Arlene, no doubt hard work is part of the solution. Also, we as educators need to be mindful that different students learn in different ways and we should always find different ways to communicate with our students, build professional relationships and were we can, better understand the root causes of their lack of ability to be successful. There will be times that this level of understanding can be put to great use to help students break through barriers and move on towards a better level of understanding so their study efforts are more fruitful. James Jackson