The definition of a sound education can vary between individuals. Some would say a sound education consisted of solely completing compulsory education and others would see it as achieving a higher education. How one succeeds in education will vary through individuals. People have different methods of learning and will achieve the best results in their own way of studying.

The foundation of a sound education are the years spent building a platform to have the ability to work efficiently from. In the early stages of child development one would not expect an infant to study or indeed have any skills to do so. Paiget has entitled four different stages of learning. 'Sensory motor, pre-operational, concrete operations and formal operations'. These stages of development will have been taught via many different methods which will not involve studying.

The way in which people learn can be majorly affected throughout life for a number of different reasons, one being their parenting. Robson (1996) maintains that parental involvement can result in an increase in knowledge, skills and confidence. A students peers can have a both positive and negative effect. In its most destructive mode, the peer group can demand blind obedience to a group norm, which can result in socially alienated gangs with pathological outlooks (Perry, 1987). The academic level of a school in which is attended can also have an effect on results. Hoxby's k-12 results 2000 Sacerdote (2001) found results are higher if surrounded by academically strong students. The passion individuals have and the want to succeed in education seem to prove the most important. Students who are most motivated to learn and excel in classroom activities tend to be our highest achievers (A. E. Gottfried, 1990; Schiefele, Krapp, & Winteler, 1992; Walberg & Uguroglu,