There is a very interesting quotation about children that, "Children are very good but then they grow up very fast". This saying is all-time favorite of teachers who experience the school students. In Class 6, usually there were students who were in the age limit of 10-13 years. Though they were small but were really careful and took great care of a lot many things that added to their success.

All of them were almost regular, they took very good care of their uniform, bags, books, notebooks and other similar small things, contributed in all academic or sports competitions enthusiastically and showed great seriousness towards their studies. Even I saw them making school cards for themselves which they used to proudly display with beautiful card holders hanging down their necks.

On the other hand, when students grow up and especially when they reach to the age of adolescence, strange but hazardous changes are noticed both in their personality and behavior. No doubt, they grow tall, their voices change and other similar physical changes take place which are all natural but more vivid are the changes that come in their behavior.

For instance, in present class 10 students, I regularly come up with a number of similar complaints. They don't bring their books, when you ask them to write down anything; they ask for a pen from the classfellows or the teacher, they become absolutely careless of the uniform and so on. But this careless behavior affects their academic progress a lot.

They miss the classes, they don't find their notes when want to study in exam days, they don't note down or forget about the dates of exams, they no more remain regular and punctual, don't show much interest in curricular or extra-curricular competitions and contests and so on.

All these things in return harm the students but not anyone else. School administration and teachers do their best to advise them, but when they see their efforts gone in vain, they leave the students on their own. The greatest loss to students of their inappropriate behavior is the decline or complete loss of the interest of teachers in the improvement of class and students. Usually, teachers warn the students once or twice about these things but when their words are ignored and left hanging in the air, they mutter to themselves, "Be off with them", or "Let them go to hell".

Now, this is not a kind of problem that should require the counseling of Aristotle to be solved. First of all, students need to understand that with adolescence comes many changes which are natural. These changes are both physical and emotional and occur due to the secretion of hormones in the body. Secondly, you need not to worry about these so much if you do not understand what is happening with your body or behavior.

And finally, the remedy is very simple; if a good behavior or approach worked and was appreciated by all and added to your academic advancement when you were in your pre-teen ages, same would definitely work now. Just try to recall your good habits that you liked most when you were in class 4-6 or if not, observe a student of the same classes or consult a teacher who teaches those kids and you would get a clear picture of what to do. Otherwise, you would be suffering and it would be a kind of suffering that you would be totally unaware of.

When I was a school boy myself, there was a boy who worked at a shop in our neighborhood. He liked very much to go to school but his conditions didn't permit him and he worked from morning till evening in the shop. Then I saw him having a book and notebook. He told me that he looked at the words of the book and wrote them in his notebook as he was not able to read. Then he slowly started spelling the words and recognizing letters. A year or two passed till he was able to read. His pace was slow but he was absolutely indifferent to this.

Then he told me that he had got permission from his boss to get admission in an English Language Institute as he was very keen to learn English. Again, a couple of years passed and I saw him reading English newspapers and some basic story books but yet he could not understand English very well and his vocabulary stock was also limited. Then I got busy with my studies and did not hear anything from him. He had also left the old shop and joined another shop. Then after some years, I met him in bazaar.

He had greatly changed by then. He told me that he had completed his advance diploma in English language and now he taught in a language centre. He had also got a job in a company which was now much decent job comparing to his previous job and the pay he got was also handsome. Though his income had increased but most important for him was that he had made himself look important in his own eyes and now he had a different level of self confidence. He set an example to all the students to continue efforts, no matter how slow your pace may be or how long it is going to take.

In every class, there are some students who are polite and always serious about their studies but they are greatly disturbed by some students who continually disturb the class. More disappointing it becomes when teacher tries to ignore those disturbing students or gives them extra attention. This makes the bright students think that if they also behaved like them, they might also get more attention.

But there is a factor they miss and that can only be realized if they start observing from the eyes of a teacher. These students do have the qualities that are valued by the teacher but a true teacher cannot leave the weak students isolated and move forward with the good ones only. He has to assist them as they are weak and just like new-natal babies, need more attention. It is said that if everyone became non-believer and if you remain as a single believer in the world, it does not permit you to quit your belief and join the non-believers.

As far as qualities of good students are concerned, they are really valued by the teacher though he might not be making it known to all. A good quality remains always good, no matter if it is praised and appreciated or not by others.

Herbert E. Hawkes, a famous English educationist, enlists a number of reasons responsible for the failure of students in college. One of those reasons equally applies for all the students, be it of a school, a college or a university. With increasing access of students to modern entertainment facilities like TV, internet and video games, the time that was devoted for studies before is now largely eaten away by these things and thus students always complain of shortage of time.

The only solution is to assign a specific and limited time for these activities and vow not to give excess time to any other activity except the studies. Of course, this step can also be taken by your parents but until and unless you don't decide to do it yourself, no world power would force you to do so.

And in the end one small but powerful factor that contributes most to success in any field and most definitely for students. Being Muslim, we believe in this power and more or less, all of us believe in it even if we are not Muslims. That is the power of prayers, which you get from your parents and teachers. Your obedience and good behavior showers you with the prayers and blessings of your teachers and parents and I witnessed a lot many people who credited their success to the prayers of the elders. Prayers are easily achievable, without any cost or much effort and the way to acquire them is known to all, especially to the students.