In Kumon, you will often hear parents talking about their child going beyond his grade level and studying more challenging topics – aka becoming an advanced student. This is constantly mentioned during Parent Orientations, Parent-Teacher Communications, and awarding sessions.

It is a much-highlighted feature Kumon that sets the method apart from the rest. What is emphasized is how being an advanced student helps a child learn, achieve, do and be more.

But what really makes an advanced student stand out?

Here are four traits:

Perseverance

An advanced student studies new, unfamiliar, and challenging topics on an almost daily basis. With this, he is constantly faced with problems he may or may not solve. Despite that, he still strives to come up with the solution even if it takes him an endless number of times. He constantly persists even if he keeps on getting it wrong and even if there is no definite time when he will get it right. He keeps going because he is not one to give up and because he knows that he will get it right eventually.

Patience

An advanced student takes multiple tries for an indefinite period of time. He usually does not get the right answer on the first try, especially with the most challenging problems. But he still strives to check his solution or go back to the start to come up with a new strategy. He knows that he will need to try and try again until he gets it right, and he maintains his calm and composure throughout the whole process. He does not stop trying because he knows that his efforts will pay off when he gets it right.

Courage

An advanced student faces challenges head-on – no matter how hard it is. He does not back down from new learning because he knows that he will not only add to his current knowledge, but he will also gain new experiences. If he makes mistakes or if he fails, he does not see it as a bad thing but as a good thing to learn from. He is given the opportunity to go out of his comfort zone every time he encounters a challenge, and he accepts this willingly because he loves the idea of a challenge and of discovering a new world.

Independence

An advanced student can do things on his own. He neither cringes at the idea of doing something alone nor shudders at the idea of doing all the work by himself. He learns new things on his own which leads him to make decisions on his own. He develops accountability for his actions and claims a sense of responsibility for anything he comes up with. He develops confidence in himself which allows him to do more and be more in the long run.