Researchers examining academic success often quantify it in terms of assessment grades. This assumption is questioned here by considering the students' understanding of academic success. The presented study aimed to identify students' views of its definition and the factors they perceive as crucial in attaining it. Sixteen undergraduate Psychology students at a modern university in London, United Kingdom took part in one of three focus groups. Participants defined academic success as: the accomplishment of the learning process; gaining subject knowledge; and developing employability skills. Thematic analysis of the collected data resulted in two themes: intrinsic factors, including motivation, self-directed learning and personal skills; and extrinsic factors, including teaching content and the student support structure. The discussion of these results at the conference led to the conclusion that achieving academic success and minimising skill gaps for employability post qualification requires the intrinsic elements to be addressed as an integral part of the compulsory programme rather than presented as optional add-ons. VignetteA second-year student requested an urgent appointment for academic advice from her personal tutor. She demanded an explanation of how the degree classification was calculated to make sure she pitched her efforts correctly for the upcoming assessments, in order to achieve the final grade that she had in mind (which was a 2:1). Her reasoning was that in order to maximise her employability, it was crucial to balance her time between achieving the required grade and gaining the appropriate level of work experience.

Her research investigates the cognitive demands of multitasking performance, in particular the role of working memory. She also researches how media-multitasking behaviour relates to individual differences in executive function in both adults and children. Rosemary Stock is a Lecturer at the University of West London. Her research focuses on the predictors of student success in higher education. She also conducts research on reasoning and decision making, specifically how these processes are affected by individual differences and cognitive ageing.

Research examining the links between Mental Toughness, Positive and Negative Affect and Academic Success was presented at the Annual Higher Education STEM Conference (HEA STEM). The results indicated that undergraduate students of psychology (n = 141) showed a positive correlation between Control of Life (a component of Mental Toughness) and Academic Success, as measured by their grades. Further relationships between components of each scale were found to differ between genders. Females showed negative relationships between Confidence in Abilities and Control of Emotion and Academic Success, while males showed links only between Commitment and Positive Affect, and Commitment and Academic Successboth of these being positive relationships. In this conference reflection piece, the results of this research will be examined in the light of the wider discussions on employability in relation to 'Resilience' and how Academic Success is measured.

Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) report difficulty in making healthrelated decisions. Informed choice tools are designed to guide individuals through a decision-making process. Aims:To determine the effectiveness of these tools for people with SMI and to identify what methods and processes may contribute to effectiveness.Method: A systematic electronic search was conducted for studies published between 1996 and January 2018. The search was updated in March 2020. Studies of any design reporting the development or evaluation of any informed choice tool for people with SMI were considered.A structured, narrative synthesis was conducted.Results: Ten articles describing four tools were identified. Tools were designed to assist with decision-making around bipolar treatment, smoking cessation and disclosure of mental illness in employment situations. Positive changes in decisional conflict, stage of change, knowledge and self-efficacy were reported for two tools, though insufficient data exists for definitive conclusions of effectiveness. Feedback from service users and attention to readability appeared key. Conclusions:The evidence base for informed choice tools for people with SMI is limited. Such tools should be developed in stages and include the views of people with SMI at each phase; readability should be considered, and a theoretical framework should be used to facilitate process evaluation.

Grades are frequently used by academics as a measure of academic success. The literature has largely neglected to ascertain how students define this important concept. This study aimed to give voice to how university students define academic success and what they perceive as the contributing factors. This qualitative study used three focus groups with 16 undergraduate psychology students attending a London university. Experiential inductive thematic analysis (TA) was used to analyse the data. Students defined academic success as a combination of outcomes including grades and more holistic outcomes of personal development and achievements. Three themes emerged to summarise students' perception of the factors that influence academic success. The first theme student agency included two subthemes: setting goals and self-regulation. The second theme was aptitude, with two subthemes: self-evaluation and motivation. The final theme was type of support which included the subthemes institutional support and external support. This study adds the student voice to the definition of academic success and the factors that facilitate it.The challenge for higher education institutions is to incorporate these student-defined attributes into the curriculum to facilitate student success, particularly targeting malleable elements such as study and social skills, financial and other tailored provisions especially for non-traditional students. Researchers also need to develop instruments to measure holistic academic success outcomes to assess if students are reaching these objectives.