People with self-control and motivation learn more effectively in the long term. In Paul Tough's book; How Children Succeed discussed various factors that contribute to success, including self-control and motivation. Many might argue that self-control and motivation do not make a difference academically, but quite the opposite; both are good tools to use for educational purposes. You need to have self-control to focus on studies rather than hanging out with friends. Self-control can be the difference between failing or succeeding in college. You often see motivation and self-control working hand in hand. Motivation can be a useful technique to use in the learning process. Self-control and motivation when used in a learning environment can be very effective in achieving a positive outcome. The marshmallow experiment showed that children who have more self-control in waiting for two marshmallows rather than one are more likely to be successful in their educational lives. . In the 1960s Walter Mischel, a professor at Stanford University, developed an experiment to test the willpower of four-year-olds (Tough 62). The experiment consisted of a researcher taking a child into an empty room and sitting him at a desk with a bell on it (Tough 62). The researcher let the child know that he could eat the marshmallow when he returned (Tough 62). All the child had to do was ring the bell and the experimenter would return with the marshmallow and the child could have it (Tough 62). However, if the child waited for the researcher to return alone, he would receive two marshmallows instead of just one (Tough 62). A decade later Mischel tested children to see if their ability to delay self-gratification could predict a...... half of a test ...... focused on getting good grades and studying for the ACT (Tough 167, 168). She also kept her boyfriend at a distance so that it wouldn't influence her choice in colleges or hinder her education (Tough 169). Kewauna entered his second-choice college, Western Illinois University (Tough 171). To achieve this Kewauna had to use self-control. This shows that Kewauna, like the students in the M&M test, kept her eyes focused on the prize, a business degree (Tough 174). He also shows a similarity to the Marshmallow experiment in that he has the self-control to get what he wants (Tough 174). Even though Kewauna still has a few years of college studies left, he's off to a good start with motivation and self-control if he continues to apply them in his life. Works Cited Duro, Paul. How children succeed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print/