Q: We need to ask: who is (or what is) an advanced student? By which criteria we can call him that? What has an ‘advanced' student done or what ‘mechanisms' has he started? And if this is the case, what originated them?
A: Dear friend, if I had to indicate the most important methods of growth, the most important ones for a fast advancement, I'd say, first of all, the Path of the Sword (1 st Ray or 1 st Under-Ray of another ray) which is the School of Will of Ego and Soul.
It starts with the courage to go towards changes and it reaches the Great Change (see the sephira Da'ath).
The second, or rather parallel to the first one, is the School of Whys . It is not simple passive and fence sitting interrogation, but it is questioning or active and intelligent questioning of the (2 nd Ray), asking and inquiring due to empathy, to obtain (3 rd Ray) the conscious knowledge for (5 th Ray) learning to know.
Therefore: learn to ask yourself the right question and there (at its center) you will always find the answer.
For example: what is the difference between a swimmer and an expert swimmer? Or between a tandem skydiver and one that practices swooping skydiving? Or between Cessna and F16 pilots? Which processes have been activated in those who can distinguish their level and ability?
Doing? No. Doing well? Even more?
I'd say that this is the right direction.
But doing well or very well what?
In our case: learning to see.
See what? Thoughts, sensations, feelings, ours and other people's.
Where? Inside ourselves, inside the question, inside the other person, who is a living question to which sometimes he cannot answer himself. Therefore, if ‘life is a show', it is important to learn to solve the problems it presents.
Moral of the story: be able to ask yourself the right question and (in its visualization) you will always find the answer you need.
Fraternally. 
