The Quality of Academic Performance: 6 Most Important Factors

The quality of academic performance isn't only a matter of intelligence but also depends on other factors. Learn more.

Written and verified by the psychologist Mara Amor López.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

The quality of academic performance is influenced by different physical and psychological factors that must be taken into account in order to achieve greater academic success. This can help improve learning abilities for better achievement.

When it comes to studying, the different factors involved in academic performance will make the student integrate the contents that have to be learned to a greater or lesser degree.

The quality of academic performance and mental hygiene

Before starting with the different physical and psychological factors that influence the quality of academic performance, let’s see what we mean when we talk about mental hygiene. It can be defined as the set of conditions, both mental, physical, and psychological, that will favor intellectual tasks.

Many times, achieving success or failure in what is done can be a consequence of the state of mind. Self-confidence and sufficient motivation are necessary in order to acquire knowledge effectively. This is mainly influenced by the following aspects:

• Physiological conditions, level of relaxation, muscle tension, tiredness, degree of activation, and general functioning of the body.
• The concept that one has of oneself, depending on whether it’s positive or negative, will influence when it comes to achieving success. A person who believes in themself will always seek success until they achieve it.

Therefore, it’s very important to have a positive attitude towards one’s cognitive abilities and thus gain greater confidence in one’s abilities and skills.

Physical factors that influence the quality of academic performance

Physical factors are decisive when performing any intellectual task. Bodily well-being and physical health play an important role in the quality of performance. Let’s take a look at some of these factors:

Diet

It’s essential to eat a healthy and balanced diet. It should include vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, etc. Meals don’t have to be abundant, especially those at night. The balance between physical activity and a healthy diet must always be key.

Physical exercise

Practicing physical exercise frequently will have a positive influence, but it must be done constantly, not at key moments, and in an extreme way. This helps to lower the level of stress, which generates irritation, susceptibility, being always alert, etc.

Hours of sleep

Students should sleep between 7 and 9 hours a day. It’s essential to rest to recover from the physical and mental effort that’s made throughout the day. Also, keep in mind that the quality of sleep is more important than the quantity. When you wake up, you have to have the feeling of being rested. To do this, the following recommendations can be followed:

• Eliminate the consumption of energizing drinks, especially before going to bed.
• Eat early and choose easily digestible foods.
• Try to set a fixed time to go to sleep and avoid screens in the last 2 hours before bed.
• Do physical exercise or sports.
• Avoid taking personal problems to bed.
• Don’t use tranquilizers on a regular basis.
• Practice relaxation 30 minutes before going to sleep.
• If you can’t sleep, it’s better to get up and do something else to make yourself sleepy than to stay in bed tossing and turning.

Psychological factors that influence the quality of academic performance

We’ve already seen the physical factors that influence the quality of academic performance but we mustn’t forget the psychological ones, as these also play an important role in academic performance. Worry, motivation, self-esteem, anxiety, and, in general, our entire emotional state all play a role.

Enthusiasm and self-confidence

You have to trust yourself and your own abilities, get rid of complexes, and be confident and enthusiastic about what you do.

Level of self-esteem

Self-esteem indicates the level of confidence one has in oneself to obtain good results in any field (in this case, better academic performance). To do this, you have to be aware of your own strengths and limitations. You have to have a positive attitude and be convinced that, with time and effort, you’ll achieve what you set out to do and you’ll be able to achieve success.

Curiosity and interest in learning, being receptive

If the student is predisposed and interested in learning and acquiring new knowledge, their academic performance will be much higher. Curiosity and interest will make you consult professors and books and will provide you with a cultural enrichment that will help you have a high academic performance.

In short, as we’ve seen, the quality of academic performance isn’t an exclusive consequence of the student’s intellectual capacity. Rather, there are many factors that influence their performance. These factors may help explain why some students underperform.

For this reason, when a student presents problems in their performance, it’s important to investigate to see what factors are getting in their way in order to find a solution and provide the necessary measures or tools to improve.