Students are taught to strive for excellence and do well in school. Is it only academics that make an excellent student or can it be shown with other life skills such as… attendance, respectfulness, kindness, motivation and awareness? With opinions everywhere, from everyone, the answer varies.
“I think back to our, be responsible, be respectful and be safe. Respectful and responsible, I think, are the highest two priorities.” Shayla Linn (FHS Social worker) said.
School is more than quizzes, tests and homework for students because it is a whole environment of different standards and expectations with each teacher. From different subjects, to different teachers and different sets of expectations; to thrive in high school is troublesome for certain students.
Linn believes that being a good student is more than just passing a class. She explains it’s crucial for students to have certain life skills.
“Having the social emotional skills of knowing how to self-regulate yourself, how to calm yourself down, knowing how to treat others; that carries you through your whole school career.”
Taking time to rest during the weekends is just as important as homework, because preparing mentally and emotionally for tough academics will definitely help in the long run so a good student doesn’t get overwhelmed.
Learning is a part of every child’s life, but how to learn is subjective. In kindergarten, a student works on life skills such as simply being away from mom and dad, but what if there could be a higher-level comprehension mental health development resource for high schoolers to handle life outside of school, while being at school.
“I think it would be great if we had a mental health class this year, more than ever. The amount of kids that are seeing a therapist is so high. But, if we were able to start that earlier, and if students were able to take the class about anxiety, depression, and healthy coping skills, that would be huge! I think we also would see a decrease in kids missing school.” Linn said.
These qualities may provide better success for students in school and going on to bigger things after graduation. Linn stresses the importance of attendance also, because if you are not here to get the assignments and classwork, then it can be impossible to do and may leave students behind in a class.
Bailey Hansen, forensic science teacher, considers responsibility to be the most important quality for a great student to have.
“It doesn’t only play an aspect of turning in homework on time, but it also means that you’re taking responsibility for your actions in the class.” Hansen said.
Hansen also describes that an excellent student focuses on more than just grades.
“It is 100% based on just your want to be here. A kid who wants to be here but is not great at the classwork is better than a kid who’s great at the classwork and doesn’t like being at school.” Hansen said.
Linn’s advice for students to get closer to being a great student is by getting connected in other school related activities other than classes.
“I would say connect yourself to what you think your passion is, and that will drive your motivation to come to school. It will help your connectedness overall to find something you like here at school.” Linn said.
Mrs. Hansen has an encouraging tip as well for all FHS students.
“Take control of your life skills now; work with others. Whether you go into the military, college or straight into the workforce, any of those, you’re going to have to work with other people.”
Anyone can be a good student, but an excellent student learns how to be flexible in situations, how to balance mental health and school and how to be hardworking.
In conclusion, there are a multitude of qualities that are helpful in being a successful student. Put focus on different aspects of being a student, not only on GPA and grades, but emphasis on healthy life skills that will motivate each individual student to do the absolute best of their ability.
