I like to give students an acronym -- so that each letter of the acronym stands for one of the key components of weekly focus in which the student needs to put forth excellent effort in order to achieve the coursework's goals. For instance, I use TRAM as an acronym. I tell the students to focus on weekly testing; repetitive practice of a language they are learning through a practice interface provided them; attendance as close to perfect as possible; and submission of weekly assignments that "must" be done to reinforce grammar and punctuation. I give them the acronym TRAM as a mnemonic to help them visualize climbing a steep hill by doing these weekly tasks, telling them that once the TRAM reaches the top of the hill, a new horizon is available to them and a new level of challenge.