I feel that there are two factors that for my 'success': passion and goals. Let me explain what I mean by those two things.
The passion for the program I am in and many of the courses I am taking are what drives me to get up in the morning, go to class, pay attention, take notes, and study. Even if it is a required class I don't particularly like, I still keep in my the big picture of doing well in that class only benefiting my passions.
Another factor, as I already mentioned, are goals. When I enrolled in school my first semester, I stopped going to classes and I failed miserably. I had a lot going on at the time that contributed to that, but I think the biggest reason was I had no idea what I was doing there. I had no goals to do well in school, or even to do well in my classes. I had no long-term career or educational goals that would necessitate I do well in my classes. Now that I have goals that necessitate this, I've become somewhat obsessed with doing well in school.
Also, you need to study. You should make use of your study time effectively too. Figure out what type of schedule works best for you.
