It's the time of year for resolutions, for determined decisions by teachers and pupils that the new school year is going to be better than the last one. However, resolutions are useless if they are vague and generalised. Every year I become more and more convinced that pupils who do well at school can be spotted by the ways they approach classes and study.

They are focussed and systematic - sometimes they falter, but they always renew their efforts.

They always attend to the minor but basic things - they are never without the proper books, copies, pens and so on.

They always make the best possible use of class time.

They pay active attention in class.

The teacher can almost see these pupils asking themselves - "Do I understand? What is it about that problem that I don't understand?" They never let anything go which they don't understand - they quite rightly ask the teacher to explain. That's one of the reasons the teacher is there.

Sometimes pupils may find it difficult to articulate exactly what it is they don't understand. Ideally it should have been made clear to the class that a pupil may merely indicate that he or she has a problem and that there's no need to explain the problem in precise words.

The pupil who asks questions is also doing a great service to those who may be shy or too nervous to do so. This leaves less to be tackled during night time homework.

These good students will divide up homework time between the different subjects in order to ensure that they will be able to continue with the next day's classwork from a foundation of knowledge and will, therefore, be able to build on the previous day's work.

It's important that pupils avoid developing big, vague, generalised worries. To say "I'll never get through that maths book" almost ensures failure. Leave the big worries to the teacher and take each subject a page at a time, a class at a time, a day at a time.

This applies to pupils of all abilities and especially to pupils who have done no work last week - or last year! Those vague generalised worries do nothing except take away a pupil's ability to concentrate and work.

In recent years great distress has been caused - especially in all-male schools - by the few students who try to disrupt class. Pupils are often reduced to tears or flaming anger by the inconsiderate conduct of a few.

Being "the class messer" is not the way to win friends - in fact, it's the route to serious unpopularity.

Such conduct will probably be less common in schools which continually aim to be caring, affirming communities, where everybody (maintenance and administrative staff, pupils, teachers, parents) is valued and appreciated and told they are valued and appreciated.

"He doesn't seem to give a damn" is a pupil assessment being heard more and more often from teachers. However, we should realise that, underneath the disruption, the laziness, the refusal to work, lies an individual who is probably very worried. By now the pupil has a reputation which makes it very difficult to change.

One would hope that as many such pupils as possible have somebody to confide in, somebody they can trust, somebody to guide them, somebody to value them. Mere punishment or discipline, in the narrow sense, is not very effective in giving lasting help to these pupils.

This cycle of non-achieving, which is reaching very serious proportions in Ireland, must be broken. One would hope discussions towards that end would be a regular feature among the school community.

It would be good to think that more pupils might take responsibility for their own conduct and realise that good behaviour in class is, above all else, an issue of justice. All pupils must be allowed to exercise, without hindrance, their right to study and learn. There is clearly a very important role here for parents.

Successful pupils try, according to their abilities, to contribute to the non-academic life of the school and try to be open to the rich and amazing diversity among the people of the world. Id' oige oscail do mheabhair. If you are struggling a bit, remember that school isn't everything. There is life after school and there are much happier days ahead. Perhaps the most important thing when you are leaving school is to be able to say - for your own sake and for your own satisfaction - "I did my best."

Remember, too, that work (one page at a time etc) does generate interest - try it! And can you really study with the music up that loud? C'mon, be honest!