Junior college days are admittedly one of the most memorable days in everyone’s life because it is a tough academic journey and lots of friendship will be forged during the “hardship” as well; amusingly. It is a huge jump for students to move on from O levels to A levels because subjects are dealt with in so much more depth and there is so much more to the content as well. So much more is expected from students as well in terms of answering techniques, and giving detailed answers and phrasing answers succinctly. Though students may think of opting for tuition to score high grades for in junior college, tuition fees may be a little expensive and too much to afford for some students. Hence, in order to save that tuition fees, the alternative is to find a good way to study by yourself.
So, here are 5 tips you can follow to survive through the A level journey!
When students ask for advice from their seniors who have completed A levels, the answer they often get is pretty vague, which is to essentially try out different techniques and see what works out for them. This inevitably leads to more confusion and disappointment.
FIRSTLY, Students need to cultivate the habit of breaking down their time and scheduling short and effective study sessions. 3 hours of continuous studying will not be effective; instead, it will be exhausting for the mind and all you want to do it to sleep. You may convince yourself that you can pull off several one-nighters to finish your revision but technically that’s impossible. You will catch yourself staring blankly at the question paper during the examination and that is not what you want. Short repeated sessions will help you internalise the content easily and you will have clarity as to what you are studying about. Make sure you alternate between different subjects as well!
SECONDLY, keep a study plan for yourself. It may seem time-consuming to make study schedules and you may doubt yourself as to whether you will follow it with discipline. However, the idea is to follow it as strictly as possible and to have some clarity as to what you have to do. This should be made a month in advance before the examination. For example, if the exam starts on the first of July, your study schedule should be made at the end of May and your schedule would be detailed planning of what you will study during the month of June.
Be specific about what you would do, for example, write down the strategies that you intend to use in order to master the topics, may be write out long answer questions, making mind maps, watching educational videos, etc.
THIRDLY, do not practice blindly. It’s all about studying smart. With every practice, you need to see yourself improving and feel that you are getting better at what you do. Never fear challenging questions and always try new ways and methods to solve them. Shying away from difficulties will never lead to progress; hence, you need to venture into it and keep your enthusiasm for learning going on.
FOURTHLY, do not procrastinate. It is always easier to push back your schedule and say that you will do something “tomorrow” or “later”. However, you need to understand that when you push back something, you are probably never going to be done with it. You need to learn how to manage your time smartly and avoid getting stressed out about the amount of work that you have to complete.
FINALLY, take your failures with a pinch of salt, emotionally. A failure in an exam does not dictate the outcomes of future tests or exams; one is mutually exclusive from another. What is important is to learn from your mistakes and realise why you made the mistakes you made. That way, you will be able to truly progress.
BOTTOM LINE
You need to take the necessary steps to ensure you don’t make the same mistakes you have made previously. Identify your learning gaps, and analyse your strengths and weaknesses as well. Most importantly, never let success get to your head and never let failure pull you down. Junior college may not be easy, but it will truly be a metamorphosis for you in many ways!