In today’s society, there is so much pressure on students to produce high marks. This pressure can shape students into mindless creatures following a path to society’s expectations of growth and success.

The truth is, many average students end up being some of the most successful people in life.

The list of India’s millionaires and billionaires who were college dropouts is long. A few that come to mind are Azim Premji (WiPro), Sushant Singh Rajput (actor), Ritesh Agarwhal (Oyo Rooms), and Rahul Yadar (housing.com).

Marks in school never provide the full picture of a student. Some very intelligent people are just not good test takers. Some clever people are able to do quite well on tests without actually learning much at all.

In life, high marks can give you an advantage and open up opportunities. However, your actual achievements speak much louder than your test scores, and average students often go on to have the biggest achievements.

Here is why average students often end up being the most successful:

1. They only need to impress themselves.

As long as you are impressing yourself, you are doing well. Average students do not waste time earning and flaunting their grades to their friends and family. They are out doing things that impress themselves, and this later leads to doing things that impress society.

2. They have tried more things.

Making high marks takes a lot of time and effort. While top students are buried in books, average students are exploring their interests and finding their passions. This leads them to the area in which they can achieve the most and make the biggest difference.

3. They are willing to take risks.

Top students take the safest path. After all, taking the safest path towards gainful employment is partially why they are a top student. Average students are more willing to take risks. Higher risks lead to higher rewards. This is one of the reasons why you see a lot of millionaires who dropped out of school.

4. They are able to relate to people.

It is harder to maintain friendships and connect with people when most of your time goes into studying. Average students have time to build larger networks and to learn more about how people think, feel, and behave. This allows them to relate to people which is a highly useful trait for management, sales, and entrepreneurship.

5. They enjoy life.

It is harder to achieve great things when you are unhappy. Average students spend more time doing things that they enjoy and are happier as a result. Even if you make high marks and get a good, soul-sucking job, is your life better off than someone who is completely happy?

6. They are not stuck in traditional ways.

Top students are often the top students because they are following the tradition set by their parents or the expectations of society. Average students think differently and are often able to live in the future, rather than the past. This is a trait that is required of anyone who seeks to change the world.

7. They are not afraid of failure.

Average students are not worried about failure because they have been “failing” all of their life. Without a fear of failure, there is nothing holding them back from taking the steps that are necessary to achieve success.

8. They follow their own path.

Society’s expectations have dictated certain paths that should be followed for success and a “good” life. Average students do not stick to these rigid paths that most people follow. They are wanderers more than followers, and wanderers often become leaders.

9. They seek out other ways to get ahead.

It is fulfilling to achieve things. Average students do not receive this fulfillment from their average marks, so they seek out other means of achievement. One of the most common alternate forms of achievement is entrepreneurial success. While top students are earning their marks, many average students are doing things that lead to entrepreneurial success. Before long, these average students are able to hire the top students.

The purpose of this article is not to tell you to skip studying. If you are a top student, keep up the great work. Much insight can be gained from books. The point is that marks are not everything, and they certainly do not dictate your worth.

Find time to enjoy yourself. Explore your interests. Connect with people. These are the things that truly matter, not your class rank.