The issues of motivational inclinations, cognitive and meta-cognitive approaches and resource management abilities of university students are considered in predicting academic achievement. First-year university students filled in the Motivated Strategies Learning Questionnaire, completed the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale, answered the Achievement Goal Inventory Scale, and self-reported their grade point averages. A multivariate analysis of co-variance (MANCOVA) indicated that students with low self-efficacy were inclined to believe that intelligence is inherent and cannot be changed. It also indicated that students with high self-efficacy preferred mastery goals, which entailed challenges and new knowledge, as well as performance goals that comprised good grades and surpassing others. Additionally, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that effort-regulation, self-efficacy, and help-seeking explained 21% of the variance in GPA. It was also found that the relationship between self-efficacy and GPA was partially mediated by effort-regulation. Additionally, on account of the fact that students with self-efficacy were able to analyze and control their impulses and thrive in the face of challenge, they excelled academically. Inferences of these findings for educators who may prefer to focus on the objective of increasing academic achievement by strengthening self-efficacy and effort-regulation are also discussed.