Success in school sets tone for the rest of your life
With the increased pressures from the competition for scholarships and the job market, students are once again feeling the pressure to succeed. In today's world, where grade-point averages, test scores and citizenship grades can help to determine the rest of your life, it's no wonder student success is one of the most important goals in schools.
School success will determine what college you are accepted into, what career choices you have, and even your future living situation. However, we can't complete this vital task of succeeding in school without some help.
Here are some tips from Top of Utah teens, faculty and administration for getting ahead.
Road to success
Often, those who can give the best advice are those who have succeeded as well. They have experienced the things that you may be facing right now. The students that were interviewed here had at least a 3.9 GPA.
We all wonder how those that get straight A's can pull it off. What are their secrets? One thing some teens feel is the most important trait to have in order to succeed is the desire to do well.
"They need to be able to focus and realize what they want, and what they need to do in order to get what they want," said Katie Weber, a sophomore at Bonneville High.
It's harder to succeed if one isn't sure of what they want to accomplish exactly. Students need to have goals and the drive to pursue those goals in order to succeed.
Studying, though sometimes seen as tedious, can make a tremendous difference in a student's success. Many see it as something to be done alone but others choose a different route.
"I have other people help me sometimes; I have them ask me 'OK, what is this?' if it's like a definition," said Amanda Price, a junior at Bonneville High.
There are also different little things that can make a huge impact on a student's success, such as taking a certain type of class in school.
"I noticed that once I started playing an instrument my grades went up and everything pretty much all around just got better," said Zach Patrick, a junior at Bonneville.
Many options are available to students and there are classes that can help in other areas academically, that may not be realized.The only way to find these opportunities is to start looking and experimenting with different classes and extracurricular activities. You never know what hidden talents you may find.
Obstacles
As much as we would like to have everything go smoothly when it comes to succeeding, unfortunately, we must have our fair share of obstacles. Though at the time they seem to only make things harder and don't really help at all, sometimes obstacles in school can help in the long-run. Some of these obstacles can seem small and insignificant at first, but can quickly become a big problem.
Poor communication is one obstacle many students face, said Art Hansen, the principal at Bonneville High.
"They don't check their grades; they're not seeing where they're at and trying to make up any missed work," Hansen said. "There are so many things that get kids derailed. If they're not turning in their homework, if they're not attending, if they're not communicating with their teachers, they're not studying; they're not getting enough sleep."
Family influence
Family has always played an important role in students' lives, and can perhaps be one of the biggest influences on a student's success. Parents or siblings can influence how the student views the importance of their education, often by sharing their own experiences and how it has influenced their own lives. They may also show the student what is needed to be done in order to succeed, and how to achieve it.
"Kids need boundaries around them, so they know what appropriate behavior is and what inappropriate behavior is," said Maury Kettell, a math teacher at Canyon Heights High.
The boundaries that not only families set for their student, but the student sets for themselves as well, will have some of the biggest impacts on the rest of their life.
Meghan Jones is a sophomore at Bonneville High School. Contact her at jonesmeghan38@gmail.com.
Comments