Success tips for teens

Always be honest

Never cheat. Never. Whenever you take a test, you are actually taking two tests: a test on trigonometry and a test on honesty. If you can only pass one test, make sure it is the test of honesty. There are many good people in the world who can’t do trigonometry, but there are no good people who aren’t honest.

Cheating isn’t worth it. The price is steep. Cheaters trade real learning and mastery for a few extra marks. Long-term success just isn’t in the cards for cheaters.

Cheating is the result of failure, and the final result is the loss of self-respect. Remember, if you’ve tried your best, you have the right to be proud of your work – regardless of the result.

Be someone you would like to meet

School is not a building. It is a collection of people. Your success in secondary school depends largely upon your ability to get along with others. You spend most of your time with one person – you.

Be someone you would like to meet. Become one of your favourite people. When you feel good about yourself, others will like you. School will be more fun, and success will follow. So be enthusiastic, smile, keep a sense of humour, be honest and work hard. Think of others. Make it a goal to do at least one unselfish thing every day for a parent, a friend or a teacher. Keep a special place in your agenda book to put a check mark when you’ve done this.

Don't skip the small stuff

Pay attention to the little things. Your letter grade is usually a combination of a lot of things: quizzes, tests, projects, attitude, class participation, book reports, homework checks, etc.

Do NOT make the mistake of thinking, “it’s only a 10-mark quiz” or “it’s only one homework assignment.” The small stuff adds up and it adds up, fast. What may seem like an insignificant thing may be a big deal to your teacher. Don’t take a chance. Stay on top of it. You’ll feel better and school will be lot more enjoyable!

How to succeed in middle and secondary school

Everything changes. More homework, more teachers, more friends, more exams and a lot more stress! The good news is that everything you learned about being a good student in elementary school will help you be a great student in secondary school.

Keep reading to find out how to cut study time, get better grades, boost confidence and enjoy school more. Here are useful and proven tips, from high school teachers and students themselves, to get you off to the best start.

I am reading this because:

a) I have to.
b) I want to.

How you answered this question says a lot about how your next few years in school will go!

If you answered “a” then you need to GET INTERESTED. Getting interested in school is the best shortcut to learning on the planet. But hey, you are reading this. That’s great! You’re already ahead of the pack. Keep reading.

If you answered “b” then you’re really on your way! Keep reading.

School is a fact of life. Homework is inevitable. Teachers are not going to go away. So get to work. You won’t be in school forever. Take advantage of the great opportunity you have. School success is your ticket to a great future. Working now can help you get a good job, earn a scholarship and gain admission to university, college or trade school.

Take school seriously. There are a lot of things about school that teens don’t control. But you do control your attitude, participation, enthusiasm and co-operation. Go for it!

Students who get the great grades in school have habits, strategies and attitudes that tend to be different. Check out the 10 strategies in this section - they work!

Keep on top of your homework

When you don’t do your homework, you send a message to your teachers. The message is, “I don’t care.” Low grades will follow. Count on it. Also, if you don’t do your homework regularly, you won’t learn as much. That will make tomorrow’s work harder, and the day after that, and the day after that ...

Make homework your number 1 priority. Homework must come before TV, computer, friends, extracurricular activities, even a job. Do at least one hour every day (more if you are older). Do your homework six days a week – take one day off for good behaviour.

On evenings when you don’t have a lot of assigned homework, do some review, work ahead, read or practise your skills. The secret is to do some every day. Don’t let it build up. If you haven’t developed the homework habit, start now. You’ll need it if you go to university, where you will get more homework than you ever dreamed possible.

Learn to deal with reality

So what happens when your motivation to do well in school collides with other interests? Or distractions? Friends, TV, job, a teacher you don’t like – just to name a few. Life can be tough. It isn’t always fair.

What do you do? Deal with it. Just deal with it. Don’t give up. Everyone else has to keep going – including your parents and teachers.