What kind of students will get good grades? What kind of students will fail numerous classes during their time in school? They might seem like simple questions. Many will say that good students will get good grades and bad students will fail. Most would be right with this assumption. How many people, however, know that the real difference between a student who excels and a student who does not excel has a lot to do with the character of the student? How many really know how or why these differences in character cause one student to shine and another to be lackluster? Most people don't realize that the type of student they choose to be not only affects the grades they will receive, but also tells others about key traits of their character. Before we discuss the differences between excellent students and mediocre students, there are indeed, some similarities between them. Many people may think that these two types of students will have nothing in common, but this is true. The fact is that many students want good grades. Both types also want to enjoy the benefits that a good education can bring, such as greater financial success and prestige. It is not just the aspiration for good grades that achieves these benefits. A commonly found difference between an excellent student and an average student is that of motivation or drive. However, the drive must not be confused with desire. Desire is the desire for something. Driving, on the other hand, is like gas in a car. It's what drives a person to do things. Many students want good grades, but it is the motivated student, the one who is willing to go above and beyond, who will use this drive to get what they want. Mediocre students have… half the paper… an education can be invaluable. The late South African President Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” Previously, the obvious benefits that come with a good education were discussed, but it is this ability to change the world in which a person lives that is the truly valuable benefit of an education. It should be this ability that motivates more and more people to be good students and do their best to receive an excellent education. Many people forget or do not understand that bad students do not receive the knowledge or character necessary to effect change on such a large scale. One by one they forget the power of an educated mind, fall into the habits of a bad student and never look back. Imagine what the world would be like if even half of all bad students knew the great power at hand.