I went to my mother for advice on high school. This is what I got from her little lecture:

    The first piece of advice that I believe will be the most helpful is to turn in your paperwork on time, or have it done early if possible.   Make sure that you get it turned in on time to get the maximum number of points.   And also make sure that you have a separate folder and notebook for EVERY class.   I have found this to be most helpful.   In high school, it can be easy to get your papers mixed up because many of teachers give you homework everyday. If you really have to use another notebook to write something down, tear that piece of paper out and stick it in the folder for that class.
   The second piece of advice is to take the time to study the information that the teachers give to you.   Study for tests and quizzes several days before the exam, especially for semester tests.   Some teachers make that grade worth one-third of your semester grade, and if you really want to get a good grade and do well in school, you need to study all of the time. If you are stuck on a problem or idea and don't understand it, don't be afraid to ask the teacher for help or a friend who is smart.   It always pays off to ask for that extra help if you don't get something.
   The third tip is to not skip class because you don't want to go or because you don't have your homework finished.   If the teacher, someone that is looking at you suspiciously or the principal catches you, you know that you are going to get caught.   You will have to pay the consequences for skipping class. To add something else, you might miss a class discussion, or you might miss the homework assignment the teacher would be assigning for the class work for today.
   High school may be tough, but it can be beaten.