Being successful in high school is very important for college admissions and even in just developing life skills. Successful students must be passionate in what they do, challenge themselves, and manage their time wisely.

“[Successful students] are passionate about coming to school each day and are eager to learn something. Successful students also challenge themselves. They don’t look to take the easy way out or the easy road,” said Michael Murphy, a college and career counselor.

Many of the successful students at Hoffman Estates High School are also involved in extracurricular activities that they are passionate about.

“I define a successful student by their academic success but also by their involvement within their school. I see more value to a student with good grades and an active participant in extracurricular activities than a student who just recieves good grades,” said Shiv Patel (Jr.)

Patel is a three sport athlete who does cross country, basketball, and track and field. He is very passionate about these sports as has been on varsity cross country for three years now.

Another factor that adds up to students’ success is their willingness to challenge themselves.

Patrick Swanson, a science teacher, said that he pursued his passion by challenging himself. Swanson found the physics curriculum challenging but loved the challenge. Now, he teaches advanced placement and regular-level physics. Murphy, like Swanson, believes students who challenge themselves are in a position to gain long term success. “Students who take AP classes in high school, achieve a higher success rate in college than those high school students who do not take any AP classes,” said Murphy.

Successful students should be interested in taking rigorous classes and participating in extracurricular activities. Dillon Vadgama (’16) is in four AP classes while being involved in various types of activities as well as interning with Northrop Grumman.

“It also important to be on top of your work. “Do not wait until the last minute,” said Swanson.

Successful students manage their time wisely and know when to seek help.

Carter Trousdale (’15) and Vadgama both agree that it is important to prioritize your work. It is critical to stay organized throughout the school year. Keeping lists of assignments and staying on top of your tasks is very important when it comes to organization which is beneficial to time management.

Trousdale is an active member of several extracurricular activities and occupies a leadership role in five of them. However, he still manages to stay on top of things.

“Every time you have a meeting or a test, write it down on your iPad calendar. Also keep track of homework using a task manager such as Wunderlist,” said Trousdale.

Tips for students:

1. To become a successful student. I suggest the following: work honestly, study with a group of people, stay organized, prioritize tasks, develop an interest for something that you may want to do in the future, stay focused, ignore distractions, set goals, be able to work with others in a group, communicate effectively, use failures as a tool to make yourself better, and actively pursue your future interests and passions (not necessarily A’s) (Dillon Vadgama ’16)
2. One tip I have is to always get ahead of your work on the weekends so your weekdays can be less stressful. Another tip is to use any free time in school to your advantage, whether it’s seminar or study lab, use it. (Shiv Patel ’16)
3. I think that successful students possess basic attributes. They are punctual. They attend school on a regular basis, they rarely miss school. many of them are organized, and they are prepared for school each day (Mr.Murphy)
4. “If you need help, seek it out as early as possible. Successful students know when to ask for help and seek it out.” (Patrick Swanson)