Academic success in high school is different for every student. Some may strive for straight A’s, while others may aim to balance coursework, athletics, and other extracurriculars. Regardless of what success looks like for your student, there are many ways you can help them learn how to be successful in high school.
4 Characteristics of Successful High School Students
Successful students often display similar characteristics. Knowing those common traits can help you nurture those same qualities in your kids to help them succeed in high school and after graduation. Here are a few characteristics of successful high school students:
- Desire to learn: Many students who succeed in school have a natural desire to learn. When students are eager to learn new things, they can focus in class and be excited for new lessons. Exposing your kids to different environments and new places while they’re young can instill the desire to discover, play, and create.
- Willingness to put in the effort: Successful high school students need to be willing to put in the work to produce quality results, whether that be getting good grades, winning a game, or achieving something else. Showing students the value of good work and teaching them to be proud of what they do can benefit them through high school and after graduating.
- Self-motivation: Self-motivated students can complete tasks and work independently while still seeking help when they need it. Teaching kids early on to be proud when they complete a task on their own can help motivate them to be independent during school.
- Study skills: Another characteristic of successful students is study skills. Some students will naturally develop their studying abilities, while others will need help cultivating them. You can help your student create a study schedule and learn study techniques that will help them throughout high school.
While it helps to nurture these characteristics as early on in a student’s school career as possible, it’s never too late to help your child develop successful school habits and traits.
10 Tips for Academic Success in High School
High school can be challenging, especially as expectations are increased and coursework becomes more difficult. Luckily, there are many ways parents can support their high school children. Consider these 10 tips for supporting your child to help them achieve academic success in high school.
1. Support Coursework Expectations
Coursework undoubtedly picks up during high school, and grades are more important now than ever because of college or future plans. Many high schoolers are juggling school, jobs, and social lives, so providing your student with a quiet, distraction-free workspace can help them stay on top of coursework. Encourage them to communicate their workloads with you so you can help them stay on a productive schedule and meet course expectations.
2. Instill Organizational Skills
Despite being crucial sets of skills in many aspects of life, time-management and organization skills are often not explicitly taught to students. As a parent, you can teach your child how to organize their classes by folders or binders. Help them create a calendar for deadlines and extracurriculars so they can visualize their time and plan accordingly.
3. Lead by Example
As a parent, your kids will look to you as an example of what they should do and think. For example, if you don’t act like grades are important, your child will have difficulty prioritizing school. Show that grades, attendance, studying, and other aspects of school are important, and your student will be more likely to think so, too.
4. Provide a Healthy Breakfast
Providing a nutritious breakfast for your student can send them off to school with more energy. High schoolers who eat protein, whole grains, and fiber for breakfast can be more prepared for their day. Breakfast can help improve your teen’s concentration, attention span, and memory. They won’t be distracted by hunger as they participate in class, study, or complete schoolwork.
5. Listen When Kids Are Stressed
Staying connected with your teen and talking about school can help them communicate when they’re stressed. Be sure to actively listen and ask open-ended questions to show you’re interested in their academic lives. Regular, intentional conversations about school can reveal stressful areas.
6. Offer to Help With Studying
Studying with your teen can be a great way to help them learn effective habits and communicate the information. Practice tests, simple questioning, and fill-in-the-blanks are effective ways to get your student to interact with the material, making it more likely to be retained.
7. Participate in School Activities and Meetings
Getting involved with the school community further shows that you care about your teen’s academic life. Whether you volunteer to work at fundraisers, chaperone dances and field trips, or attend parent-teacher conferences and school board meetings, your involvement says a lot to your teen.
8. Build Test-Taking Skills
Standardized tests are common in high school and for college preparations, though many teens experience anxiety associated with test taking. Providing your student with ways to deal with their stress and tools they can use to narrow down multiple choice answers can give them the confidence they need to succeed.
9. Offer Constructive Criticism
Constructive criticism can help teens improve their work and learn to handle feedback. For example, offer to review your student’s work if they want additional insight. When offering constructive criticism, be sure to start with things your teen did well, then offer areas for improvement and suggestions for how to do so. Avoid doing the work for them, and instead, try to lead them to the answer.
10. Encourage a Growth Mindset
Encourage your student to continue growing every day. A growth mindset shows the desire to improve, which you can help your teen with by setting goals. Setting realistic goals can put your teen on the path to student achievement and success. Plus, goal setting is a valuable skill in college and the workplace.
Learn About Commonwealth Charter Academy’s Online High School Program
As your teen begins navigating high school and the world beyond, they’ll still rely on your support. If you’re looking to be more involved in your student’s academics, consider enrolling them in Commonwealth Charter Academy’s online high school program. With a variety of electives, career-focused clubs, and career and college preparation, CCA strives to teach students valuable skills that will enable them to contribute to their communities. Our teachers and staff encourage parents’ support and involvement to ensure our high schoolers are ready for the world beyond school.
To find out if CCA is the right fit for your high school student, request information and learn more today.
