UBASuccessfulStudent2: You Be A Successful Student Too

Skip Downing's 8 Choices of Successful Students

Skip Downing, creator of the "On Course" student success program, has devoted over three decades to researching why some students thrive while others struggle. His landmark textbook, "On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life" (now in its 9th edition), synthesizes decades of research in educational psychology, motivation theory, and human development into 8 actionable choices that consistently distinguish successful students.

Academic Foundation: The "On Course" framework integrates research from multiple domains including self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan), growth mindset (Carol Dweck), emotional intelligence (Daniel Goleman), and positive psychology (Martin Seligman). The program has been implemented at over 1,000 colleges and universities, with research demonstrating significant improvements in student retention, GPA, and graduation rates.

Key Research Findings:

• Creator vs. Victim Mindset: Successful students take personal responsibility for their outcomes rather than blaming external circumstances
• Purpose-Driven Learning: Students with clear, meaningful goals demonstrate significantly higher persistence and achievement
• Self-Regulation: The ability to manage time, overcome procrastination, and maintain discipline predicts academic success better than SAT scores
• Social Support: Strong relationships with peers, mentors, and family correlate strongly with persistence and completion
• Emotional Management: Students who can regulate emotions, manage stress, and maintain optimism show greater resilience and performance

Why It Works: The 8 choices address both the internal mindset and external behaviors required for success. By targeting personal responsibility, motivation, action, relationships, self-awareness, learning, emotional intelligence, and self-belief simultaneously, this comprehensive approach produces measurable, sustainable improvements in academic achievement and life satisfaction.

Each choice represents a distinct, research-validated pathway to academic and life success. UBASuccessfulStudent2 provides multiple Inspire-U-2 modules for each choice, offering diverse entry points and approaches tailored to different learning styles and life circumstances.

What exactly is an "Inspire-U-2" module, and how does it work?

An Inspire-U-2 module is a curated collection of 100+ inspirational quotes focused on a specific character trait, skill, or life dimension. The name breaks down grammatically as "Inspire-You-To" followed by an action or quality—for example, "Inspire-U-2-B-Responsible" means "Inspire You To Be Responsible."

🎯 How Do Modules Work?

Each module functions as a digital card deck in the InspireWell4Life platform. When you select a module like "Inspire-U-2-Take-Action," you can:

1. Draw random quotes one at a time, allowing serendipity to bring you the message you need today
2. Reflect on each quote in the context of your current academic or life situation
3. Return repeatedly to the same module, discovering new wisdom with each visit
4. Track your favorites to build a personal collection of meaningful insights

🔄 Why Multiple Modules Per Choice?

UBASuccessfulStudent2 contains 27 unique modules spread across 8 success choices. Some choices have multiple modules because student success is multifaceted—for example, "Taking Effective Action" includes modules for Discipline, Overcoming Laziness, Overcoming Procrastination, Planning, Taking Action, and Work. This diversity allows you to:

• Find your personal entry point into each choice based on what resonates most
• Address specific challenges you're currently facing
• Prevent habituation by varying your practice across related but distinct modules
• Build a comprehensive toolkit for academic and life success

UBASuccessfulStudent2 provides a comprehensive student success system with exceptional depth and breadth:

Wisdom Tradition Distribution

Each module contains approximately 100 quotes carefully curated from six distinct wisdom traditions:

• Universal/Eclectic: ~40% - Contemporary insights and cross-cultural wisdom
• Positive Psychology: ~30% - Research-backed perspectives from scientific literature
• Stoic Philosophy: ~10% - Ancient wisdom on discipline and self-mastery
• Christian Tradition: ~10% - Biblical and theological insights
• Buddhist/Mindfulness: ~5% - Eastern contemplative practices
• Other Traditions: ~5% - Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Indigenous, and additional sources

UBASuccessfulStudent2 is designed for anyone seeking evidence-based approaches to academic achievement and personal growth through education.

Multiple Pathways to Practice

UBASuccessfulStudent2 offers flexible approaches to fit your schedule and learning style:

Maximizing Effectiveness

Based on Downing's research and implementations at over 1,000 institutions, students who adopt these 8 choices can anticipate measurable improvements across multiple dimensions:

Short-Term Impact (Weeks 1-4)

Medium-Term Impact (Weeks 5-12)

Long-Term Transformation (One Semester to One Year)

UBASuccessfulStudent2 is built upon decades of rigorous empirical research in educational psychology, motivation theory, and student success. Key foundational studies include:

Supporting Research by Choice

Each of the 8 choices has its own extensive research literature. Notable studies include:

• Personal Responsibility: Rotter (1966) on locus of control; Weiner (1985) on attribution theory
• Motivating Purpose: Emmons (1999) on personal goals; Csikszentmihalyi (1990) on intrinsic motivation
• Effective Action: Baumeister & Tierney (2011) on willpower; Steel (2007) on procrastination
• Supportive Relationships: Tinto (1993) on student retention; Astin (1993) on involvement theory
• Self-Awareness: Goleman (1995) on self-awareness; Bandura (1997) on self-efficacy
• Lifelong Learning: Knowles (1984) on adult learning; Kolb (1984) on experiential learning
• Emotional Intelligence: Salovey & Mayer (1990) on emotional intelligence; Fredrickson (2001) on positive emotions
• Self-Belief: Bandura (1977) on self-efficacy; Dweck (2006) on mindset

UBASuccessfulStudent2 works beautifully alongside other InspireWell4Life products to create a comprehensive personal development system:

UBASuccessfulStudent2 is built on decades of rigorous scientific research. For those who wish to explore the academic foundations more deeply, we recommend these essential works: