There are things we can tell our students about how to succeed in college that might encourage them.
[T]he biggest predictor of success is a student’s conscientiousness, as measured by such traits as dependability, perseverance through tasks, and work ethic.
We can definitely upsell these, telling the students that they don’t have to be “smart;” they just have to do the work. It’s true and it might be an ecouragement.
The next three are less encouraging, if you are an introvert.
Agreeableness, including teamwork, and emotional stability were the next-best predictors of college achievement, followed by variations on extroversion and openness to new experiences
All this was according to “Experts Begin to Idenitify Nonacademic Skills Key to Success” at Education Week.