Flashback time…
I wanna share a moment in my life when I was a student.
There really was nothing stand-out, unusual or particularly special about it at all (which actually shows why it’s an issue for so many teens still today).
But now, looking back, I think it’s very telling why I remember it so clearly (and is the reason I’m sharing it!).
Here, I explain where I was going oh-so wrong!
Now, I shared this story just once or twice in the early days of Rock Solid Study.
But it’s occurred to me that most of the parents and students in our community NOW have probably never heard it.
There I was, 17 years old, sat in the study area of the library at Sixth Form College (that’s the equivalent stage in England of Year 11 and 12 here in Aus).
I was being the model, diligent student.
I’d heard more than once how good students needed to do ‘extra reading around the subject’ to get great results.
So I did just that.
Sat writing notes from a National Geographic article to add to my Geography work.
I can’t remember exactly what the article was about – something to do with rainforests I think. I can’t even remember exactly what the topic or unit was we were studying in Geography at the time. I think it might’ve been something to do with ecosystems? Or maybe it was sustainable resources, or even sustainable tourism.
But whatever it was, there I was sat writing out notes about some ‘case study example’ that had SOMEthing to do with the topic I was currently studying.
Now, that shows self-motivation, right?
No-one had made me do it.
No-one had set it for homework.
I was going over and above.
It shows independence and pro-active, positive steps to improving my results.
Right?
Right?!!….
Well, no.
I’m afraid not.
Well, yes to the self-motivation, to being pro-active, to doing what I thought I had to, what I’d been TOLD I had to, to get my best possible grades.
But taking positive steps to improving my results?
Nope.
Just… no!
And here is the interesting part – or at least it’s interesting to me now.
I genuinely remember feeling even at the time, sat there, blue pen in one hand, red pen at the ready for key words, feeling like I didn’t really know how this was going to help me.
I figured that maybe I’d be able to mention it in an answer to an exam question.
I just blindly followed the very general advice.
I kinda questioned it in the sense that I wasn’t sure HOW it would help.
But I buried that uncertainty and just did it anyway!
The truth is, that advice of wider reading is one of the very LAST things students should or could do to improve their grades.
They don’t really need extra case studies. They’ll cover the ones they need within the syllabus and term planners – or at least they should be.
And they don’t need extra information beyond what’s in the syllabus dot points because it won’t and can’t be examined anyway. That’s a very strict rule of exam boards in how exams are written.
Plus, I could list a hundred other activities that would have a greater and more direct impact on building skills, knowledge and success academically.
I know them from over a decade in teaching, tutoring, exam marking and extrernal exam board training.
Which is why I’ve made it my mission to train students in the very best and most effective actions and skills in my programs, workshops and personal coaching, especially in my 10 Week Grade Transformation program.
So, my message is this:
If your teen’s doing something to extend themselves, but has no idea how it links to building their skills or performance against the syllabus criteria and exam technique elements,
then either they need to find out HOW it’s really going to help,
or,
if there IS no clear link, then they need to stop doing it and find something a LOT more effective to put their time, energy and effort into.
So they aren’t working hard for little outcome or reward.
So they aren’t wasting time and effort.
But instead:
They study and build their knowledge and skills in a way that gets results.
Or,
even use the time to relax or enjoy some time with friends and family instead.
Just don’t let them work hard without knowing exactly how that work is going to help boost their results.
So if you’d like them to have the exact steps and guidance to do things that’ll actually pay off – that’ll give them the biggest bang for their buck – then go and checkout the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program so they can be led step by step through the most effective ways to make their foundations really solid, and do the things that will really catapult their grades and confidence.
I’d love to hear your take on this.
Are there any examples of work or practise that really has or totally hasn’t paid off for you in the past, or right now for your teen? Drop a comment below this video or send me an email, – katie.price@rocksolidstudy.com.au– and until next week, let’s make this a fantastic and USEFUL week!
