.3 kb), rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Mašková, I., Kučera, D. & Nohavová, A. Who is really an excellent university student and how to identify them? A development of a comprehensive framework of excellence in higher education. Eur J Psychol Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00865-y

Download citation

Received : 07 October 2023

Revised : 18 May 2024

Accepted : 22 May 2024

Published : 26 June 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00865-y

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Academic achievement
Individual-level excellence
Multisource assessment
Social construct
Virtuousness
Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Leader — The Key Characteristics of a Good Leader

The Key Characteristics of a Good Leader

Categories: Character Leader

About this sample

Words: 412 |

Published: Mar 6, 2024

Words: 412 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

Expert in: Literature Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 635 words

5 pages / 2052 words

3 pages / 1491 words

2 pages / 699 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Leader

In the rich tapestry of Greek mythology, the character of Odysseus stands out as one of the most compelling and complex figures. Homer's epic, "The Odyssey," not only chronicles the adventurous journey of Odysseus but also [...]

In a world that is increasingly interconnected and multifaceted, the concept of leadership is evolving to encompass a broader and more inclusive vision. Traditional leadership paradigms, which often centered around homogeneous [...]

Leadership is the power or ability to lead other people, the act or instance of leading. I believe that leadership is an art, the art to get others to follow and accomplish a common goal or task in a harmonic manner. A leader [...]

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was a prominent African American leader and a key figure in the civil rights movement in the United States. His life and work have left a lasting impact on the struggle for racial equality, and [...]

From the film Coach Carter, we can learn a lot. The coach's vision is the most important thing to enjoy. He wanted his team to succeed in life, not just in basketball. A vision should be made to succeed in life. An organization [...]

“The Disney princess has changed dramatically over the years from a victim of circumstance to a fighter and warrior . . . such as Mulan of China.” Often female characters do not play the lead in roles that express their powerful [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

IMAGES

Three Qualities to Succeed. (400 Words)
Tips on Writing Essay in English (51 Examples)
Three characteristics of a good student Essay Example
Qualities Of A Good Essay
Qualities of Good Academic Writing and Essay
Qualities Of A Good Student

VIDEO

Three Qualities Of A Good Person #goodperson #goodpersonality #honesty #empathy #postivievibes #life
QUALITIES OF A GOOD ESSAY
Three Qualities #ownvoice #contentcreator #englis #classic #students #confidence #education
Three Qualities of a Usable Servant
Importance of Good Habits Essay in English 10 Lines || Short Essay on Importance of Good Habits
QUALITIES OF A FATHER

COMMENTS

Top 10 Qualities of a Good Essay • iEduNote.com
Free Composition. The Ease. The Paradox. Meaningful Unity. Use of Simple Language. Authoritarianism. Use an Element of Surprise. The Logic of Presentation. Here are some basic points and qualities of good writing that will make your essay successful:
What are the characteristic features of a good essay?
This is called ethos. Make your audience aware of what qualifies you to speak on the subject. 4. Make sure your position is reasonable, logical, and supported by factual information. This is ...
The 3 Core Characteristics of Every Good College Essay
There is no single thing that makes an essay good, but every good essay shares three core characteristics: 1. It grabs the reader's attention. Think about it: admissions officers often read 50-100 essays a day (day after day after day)—how will yours stand out? You don't need to make the person reading your application think you are the ...
What Makes a Good Essay? by Stephanie Whetstone
A startled buzzing of flies, hornets. The slithering, ticklish sensation of a garter snake crawling across floorboards. "Left behind, as if in haste, were remnants of a lost household. A broken toy on the floor, a baby's bottle. A rain-soaked sofa, looking as if it had been gutted with a hunter's skilled knife.
Five Qualities of Good Writing
There is no formula or program for writing well. However, there are certain qualities that most examples of good writing share. The following is a brief description of five qualities of good writing: focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness. The qualities described here are especially important for academic and expository writing.
The Qualities Of A Good Leader: [Essay Example], 462 words
Another important quality of a good leader is integrity. A leader should be honest, ethical, and consistent in their actions. They should be able to gain the trust and respect of their team members, and lead by example. Research has shown that leaders who demonstrate integrity are more likely to have loyal and dedicated followers (Simons, 2002).
The Characteristics of Good Writing
Credibility or believability: Nothing says bad writing like getting the facts wrong or misrepresenting oneself. In fiction, the story must be believable (even if it's impossible), and in nonfiction, accurate research can make or break a writer. Thought-provoking or emotionally inspiring: Perhaps the most important quality of good writing is ...
PDF Five Qualities of Good Writing
The following is a brief description of five qualities of good writing: focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness. The qualities described here are especially important for academic and expository writing. FIVE QUALITIES OF GOOD WRITING . FOCUS idea. Each paragraph should have a clear . An essay should have a single clear central
7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay
6. Well-written. This might also sound like an obvious quality of a successful essay, but it's still worth mentioning. The most competitive application essays showcase strong writing skills, providing evidence of a student's ability to tell a specific story artfully and well.
What are the key elements of a good essay?
your point of view, supported by ideas, arguments and evidence. the summary and analysis of other writers' research and opinions. a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. a reference list. Always leave enough time to prepare for writing an essay: you will need to complete the required reading (both from ...
Characteristics of a Good Leader
However, even with all these, a leader should have the emotional intelligence to be successful and sustain the leadership status that is made possible by the primary characteristics listed. There are various aspects of emotional intelligence that are critical to good leadership. According to Goleman, "they include self-awareness, enthusiasm ...
How to Be a Good Person Essay
Qualities of Good Person. Good people are characterized by certain qualities that include trust, honesty, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, respect, courage, and goodwill. They do not steal, lie, discriminate, or deny people their rights. They think about others' welfare and advocate for actions that make the world a better place.
College Essays That Worked And How Yours Can Too
By sharing genuine stories and insights, you can create an essay that resonates with admissions committees and highlights your unique qualities. For you to have the best possible essay, mindset is ...
The 12 Characteristics of a Good Leader
Collaboration. Influence. Integrity. Courage. Gratitude. Resilience. TIP: Download an action guide & summary of these essential characteristics of a good leader in PDF format to keep this list of leadership qualities at your fingertips as a reminder. 1. Self-Awareness.
Qualities Of A Good Parent Essay
Essay on Characteristics of Good Parent. There are various things that I think about with regards to nurturing. Parents have various obligations yet there are three characteristics that I believe are vital. Being a decent good example is significant, just as paying attention to your youngsters and restraining them properly. Assuming you need to ...
Key Qualities Of Good Leader: [Essay Example], 538 words
Confidence. A good leader will show confidence in the face of challenges, and will inspire confidence in histeam by reminding them that (blocking or stopping things) are just there to be overcome. The confident leader will keep his eye on the goal and will not allow anything discourage him or her, or their team, from success.
Qualities of a Good Person: [Essay Example], 743 words
A good person is often described as someone who possesses qualities such as kindness, empathy, honesty, integrity, and compassion. However, being a good person is more than just having these qualities. It also involves cultivating positive relationships, engaging in acts of kindness and generosity, respecting differences, and being morally ...
How to Write an Essay about Your Qualities
First, pick a main idea. You need to choose a central idea that overarches the qualities you want to talk about in your essay. To do this, you can think of a personality trait or behavior you can describe using three supporting points— three prominent qualities. Whatever you choose will be your essay's thesis. For example, our main idea can ...
Three Characteristics of a good leader
A good leader is someone who genuinely cares about the people they lead. A good leader wants what is best for every person in the organization they lead. Three characteristics found in good leaders are empathy, communication, and dignity. Empathy The most underused characteristic of a good leader is empathy. A leader that shows empathy towards ...
Final Draft-Expository Essay
There are many more characteristics that good leaders have credibility, resiliency and motivation are three of the many traits. The idea of a good leader is heavily based on personal opinion but research shows that there are many specific ones that are shared by people who have been labeled as good leaders. References Campbell, David. (1993).
Three Characteristics of a good leader
There are so many characteristics to choose from that all m ake up being a. good leader. T he T hree characteristics of a good leader is Integrity, Discipline, and. Communication. Integrity is the first characteristic of a good leader. The first characteristic of a good leader that we are going to cover is Integrity. Y ou have.
Qualities of a Good Citizen: Characteristics and Examples: [Essay
Respect is another vital trait of good citizenship. Respectful citizens treat others with dignity, valuing diversity and individual rights. They listen to differing viewpoints, engage in constructive dialogue, and resolve conflicts peacefully. By showing respect, citizens help create a harmonious and inclusive society where everyone's voice is ...
Opinion
For now, a restaurant like the one on "The Bear" feels as though it's possible only on TV. As the show matures, though, it can move us beyond the simplistic narratives of good and evil ...
UPSC Essays Simplified: Structure and Flow of a good essay- the third
An essay without these elements will appear to be disorganized, jargoned, hard to comprehend and overall, complicated.. Contrary to popular belief, flow and structure are not subjective writing skills that are inborn in good writers but can be learned and improved upon. What follows is a series of structuring techniques that will help you choose the best one for any essay topic you may encounter.
Qualities of a Successful Person: Traits and Examples
The qualities of a successful person, including leadership, resilience, and adaptability, are essential components of personal and professional growth. These qualities not only foster personal development but also contribute to success in various aspects of life. Successful individuals, such as Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey, serve as examples of ...
Who is really an excellent university student and how to ...
This paper addresses the need for a more comprehensive framework of excellence in higher education, which goes beyond academic achievement alone, placing emphasis on its integration with personal characteristics, and acknowledging the diversity in the student population. Two research studies were conducted to establish this comprehensive framework. The pilot study aimed to offer a conceptual ...
Rethinking English essay scores: The argument for ...
To get high scores at essay writing tests, learners of English as a foreign language need to focus on good arguments more than on complex grammar. The finding challenges conventional approaches to ...
The Key Characteristics of a Good Leader
In this essay, I will explore the key characteristics that make up a good leader, and how these traits can be developed and honed over time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on ... One of the most important characteristics of a good leader is having a clear and inspiring vision. A good leader is able to articulate a compelling ...

What Makes a Good Essay?

Contact Info

Recent Posts

Eight Characteristics of Good Writing

The Characteristics of Good Writing

Why You Need to Know the Difference Between Good and Bad Writing

31 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Recent Posts

Pin It on Pinterest

7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay

The College Application Essay In a Nutshell

7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay

1. Introspective and reflective

2. Full of a student’s voice

3. Descriptive and engaging

5. Unconventional & distinct

6. Well-written

7. Meaningful

How Colleges Read Your Application: A 4 Step Process

4 Essential Social Media Tips for College Applicants

5 Things Asian Parents Get Wrong About College Admissions

Privacy Preference Center

What are the key elements of a good essay?

Essay basics

What your assessor is looking for

Could you use some help?

Share this:

How to Be a Good Person Essay

Introduction

More From Forbes

Embracing Differences: Finding Strength In Uniqueness

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Persistence and Multicultural Identity: Life Lessons From Tortilla Making

The Characteristics of a Good Leader

What Good Leadership Looks Like

12 Essential Leadership Qualities

1. Self-Awareness

3. Compassion

5. Communication

6. Learning Agility

7. Collaboration

8. Influence

9. Integrity

10. Courage

11. Gratitude

12. Resilience

Develop the Characteristics of a Good Leader in Yourself & Others

Good leaders are made, not born.

Leadership is a social process.

Good leadership never stops.

We Can Help You Develop the Qualities of a Good Leader

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Based on Research by

Table of Contents

Related Topics

Related Solutions

Qualities Of A Good Parent Essay | Essay on Characteristics of Good Parent and Essay on Qualities of Good Parent

Essay on Characteristics of Good Parent

How to be a Good Parent?

Short Essay on Qualities of Good Parent

FAQ’s on Qualities Of A Good Parent Essay

How to Write an Essay about Your Qualities

First, pick a main idea.

Next, choose three qualities that best support the main idea.

I am kind to my family.

I am a loyal friend.

I am approachable.

Now, write an introduction and a body paragraph for each quality.

Here’s an example of an introductory paragraph:

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Finally, write the conclusion.

Here’s an example of a concluding paragraph:

Recent Posts

‘The Bear’ Wants You to Stop Worshiping Toxic Chefs

UPSC Essays Simplified: Structure and Flow of a good essay– the third step

Today, we will focus on Step 3.

How to have a ‘Structure and Flow’ in a good essay?