There are many reasons for students working hard at their academic studies. While some kids may strive for high marks in order to impress their parents, others may have higher aspirations.

A new study finds that students who have goals for their academic futures and have put a lot of thought into where they would like to go during their high school years tend to reach higher levels of education, such as the kind of degree they pursue.

Researchers from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln gave surveys to hundreds of high school students about their education and career goals, as well as where they saw themselves in the future.

"Adolescents' expectations about their occupational and educational attainment as adults predict their eventual educational attainment, and these expectations seem to shape and be shaped by extracurricular activities - which, in turn, contribute to young adult educational attainment," said lead author Sarah Beal.

The study also found that a study's extracurricular activities that ranged from part-time jobs to athletics to volunteer work also were related to their overall academic goals.