Your senior year of high school is, undoubtedly, the hardest part of your educational career. You’ve got pressure to perform well on every SAC (and exam), score a great ATAR, and ace the GAT. Unfortunately, all of this stress can lead to being easily distracted or just straight-up procrastinating.
Of course, ignoring your schoolwork, or just putting in half an effort, obviously isn’t the best way to get results. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips to help you focus on what’s important in your senior year and get the grades you want.
Ask For Help
It can be helpful to remind yourself that you’re not alone. Asking for help in areas where you need it – no matter whether it’s a specific subject or just staying on track with your study schedule – can give you a massive advantage that you otherwise wouldn’t have had.
VCE tutors are a great help on this front. They can even be beneficial for those who don’t feel they need much help. Having assistance from someone who’s already been through it all is like having a GPS telling you precisely where and how to maneuver to get the best results.
Eat Right
Your diet plays a massive part not only in your overall health but also in your ability to perform well academically and maintain a stable mood. By eating a healthy, balanced diet, you’ll be able to get the most out of your body and your brain. When our bodies have the correct nutrition, our mental functioning can operate at a higher level, which equals better focus and improved grades.
Time Block
One of the main reasons people procrastinate is because they know how long it’s going to take to cover all of the study material. To avoid falling into this trap, block out time for both study and leisure.
For example, you might block an hour of exercise when you get home from school to help you unwind, followed by two hours of study, an hour and a half for dinner and fun, and then another hour of study before bed. By breaking your study into separate sessions, you’re still getting in a decent amount of learning while allowing plenty of time for other parts of your life.
Practice Meditation And Mindfulness
Meditation is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but it can actually be greatly beneficial to your studies. Meditation and mindfulness help us to clear and reset our brains, which is exactly what you need to do when you’re switching topics or just feeling overwhelmed. Not only will this help you feel refreshed and ready to get back to it, but it can also assist your brain in its quest to absorb all that information you’re processing.
Give Yourself A Break
Finally, it is important to remember that although it may feel like your ATAR defines your future, it doesn’t. A few years down the track, no-one is going to care about what you scored on that SAC or whether you were in the top percentile for your graduating class.
Letting go of this assumption, and slightly lowering your obsession with your scores, will help you focus better. Oddly enough, it can actually lead to improved scores if you truly let yourself release the stress and just go one assessment at a time.
Good luck, get smart about your study sessions, and have a great year!
