Everyone can achieve success in school – if they choose to

WHEN I WAS a young boy, my dad always told me “Success is either for the clever or the strategic.” Well, if you aren’t the former, then don’t let the latter skip you. Don’t make passing in school something over-rated, NO, it isn’t. When your teacher tells you he believes the whole class can pass, trust him because after understanding these five points, it will be a shame for your grades to stay the same.Identify your strengths but don’t desert your weaknessIt’s just natural that every student has the subjects that they find much easier to understand and workout. Well, note them down and set a target mark of which you should never go below. I suggest you set a very high mark but which you know you can attain. At the same, time work hard on the subjects that are hard for you. There are always easy numbers even in those hard subjects that are a must-pass, don’t let them slip through your fingers and set a target mark for those hard subjects as well. Identify your best concentration timeI remember back in high school, I had a friend whose best concentration time was from 10pm to 2am. At that time, he read ahead, passed through what we studied that day and did some research. My best concentration time was from 4am to 6am and at this time, my brain worked like a computer. Try different times of reading and see what works best for you. Though unfortunately some people’s concentration times don’t fall within the time one is supposed to be reading, either it is class time or deep in the night but it is always important to find what works best for you.Study the structure of the exams The way exams are set doesn’t often change much. It is always the same and for a long time, it is likely to stay that way. Please quote me right, I am not saying you should SPOT (Guessing what may come in the paper) but I am just saying that the structure in which different questions are set tends to follow familiar pattern. In mathematics, we always know what topics must always be there and the teacher always says it. So we would always be confident of those marks in the basket already and we start concentrating on the other hard ones.Develop a working formulaFind a studying formula that suits you best. What steps to take to make it effective and complete the tasks assigned. Some people learn from the blackboard and just pass through the class work later, while others revise and make a summary to understand better where as others find discussions with friends to be more effective. Find one that is convenient for you. Make studies a priority Abdul Kalam once said, “To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.” One thing you should remember is that school is a process and you will leave it one day. It is important to settle down and make the most of it and everything else will be enjoyed after. Don’t make your life after school a regretful one.