Are you a player or a spectator? Are you content with just watching everything and having everything done for you or do you want to participate and get the most out of life?

If you want to get the most out of life, you have to reduce the amount of time you spend being a spectator and devote a lot more time to being a player. The best way to become a player who accomplishes a lot is to become a stellar pupil in life and a stellar pupil at school.

To become a stellar pupil in life, you have to do more than just observe everything around you. You have to actively participate. Ask a lot of questions. Take notes mentally or physically. It is very important that you physically put into practice what you learn because you learn how to do things by doing them rather than relying on watching and listening. Another great way to become a stellar pupil in life is to learn from all your mistakes. There is an axiom that says, “To err is human. To not repeat is divine.”

There are several things you must do to become a stellar pupil at school. One thing you must do at school is to be an active participant. Raise your hand to ask and answer questions. Take good notes. A tape recorder can come in handy. Attend tutoring sessions. Participate in extra-curricular activities. Become a team member of a sport that your school sponsors. If I had high school to do over again, I would probably join the track team although I do not know if I would try to become one of the sprinters or one of the long-distance runners.

Good preparation is also essential for success at school. Attend all of your classes. It is very important to do this because teachers can clarify information in the book you might not understand and teachers will often base a large portion of a test on what they discussed in class. Keep all tests, handouts and notes throughout the semester because you might need them to study for a mid-term exam or final exam. Study for a test the last two or three nights before going to bed. Studying at night is more effective because you will not encounter events or other things that might cause you to forget what you studied. Start working on term papers at least three or four weeks before they are due.

To succeed at school, you also must use a lot of repetition. After you repeat a note from your notebook or an important sentence from one of your textbooks, take that piece of information and read it backwards. You have to compare and contrast everything you learn from your classes and textbooks with your own experiences. You also have to practice putting things you learn into your own perspective.

Do not be content with spending time on the sidelines as a spectator. Become an active participant to become a stellar pupil in life and at school!