I always say, "A prepared student is a successful student." Preparation is 80 percent of the equation. Imagine if you were writing a paper, there are so many steps before the final draft is completed. The students that spend time researching and reading material usually have a better grasp of the material, which leads to critical thinking because students have more time to think about the topic. It is disheartening to read papers that students just throw together at the last minute, and then wonder why their grade was low. Graduate school is much different from undergraduate school and high school. Let me use a sports analogy. In college football, great players are more noticeable because the talent they play against is not as good, but when they reach the NFL, their skill level is on the same plane as the rest of the players. It is only a few of them that stand out week in and week out. In the beginning it may be talent, but as the hits pile up and the years pass by, talent is not enough to keep these kinds of players going. Many retire because they cannot compete, but those that stay will be first to tell you all of the things they did to prepare for the game. What is your game plan? What must you do every day to get better, to get stronger, to get smarter, etc...What can stop you from being successful? In what ways can you minimize or eliminate this obstacle?