A Bermuda Institute student who made a conscious effort to change himself is reaping the rewards after being accepted at a Canadian university.

Clay Smith won the most improved student in the Outstanding Teen Awards last month and is now on the Honour Roll after making a change in his attitude.

Clay said that he had always been the joker in the class and was just barely passing with a "C" average.

But he then discovered that his friends were expecting to graduate in June and go on to university - and he would be left behind.

"I am in my last year and all my friends were there, so I played the fool," said Clay.

"I asked to be changed to another class and I began to study for the first time in my life."

"I changed my attitude towards learning and began to look at school in a whole different way.

"If I fool around and act up I am going to be the one who fails. All my friends were graduating and I wasn't set to.

Clay said it was not always easy to keep up the good work and said that sometimes he still felt lazy.

He said: "Sometimes I think back to how I used to be when it was the norm to sit off and relax. Sometimes I am fed up with school work and I don't feel like doing it and sometimes I don't do it. Now I remember things and I don't joke around that much.

Since hitting the books and seeing his grades improve, Clay has not had as much time for his passion, which is writing poetry.

"I have written a couple of things, but not steady. I am not really writing at this time, as I've got so engrossed in work."

Clay, who turned 18 yesterday, had the best birthday present ever, when he received an acceptance letter from Dalhousie University in Canada.

He said: "I applied to study English, but although I still want to be able to do some creative writing, I am thinking more about becoming a forensic scientist.

"I have been watching shows on forensic science and it intrigued me and I want to be able to do those types of things."

Clay said his mother, grandmother, father, stepfather and elder sister have been pestering him about going to university all his life.

"Every morning my mother tells me about the importance of an education, budgeting and saving money," said the Southampton student.

"I leave in September if all goes to plan and I graduate this June."

He advises other students not to wait until their final year to make a difference.

"Don't wait until your last year to decide to pull up your socks," said Clay.

"Grades nine onwards follow you through the rest of your life. Make the best of it and let your future record go with you from now on."

"Put God in what you do and in your life. You have to make yourself happy before making others happy and then you can perform better."