Students who struggle academically often develop ineffective study habits that compound their difficulties. Research shows that many underperforming s...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Students who struggle academically often develop ineffective study habits that compound their difficulties. Research shows that many underperforming students rely heavily on passive learning methods like rereading notes or highlighting textbooks. When these students face academic crises such as failing grades, they may abandon their usual study approaches entirely. To rebuild their academic confidence and skills, these students frequently adopt highly structured, intensive study techniques that require significant time investment but provide clear frameworks for learning, helping them gradually return to more sustainable study practices.
What does the text most strongly suggest about students who adopt highly structured, intensive study techniques?
These students are likely more committed to academic success than students who use passive learning methods.
These students have likely experienced significant academic difficulties.
These students have likely improved their academic performance without changing their original study habits.
These students are more likely to maintain long-term academic success than students who use passive methods.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Students who struggle academically often develop ineffective study habits that compound their difficulties." |
|
| "Research shows that many underperforming students rely heavily on passive learning methods like rereading notes or highlighting textbooks." |
|
| "When these students face academic crises such as failing grades, they may abandon their usual study approaches entirely." |
|
| "To rebuild their academic confidence and skills, these students frequently adopt highly structured, intensive study techniques that require significant time investment but provide clear frameworks for learning," |
|
| "helping them gradually return to more sustainable study practices." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Students who struggle academically and face crises like failing grades often adopt highly structured, intensive study techniques to rebuild their confidence and skills before returning to more sustainable approaches.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that struggling students develop poor study habits, then explains how academic crises prompt them to completely change approaches by adopting intensive, structured methods designed to rebuild their foundation before transitioning back to sustainable practices.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Based on our passage analysis, we know these students who adopt structured techniques:
- Were previously struggling academically
- Had developed ineffective study habits
- Faced "academic crises such as failing grades"
- Need to "rebuild their academic confidence and skills"
- The key phrase is "to rebuild" - you can only rebuild something that was previously damaged or lost
- The passage clearly connects these intensive techniques to students who faced academic crises and need to rebuild their foundation
These students are likely more committed to academic success than students who use passive learning methods.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims these students are "more committed" than others
- The passage never compares commitment levels between different types of students
These students have likely experienced significant academic difficulties.
✓ Correct
- States these students "have likely experienced significant academic difficulties"
- Perfectly matches our passage analysis: they face "academic crises such as failing grades"
- The word "rebuild" directly supports this - you only rebuild after something has been damaged
These students have likely improved their academic performance without changing their original study habits.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims they improved "without changing their original study habits"
- This directly contradicts the passage, which says they "abandon their usual study approaches entirely"
These students are more likely to maintain long-term academic success than students who use passive methods.
✗ Incorrect
- Makes a prediction about "long-term academic success" compared to other students
- The passage mentions they return to "sustainable practices" but never compares their long-term success rates to others