Mastery cannot be taught, only learned and experienced. We are all natural learners by design, or we wouldn't have lived this long. Traits that I associate with master students include:

Inquisitive - the master student is curious about everything. By posing questions she generates interest even in mundane things.

Able to Focus Attention - the world, to a child, is new. The master student can focus attention, making the world always new.

Willing to Change - the master student welcomes the unknown and is open to changes in his environment and changes in himself.

Able to Organize and Sort - she plays with information, organizing pieces of data to discover relationships.

Competent - mastery of basic skills is important to him, and he practices until he knows them cold.

Joyful - she smiles at nothing in particular other than amazement at the world and her experience of it.

Able to Suspend Judgment - he has opinions and positions, but is able to let go of them when appropriate. He doesn't let judgment get in the way of learning. Instead of "Prove it to me and then I'll believe it," he asks, "What if this were true?" and explores the possibilities.

Energetic - she has a spring in her step, is enthusiastic in class, and plays with the same intensity.

Well - he values his body and treats it with respect, and he tends to his emotional and spiritual health, as well.

Self-Aware - she regularly examines her life and evaluates herself and her behavior.

Responsible - he knows the difference between responsibility and blame. Rather than blame the cafeteria help for cold eggs, he gets up earlier next time.

Willing to Risk - she takes on projects without guarantee of success, difficult topics in term papers, the risks of a challenging course.

Willing to Participate - he's not happy on the sidelines; he wants in the game. Others can count on him. He makes a commitment and follows through.

Generalist - she is interested in everything, has a broad body of knowledge and can find value in nearly everything.

Willing to Accept Paradox - something that seems contradictory or absurd may have meaning.

Courageous - he admits his fear and chooses to experience it fully. Presentations are opportunities to explore feelings of anxiety and tension.

Self-Directed - rewards or punishments offered by others do not motivate her. Her motivation to learn comes from within.

Spontaneous - he responds to the moment in fresh and surprising ways.

Relaxed About Evaluations - she recognizes that evaluations are important, but they're not the only reason she studies. She does not measure her worth as a human by some instructor's one-page dictum.

Intuitive - he has learned to trust his feelings, and he works to develop that sense.

Creative - he can gather pieces of knowledge from a wide range of subjects and put them together in a new way. This is true in every aspect of his life.

Willing to be Uncomfortable - when discomfort is necessary to reach a goal, she is willing to endure it and to look at unpleasant things with detachment.

Accepting - he accepts himself, the people around him and the challenges that life offers.

Willing to Laugh - her sense of humor includes the ability to laugh at herself.

Hungry - Humans begin life with an appetite for knowledge. He taps into that hunger with the desire to learn for the sake of learning.

Willing to Work - inspiration is followed by sweat. Genius and creativity are mostly the result of persistence and work. She works with the intensity and focus of a child at play.