They aren't always more intelligent, but they do work smarter. Here's how:

   1.Set Priorities. There is no intrusion on study time. No phone calls, no TV, snacks are ignored. Study is
     business; business comes before recreation.

   2.Study anywhere - or everywhere. Study at work or at play. However, there is a need for consistency. Maintain
     the same time slot every day for studying.

   3.Get Organized. A backpack or planner keeps essential supplies together and cuts down on time wasting
     searches for books, pencils, assignments, etc.

   4.Learn How To Read. The secret of good reading is to be "an active reader..."

   5.Schedule Your Time. If you want "A's", you make sure you hit the deadline. Procrastination is not the student's
     best friend.

   6.Take Good Notes - And Use Them. Reading the textbook is important but the teacher is going to test you on
     what he or she emphasized. That's what you find in your notes.

   7.Clean Up Your Act. Neat papers are likely to get higher grades than sloppy ones. The student who turns in neat
     papers is already on the way to an A. No matter how good it really is, you can't believe it tastes good if it's
     presented on a messy plate.

   8.Speak Up. Class participation goes beyond merely asking questions. It's a matter of showing intellectual
     curiosity.

   9.Study Together.

  10.Test Yourself. Students who make up possible test questions often find many of the same questions on the real
     exam and thus score higher.

  11.Do More Than You're Asked. Part of learning is practicing and the more you practice, the more you learn.
 

     The most important 'secret' of the super-achievers is not so secret. For almost all straight-A students, the
     contribution of their parents is crucial...Parents impress the lesson of responsibility on their kids and the kids
     deliver.
 

Excerpts taken from a Readers Digest article, "Secrets of Straight-A Students", September 1992.