Hello and welcome to the forums!
Struggling with content sucks but you can definitely struggle a little less! Here are some tips:
- Use the syllabus/study design - you can find the relevant course outline with key knowledge dot points to help structure your revision (i.e.
VCAA website if you're doing VCE or the
NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Website if you're doing HSC.)
- Ask your teachers for help when unsure or post on the specific subject question threads of this forum (you can find the question threads for each subject according to which state you're from
here).
- Try and do your homework as soon as you come home from school if you are able to as this reduces the likelihood of procrastination.
- re: procrastination - find out why you are procrastinating - is the work boring? Make it interesting. Turn it into a game - for example, you could do a quiz and for every question you get right you could have a shot at throwing a basketball in a hoop or anything that tickles your whiskers, really. Is it hard? Seek clarification. Can you just not be bothered to do it? Try doing five minutes of work and ease yourself into it.
On that note, make sure you take frequent breaks as you probably cannot concentrate forever!
- You could set some (specific) goals (i.e. entry into tertiary courses, trying your best and not having any regrets in hindsight) to motivate you throughout the year.
- Use to-do lists with a reasonable amount of specific, achievable tasks on them.
- Learn and understand the content before you try and memorise it.
- Try out different study methods and find out what works for you - this could be a range of things such as listening to podcasts, flashcards, mind maps, practice questions, mnemonics, Kahoots… even pre-reading notes/powerpoints provided by the teacher if available before class may help as you can consolidate the content when you see it again in class. Lately I've enjoyed studying along to "Study With Me" videos on YouTube as seeing someone else study may motivate you to do the same. Also, spaced repetition of content (particularly flashcards) has helped me and may help you too. Reviewing content often may help it stick in your brain for longer. Some more ideas can be found in
this article.
- Remember that the work can't do itself but you don't have to study everyday. Allow yourself some chill time during the week whether that's through Netflix or extracurriculars - that's totally up to you. It is quite valuable to have a balance between school/studying and life.
Also, there is no set amount of time for studying. The hours spent studying does not correlate to better outcomes - it's how you use the time that really counts.
- If you're ever struggling mental health or just general health wise, it might be helpful to contact a GP, school counsellor and/or psychologist and/or organisation such as
Kids Helpline or
Headspace. Remember to take care of yourself. Your health should take priority over school work.
Good luck for this year!
Edit: fixed BB code links
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Topic: struggling in school (Read 800 times)