By Elizabeth Hamilton, M.Ed.
For Variety

MANY students believe that there is a secret to being a successful student. However, that is not true. Any student who can adhere to a schedule is organized, and willing to work hard can be successful in school. Below are a few suggestions parents can offer their children:
1. Get the right tools. To be a successful student, make sure that you have all the right “student tools” with you everyday. In addition to pens, pencils, and highlighters, you should have: a calendar for keeping track of when assignments are due and when exams are scheduled, binders and/or folders to keep your material organized, paper for notes, a computer or access to a computer for conducting research or typing, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a calculator (if you have a math or science class).
2. Complete your assignments on time. Make sure that you complete your homework assignments and special projects ahead of time and submit them when they are due. Teachers frequently do not accept late assignments. Those who do often deduct a letter grade for every day the assignment is late.
3. Take notes. Class lectures will be more understandable if you take notes. When you get home, you can review the information presented in class. If there is something that you do not understand, you can ask your teacher on the following day.
4. Study daily. A good rule for high school students to follow is to study for about one hour per day for every academic class you have. The time may be even greater when you have to prepare for an exam or work on writing a paper. Know your personal best time to study and stick to an established schedule. Study in a place where you won’t be interrupted by other family members. If studying at home is too distracting, try going to the library.
5. Prepare for exams. Don’t procrastinate! Start preparing for a test or an exam on the first day of class. Keep up with your reading assignments and review your class notes and worksheets on a daily basis. Reading all the chapters of a book or reviewing all of your class notes and worksheets for the first time the night before the exam rarely works.
6. Have excellent attendance. Make sure that you come to school and attend all of your classes everyday. Missing class lectures makes it much more difficult to get back on track. Make a habit of being in school every day unless you are truly ill.
7. Communicate with your teachers. Communicating with your teachers about issues that need attention is essential for your success. If there is something that you do not understand or you require extra assistance from your teacher, don’t wait until the end of the quarter or the semester when the situation has become out of hand. Speak with him or her as soon as possible. If you aren’t comfortable speaking to your teachers by yourself, ask your parents to speak with them for you.
8. Get enough sleep. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night is essential to being successful in school. If you are too tired, you will not be able to concentrate on your class lectures and classwork.