How to Be a Successful High School Student

Co-authored by Ted Dorsey, MA

Last Updated: February 2, 2023 References Approved

Being a successful high school student requires both patience and motivation. Unfortunately, there are often many distractions during your teen years that can make success difficult. To become a successful student, you'll have to learn to say "no" to these distractions by using organization tools like schedules, while also maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as well as balancing your academic life with your social life and extracurricular interests. It may be hard during the school year, and also tiring, but the hard work always pays off at the end.

Steps

1
Make good use of your agenda. They give it to you for a reason. Don't only write homework, but make sure to write down other stuff you'll need to remember (like games, practices, study sessions, etc.). In order to be a successful high school student, you need to have the ability to stay on top of all your activities. Use your agenda to stay organized and follow through with your plans.^{[1]
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- Use your agenda to set time limits. If you're spending more than an hour on that math assignment, you're clearly not getting it, and are only hurting yourself. Stop, put it aside, move on to other homework. Come back to it later and if you still don't get it, explain what happened to your teacher. Chances are, they'll be happy to help and not dock your grade. Just make sure you've made an attempt to do the work.
2
Stay organized. Make sure you have all the supplies you need. It may help to have one 3-ring binder with pockets for each class (maybe only a folder for an elective class) with loose-leaf paper and dividers if they help. If your teacher likes to lecture, have a spiral or composition notebook for notes and jot down pictures and thoughts to help you remember- the pages are less likely to rip out than loose-leaf. Keep papers in chronological order- they'll be easier to find later when studying.^{[2]
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- If your binder starts to get full, transfer old papers into another binder to keep at home. This way you won't have to lug them around, but they will be there when studying for midterms and finals.
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3
Remember that school is important. You don't have to be the nerd who holes himself/herself up in his/her bedroom Friday night or reads gigantic books in the corner of the room to be considered someone who takes school seriously. The truth is, school is important. You need it to have a good resume, and you need it to get into a good college and later get a good career that will support you for the rest of your life, but even though you decide not to go to college, school does help a lot socially and intellectually.
- It's important to have fun and have lots of extracurricular activities, but school should always be your number one priority. That being said, never take homework, tests, and quizzes lightly! Note that extracurricular activities are also good with college resumes as well.
4
Enjoy school for the academics and the social interaction. Balance is the key. You can be someone who makes straight A's in all advanced classes, but if you have zero extracurricular activities in your application for college, you will have a much more difficult time getting accepted. It's just not attractive either way.^{[3]
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- Keep on top of your schoolwork but make sure you let your hair down a little sometimes to join a few clubs consistently throughout your high school years. You won't regret it.
5
Get involved at your school. You don't have to wear spirit colors everyday or be a cheerleader to do this. All you need to do is to stay on top of things; current events, who won the basketball game last Friday, attending school functions like dances and variety shows, keeping up with plans your student council has for the school and those kinds of activities.^{[4]
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- Just like keeping up with current events and politics is important, so is being active at your campus. Not only will it bond you with other people, but it's always good to have a collective unity over a student body. It shows that you care about the learning environment that you're in that you support all the organizations at your school.
6
Take part in a sport.^{[5]
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Research source} It's easy to forget to stay in shape when the workload starts piling up, so joining a team at your school makes it one less worry in your schedule; it's already incorporated in your daily routine. If you're going for all three seasons, that's great, but make sure you're being realistic with your time.
- If you're taking all honors classes, for example, and you know you're going to have a heck of a lot of homework, you may want to consider taking a season off. Try your hardest at both your sport and your schoolwork and you should be more than great- you're healthy and on top of your schoolwork.
7
Explore hobby interests and find a club that encourages your interests. Not being an athlete is no excuse for not having something to do after school. If you're into art, join the art club. Music, and join the orchestra or a band. Join something and be sure to stick with it for a long time; it looks good on college applications.^{[6]
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- If you're not into any of your school's clubs, ask your principal to start a new one. Most likely he/she will say yes and it's just one quick and easy process into a initiating a new activity at your school.
8
Think ahead about university. As soon as you begin sophomore year, start visiting universities. You don't need to decide anything yet, but it will help you decide if you want a large school or small (urban, rural, or suburban, if a state school is an acceptable choice, and so on).
- Visit your guidance counselor regularly; they're going to have to write a letter of recommendation so the better they know you, the better a letter you'll get. They'll also be able to help recommend universities and find scholarships.
9
Care about your Grade Point Average. Your GPA is as important to you as your parents credit score is to them. A low credit score prevents your parent from being able to get a loan, rent an apartment, get a credit card, get a cell phone and on and on. Your parents credit score is their lifeline. It opens doors and closes doors.
- Your GPA is your lifeline! With a high GPA many options are available after graduation. You will have many choices regarding which colleges you can attend. A low GPA limits your options. There is a program out there for everyone but having a choice makes the walk across the stage a sweet victory!
10
Make friends. There's too much going on to worry about cliques, who's friends with whom, who the popular people are. The best thing to do is to just be friendly to and with everyone.^{[7]
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- Be confident and be yourself. Get into the habit of saying "hi" to people and not being afraid to talk to new classmates. The more comfortable you become with a more diverse group of people, the more people will like you and the more you will accustom yourself to the art of versatility later in life.
11
Don't compare yourself with others. It cannot be stressed enough that there's already too much on your plate to worry about trivial stuff like this. High school is only a competition with yourself. Everyday you should only be trying to get better, not worrying about how the girl sitting in front of you has nicer clothes, is getting better grades, has a hotter boyfriend, etc. Ten years from now, this won't matter.
- Focus on yourself. Focus on what you can do to make yourself better. Then, most importantly, go for it!
12
Don't procrastinate. This is probably the #1 curse of all high school students. It's hard and it's okay if you do it occasionally, however, when big tests, exams, and essays come, be prepared. You'll only be sorry in the end, especially in college with jumbo papers and insane amounts of reading will become the norm.^{[8]
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- It's best to accustom yourself to getting things done early and out of the way rather than waiting until the very last minute. Make a plan and a list of homework. Keep it somewhere you can see it and won't forget it. Don't forget due dates!
13
Eat breakfast and lunch. It sounds stupid, but you'd be surprised how many people skip breakfast or lunch. Not only is this unhealthy, it can also take a toll on your energy levels. If you don't have time to eat breakfast at home, take some to the bus stop or buy some at your cafeteria before the first period.^{[9]
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- It's important to jump start your metabolism the right way so it's running smoothly throughout the whole day. Lunch is important to prevent your stomach from grumbling during your last periods. A full stomach keeps you focused. Skipping meals actually only slows down your metabolism and makes you gain more weight, not less.
14
Stay healthy both inside and outside of school. Don't fall for the vending machine trap. Most of the food in there is unhealthy and disgusting. Go for the soy chips or anything whole grain if the vending machine is all you have the moment.
- Don't fall for the Vitamin Water trap either; it's loaded with sugar. Only if you're a competitive athlete and will be burning off those 400+ calories pretty soon should you pay for that jumbo pack of gummy bears or something.
- At home, take an after school snack to keep your belly full until dinner time--invest in fruits, nuts, and healthy chips. Loading on junk food during the day is not only unhealthy but will only give you a temporary "energy" for homework or that 10-page paper you have to write that night.
15
Get enough sleep. This is easier said than done, but sleep has so many benefits. If every high school kid got around eight to nine hours of sleep per night, everyone would be a much happier camper. Try to get things done and out of the way so that you get your much needed shuteye. Not only will you be more alert during the day, but it helps improve your complexion and your figure, and you'll be much more likely to pay attention in your boring classes and, as a result, ace them. Of course, this is not always possible, especially in the dreaded junior year. If you're taking 3+ AP classes and are in all those clubs and sports, there are chances you will be up until 1 AM doing homework - if that happens, skip clubs/sports the next day and nap! You are no good to anyone when you are severely sleep deprived. Naps are wonderful things.^{[10]
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- Also, caffeine can help you keep focused - but there are potential side effects, and addiction can hurt you in the short and long term. Try to use the stimulant in moderate amounts and only when absolutely necessary e.g. an important test.
16
Be a trendsetter. The only trend you should follow is yourself. This doesn't mean you should then go to school the next day wearing pantyhose on your head, or whatever. You should have your own style and your own identity, so that you make your mark in high school the right way and not as a nondescript UGG-wearing replica of every other girl (or guy) out there.
- Be original, and don't be afraid to be yourself. It's a cliché, but it's essential. People are more likely to remember you and want to be friends with you if you are intriguing and different.
17
Try to go out during the weekends. You endured five agonizing days of school, and the time has come to cut yourself some slack. During the weekend, if you have friends to go with, go somewhere fun and have a blast. Even if you don't have many friends, spend the weekend relaxing and doing what you like to do.
- Let yourself loose and energize yourself so when Monday comes, you're all partied out and ready to focus again. But remember that school is the top priority, so don't do this if you have a ton of homework this weekend.
18
Never give up. Again, cliché, but important. High school is all about making a fool of yourself but picking yourself back up, trying again, and making friends along the way. Learn to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake. Don't beat yourself up over the occasional C or D (heaven forbid an F) on a test or quiz. Tell yourself to study harder and strive for an A the next time. If your team lost a game, tell yourself to push yourself a little harder at the next practice.
- Learning this will soon apply outside of school and into other parts of your fantastic life. Learn from your mistakes and you will go a long way. Just remember, no one is perfect.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I ace a final exam?

Ted Dorsey, MA
Master's Degree, Education, University of California Los Angeles
Ted Dorsey is a Test Prep Tutor, author, and founder of Tutor Ted, an SAT and ACT tutoring service based in Southern California. Ted earned a perfect score on the SAT (1600) and PSAT (240) in high school. Since then, he has earned perfect scores on the ACT (36), SAT Subject Test in Literature (800), and SAT Subject Test in Math Level 2 (800). He has a BA in English from Princeton University and a MA in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ted Dorsey, MA

Master's Degree, Education, University of California Los Angeles

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The best way to ace your final exam is to really love and engage with the class throughout the school year. Take good notes and retain the information as you go. If you don't, then you'll have to learn too much material at the end of the semester right before your exam.
Question

How can I get faster at taking tests so I don't run out of time?

Ted Dorsey, MA
Master's Degree, Education, University of California Los Angeles
Ted Dorsey is a Test Prep Tutor, author, and founder of Tutor Ted, an SAT and ACT tutoring service based in Southern California. Ted earned a perfect score on the SAT (1600) and PSAT (240) in high school. Since then, he has earned perfect scores on the ACT (36), SAT Subject Test in Literature (800), and SAT Subject Test in Math Level 2 (800). He has a BA in English from Princeton University and a MA in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ted Dorsey, MA

Master's Degree, Education, University of California Los Angeles

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The best strategy is to focus on learning the material. Tests are designed to be finished in time, so as long as you've studied well and know all of the material, you won't have to worry about going really fast or running out of time.
Question

What is the hardest part about high school?

Community Answer

The hardest part about high school is planning for the future. Often, high-school students look at exams as something they should start studying for a week before they take them. Those students usually have to scramble to make a study guide for each subject. However, if you go through each year, taking notes and making study guides for every unit, studying for finals will be easy.

Warnings

Don't overwork yourself, if you do then your grades will begin to slip and the opposite of what you want to happen will happen.

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Don't worry about bullies, they aren't cool. They try to be, but they're not! You have more important priorities in your life to worry about, and it is not constructive to surround yourself with negative people. Try to avoid bullies as best as you can, and surround yourself with the positive people in your life, like your friends, to scare bullies away.

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