Two recent reports point to the importance of so called non-cognitive skills to success in college and work. A University of Chicago lit review funded by the Lumina and Raikes foundations said, "Students must develop sets of behaviors, skills, attitudes, and strategies that are crucial to academic performance in their classes."
The report found that grades are a better indicator of future success than test scores because they are a proxy for a range of positive academic behaviors "including study skills, attendance, work habits, time management, help-seeking behaviors, metacognitive strategies, and social and academic problem-solving skills that allow students to successfully manage new environments and meet new academic and social demands."