Just for fun :
Some real advice : if you get the option, sit in the front of the class. Helps a lot, I found. If you find yourself falling behind, ask for help, early, before it overwhelms you. Do all the work; if the class is really challenging, do the work before it's due, show it to the instructor, and ask if it's what they are looking for.
Seconded. If you've always struggled in school, but are now looking to put in a lot of effort, show your teachers that you're putting in a lot of effort. Ask for help. Ask questions. Be obvious and up-front. Believe it or not, most teachers became teachers because they wanted to help people learn. They wanted to be a positive influence on the lives of young people. Everyone on staff at your high school wants you to be a success story. Help 'em out by sucking down their time and being up in their grilles. They'll love it. A word of caution - you may have to scale back - perhaps even outright ditch - your posse. Being a slacker burnout is such an identity that it's hard to try hard and roll with your crew. Speaking from authority here - the burnouts were my posse and I got a 1530 on the GREs. Success likes success and you will likely find it a lot easier to keep trying harder if you surround yourself with people who are willing to try hard. Good luck. There's every chance this year will be transformative for you... if you let it.
This is all amazing advice. Being engaged in class, doing your homework ahead of time, and touching base with your teacher are all skills that will serve you well throughout life no matter where you go, whether it be postsecondary or the working world. I also recommend going to see a tutor if your school offers one - I had to do it for grade 10 math (quadratics and formula memorization were killing me) - Ain't no shame in getting help. This is only tangentially related, but have you ever been tested for a learning disorder, PetesPassing? Not everyone who does poorly in school has one, but If you're diagnosed with one and get some help with working strategies it's way more likely that you'll succeed. Going to school with an undiagnosed learning disability is a bit like running a race while being tied to an anchor.
because you don't want it? or can't afford it? If you can't afford it, I'm not sure how to help - maybe someone here has some advice, but if you don't "want it" you might want to see if it helps at all. I was afraid for years that depression meds would stifle my creativity and make me less - and I was so wrong.
Ahaha well I've taken it recreationally many times I know how it affects me, I don't know if I could take that stuff daily. And money is an issue as well.
Touching base with your teaching has side benefits, too - teachers are people, and if they see you trying at all, they are likely to cut you some slack when you do get things wrong.