HSC Survival Guide 2016 FINAL
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THE HSC SURVIVAL GUIDE
At some stage during your HSC year you will probably hear yourself say: "That's it! I give up! I'm not doing this anymore!" All we can tell you is to hang in – and as the saying goes:
This booklet outlines some valuable suggestions that will help you survive your final school years. We've also included great advice regarding time management, goal setting, procrastination remedies as well as fast and effective ways to learn! Good luck with your study pursuits! This publication is proudly brought to you by The School For Excellence
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“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” Colin Powell In relation to the HSC, this translates to:
Studying smarter – not harder Smart use of resources and time The correct mindset
CONTENTS Section 1: Study Smarter – Not Harder Stress and Learning Stress Management Homework/Personal Study Schedules Study Environments Get Ahead & Stay Ahead Committing Knowledge to Memory How Effective is your Current Learning Technique? The Most Effective Learning Technique Known to Man Learning Subjects/Topics that Involve Calculations Learning Facts and Formulae Additional Learning Suggestions Section 2: Smart Use of Resources and Time Time Management Other Time Saving Strategies Using Resources Wisely – The 4 T’s Section 3: The Correct Mindset What Do Successful Students Have in Common? Developing a Good Mindset Motivation and Procrastination Goal Setting Staying Motivated
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www.tsfx.com.au
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SECTION 1: STUDY SMARTER — NOT HARDER STRESS AND LEARNING Many people do not realise it, but stress is a very natural and important part of life. Without stress, there would be no life at all! Our body is designed to react to two types of stress: eustress (the good stress) and distress (the bad stress). Eustress activates a part of the nervous system that responds by keeping us alert, motivates us to face challenges and drives us to solve problems. These low levels of stress over short periods of time are manageable and can be thought of as necessary and normal stimulation. Distress on the other hand, results when our body over-reacts to events. This type of stress leads to what is called a “fight or flight” response. During this response, our body prepares to fly from a dangerous situation by shutting down the regions that are not required for fight or flight.
HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT BRAIN FUNCTION?
Stress decreases the quality of your work and your performance in tests and exams.
Stress decreases your ability to concentrate and decreases how much information you can commit to memory.
Stress reduces your ability to recall information when it is needed.
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STRESS MANAGEMENT
1.
Use effective and time-saving study/learning techniques.
2.
Take advantage of every opportunity to chip away at your studies.
3.
Get ahead and stay ahead.
4.
Complete assessment tasks and assignments AS YOU GET THEM. Do not leave tasks to the last minute as there are probably more around the corner! As assessments often come at once, the procrastinator will end up with little sleep and completing work to a lower standard than otherwise possible.
5.
Commence preparations for the exams well in advance so that you can complete the bulk of your learning under low stress conditions. Note that stress impairs how much information can be input into the brain, which means that it will take you longer to commit knowledge to memory.
6.
Take regular breaks while you study.
7.
Do things that you enjoy and set aside time for yourself.
8.
Exercise on a regular basis. Our sedentary lifestyles do not allow us to work out stress. Exercise produces chemicals known as endorphins – drugs that have a tranquilising effect – which is good for you in small doses. Exercise also produces chemicals that are needed for effective brain function (neurotransmitter production).
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9.
Get plenty of sleep. In general, insufficient sleep results in:
Lower grades Slower learning rates More mistakes More day time sleepiness Mood imbalances
Your brain consolidates and processes the information you’ve learned during the day during the REM stages of sleep. Adequate sleep is therefore crucial for the memory storage/building process. The more REM stages per night, the greater the amount of information that is stored in long-term memory. Note: Most teenagers require 9.25 hours of sleep each day (which gives 5 complete REM cycles) to meet the demands of development and learning. If students are unable to get this amount of sleep each day:
Get at least 7.5 hours when stress levels and study loads are manageable. Aim for at least 9 hours of sleep when stress levels and study loads are high.
10. Adopt a well-balanced diet. 11. Talk out your concerns and work out anger. 12. Have a set of well-defined and realistic goals. 13. Think positively and embrace set-backs and failures as opportunities. 14. Accept the fact that you will have to do things that you do not enjoy. 15. Accept the fact that life will present many unexpected incidents and that you will need to change plans and approaches throughout your entire life! 16. Laugh and have some fun. HSC is NOT the end of the world.
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HOMEWORK / PERSONAL STUDY SCHEDULES
How much time should I commit to homework/personal study each night? HSC students should be dedicating at least four weeknights and one day over the weekend for study purposes. Weekday study periods should be in the order of 3-4 hours (2.5 hours for Year 11 students) and approximately 8 hours over the weekend (6 hours for Year 11 students). i.e.
Year 12 students should spend between 20 and 24 hours on personal study each week.
Year 11 students should spend at least 16 hours on personal study each week.
What is classified as personal study? School assigned homework
Working through exam questions
Learning materials off by heart
Revising course materials
Essays/assignments
Weekly tuition classes
Getting ahead
Lectures
Preparing for tests and exams
Private tuition
Ideal study nights:
Monday – Thursday with Friday evening off.
A four-hour study session (3 hours for Year 11 students) on Saturday morning, followed by a one to two hour break and then another four hour study session (3 hours for Year 11 students).
Note: Timetables will depend upon individual commitments and concentration levels.
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What should I do during my study sessions? The ideal order of priorities: 1. Compete any homework that was issued that day. If you are stretched on time, complete the homework relating to the subjects that you are studying at school on the next day. 2. If no homework has been issued in a particular subject, spend 10 minutes per hour spent at school on that subject revising the materials that were presented that day. 3. Complete any issued assignments. 4. Write summaries for forthcoming tests and exams whilst materials are fresh in mind. 5. Read topic materials in advance of school. 6. Revise past topics. 7. Work through past examination questions. In the lead up to the exams, spend at least 10 minutes each night reading your English texts OUT LOUD.
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HOW DO I STRUCTURE A STUDY TIMETABLE? When planning a timetable, take the following points into consideration:
Your personal commitments including sporting activities and part-time work.
Our body moves through a daily cycle of high and low energy. At certain times of the day and night, we can feel energetic (high ebbs) or lethargic (low ebbs) and everything in between. Do not attempt any study during your low ebb periods. Use this time to eat, relax or to do some exercise. High ebb periods should be reserved for the more difficult tasks. Identify the times you study best and incorporate these times into your study timetable. Do not worry about other student’s study regimes.
Study at the same time each day so that you create firm and regular study regimes.
Include time for relaxation, revision, preparation of study notes, working through past exam questions and the completion of homework.
Optimum efficiency is obtained when learning time is divided into 50 minute blocks, followed by a 10 minute break.
If you become restless – take a break. Do not waste valuable study time day-dreaming. There are better things out there to do!
Stop studying when you feel tired or begin losing concentration.
Allocate a time limit in which to complete each individual task. Work has a tendency to expand and fill the time that is available for its completion!
Always allocate more time to complete a task than what is actually required. This serves a number of purposes: If you finish your work ahead of time you will find that you will feel more in control. Your confidence will increase and you will become more motivated in your studies. You will find more time for rest or relaxation. On the other hand, you can use the free time to compile study notes and prepare for the forthcoming examinations! If your tasks actually take longer than what you expected, you will have additional time up your sleeve, and you will not fall behind schedule.
Do not study late at night as concentration levels usually decrease throughout the day.
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List and complete tasks according to priority. Make sure that you divide tasks into small digestible portions.
Set study goals before you begin studying each day.
Start with the easiest task or one that requires the least amount of concentration.
Start large tasks ahead of time. Do not leave these tasks to the last minute.
Underset your task lists to ensure completion. This will also help with motivation, and will provide you with a great sense of achievement when all of your assigned tasks are completed.
Bring interest into the materials being studied as well as a sense of purpose to each task.
Regularly ask questions. This will keep you focused and hopefully increase your interest in each task.
Give yourself small rewards as each task is completed.
Pass out your timetable to family and friends so that they know when not to interrupt you.
Additional Hints:
If necessary, start with short study periods and slowly build up to longer sessions.
Take advantage of free time during the school day. Use this time to revise new materials and to read materials in advance of school.
Trade time to compensate for unexpected events. For example, if an unexpected visitor drops in and takes up 2 hours of your time, add two hours to your study schedule to compensate for the loss.
Construct daily and weekly lists of tasks to be completed.
For easy access and reference, carry daily timetables on small cards.
Regularly review your performance.
Record your study behaviour so you can easily identify distractions and the conditions that work best. Try not to break your study timetables. The longer that you stick to a timetable, the easier it becomes to commit to study related activities.
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SAMPLE TIMETABLE — WEEKNIGHTS 4 hour study schedule (where there are NO personal commitments) Morning
Read materials ahead of class OR Revise materials (30 minutes).
3.30pm
Finish school. Whilst travelling back home – revise materials for the subjects in which you do not have any homework (30 minutes) OR Read the sections of work that you had difficulty understanding OR Read ahead of class.
4.30pm
Arrive home, shower and eat. Do not leave much of a time gap between leaving school and getting home, otherwise, you are likely to lose motivation and/or procrastinate.
5pm
Start your homework. Remember to commence the finite and quickest tasks first.
6.30pm
Take a break.
7pm
Start homework session 2.
8.30pm
Finish study for the day.
Remainder of Evening = Free Time
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STUDY ENVIRONMENTS
Allocate one particular room to study related activities. Do not use this room to relax, engage in conversations or sleep. This will help you associate this location with studying, and assist with concentration. If you must study in your bedroom, arrange your desk so that the bed and any items associated with relaxation are not in your direct view.
Ensure that your study environment has the following:
Good lighting. Good ventilation. A comfortable chair. An area to spread your work out. No distractions such as TV’s, radios, telephones. Sufficient stationery and study tools. Enough snacks to ensure that you get through the allocated study time.
Organise your desk before commencing study and remove all distractions.
Allocate a set amount of time to your task, and stick to the time allotment before taking a break.
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GET AHEAD AND STAY AHEAD
Take advantage of any opportunity that will help you get ahead of your state-wide peers. The sooner you get ahead, the further ahead you advance and the harder it becomes for your peers to catch up – maximising your ranking and ATAR score. Work through course materials in advance of school. By gaining a good understanding of course materials before they are addressed at school, you will absorb more information in the classroom, develop a stronger understanding of course materials, improve your ability to recall information and decrease study commitments throughout the year.
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Year 11 & Year 12 Head Start Programs. Get Ahead. Reduce Stress. Maximise Marks. The summer holidays offer students the opportunity to get ahead in their studies, reducing stress levels and study loads in 2016. Those students who work through course materials in advance will quickly realise the benefits when the same topic materials are addressed at school. Whilst other students struggle to understand new concepts being delivered in class, you will be consolidating this information for the second time. Your ability to apply concepts will be greatly improved, increasing confidence levels, reducing the time that needs to be spent on homework, whilst significantly improving Year 11 and HSC marks. Working through materials for the second time at school has the added benefit of ingraining examinable materials deeper into long term memory – decreasing the time and effort that will be required to prepare for tests and exams! During our “Summer School” lectures, you will cover the first half of the Year 11 or HSC course to an A+ standard, gain exposure to a comprehensive collection of examination-style questions and begin developing the problem-solving skills that are required to secure those higher marks. You will also receive valuable advice and instruction from some of the most prominent and successful teachers across the state, giving you a further edge in the HSC. Detailed A+ course notes will be provided in each subject. Dates: Venue:
Wednesday 6 January – Friday 22 January 2016 The University of Sydney (Camperdown)
Enrolments commence Thursday 5 November 2015. Visit www.tsfx.com.au for additional information & online enrolment forms.
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COMMITTING KNOWLEDGE TO MEMORY HOW EFFECTIVE IS YOUR CURRENT LEARNING TECHNIQUE? Unbeknown to most students – reading silently and/or writing notes and summaries are the most inefficient ways of learning. Yet these techniques are the most common strategies used by students to commit knowledge to memory!!! The process of writing or reading silently does not engage enough zones in your brain, meaning that it is easy to stray or think about unrelated matters – impairing the amount of information being input into your brain! As an example, when re-writing materials or reading silently to yourself, have you ever reached the bottom of a page only to realise that you haven't the foggiest idea what the page was about? Writing, re-writing and silent reading are only effective (and then only moderately so) if the materials being attended to are of great interest, which is usually not the case when preparing for tests and examinations! So how should students be learning materials when preparing for tests and exams? Here’s what the science says. In general, people retain the following information after 24 hours:
10 percent of what they read (eg. handouts).
20 percent of what they see (eg. flip-charts).
30 percent of what they hear (eg. audiotapes).
50 percent of what they hear and see (eg. lectures, videos, classrooms using AV tools).
70 percent of what they say and discuss (eg. study groups).
80 percent of what they say and do (eg. role-play).
Writing (About 15%)
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THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUE KNOWN TO MAN Irrespective of which subject you are studying, the most effective means of learning involves “doing”, be that working through exam-style questions (which will provide a retention rate of between 80 – 85%) or verbal recitation i.e. the process of explaining materials in our own words and out loud. This powerful technique has a 90 – 95% retention rate, and is the most effective means of learning. Learning in this manner will decrease study time up to 8 fold! This also means that you will commit up to 8 times more information to memory in any set period of time! Not only does this technique improve how much you commit to memory and decrease study time, it assists in the development of better writing and communication skills. This is a great way to prepare for essay writing without concentrating on the actual task! You will also find that this technique will improve how effectively you are able to apply and extend your knowledge; which is highly important in answering analysis style questions, worded applications as well as those questions that you have never seen before. By teaching or vocalising what you are learning in your own words (elaborative rehearsal), you will very quickly realise what you do and do not know, giving you the opportunity to correct problem areas before tests and examinations.
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METHOD: 1. Read through a small section of your notes slowly and out loud. If the materials you are re-learning/revising are difficult – address materials one sentence at a time. If the materials you are re-learning/revising are easy, address materials one paragraph at a time. Take the time to understand the materials you will be committing to memory. In this way, you will gain an appreciation as to how each section/concept links up to the others – which assists in knowledge retention and in the development of application skills. 2. Vocalise what you have learned in your own words i.e. Relay what you have just read to your dog, cat or imaginary friend! If the materials are difficult – address materials one sentence at a time. i.e. Read the first sentence out loud, then re-phrase what you have just read in your own words, and out loud. Then tackle the next sentence etc. 3. Highlight key words, important concepts and those sections that require additional attention.
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SUBJECTS/TOPICS THAT INVOLVE CALCULATIONS
If you are studying a subject that involves calculations, you will obviously need to spend considerable amounts of time working through questions. To make the learning process more effective, vocalise what you are doing and why you are doing it at all times. This will ensure that you commit methodologies to memory and develop clearer thinking processes, which will be a great asset when addressing the analysis-style questions in the exams. Learn formulae off by heart – you will develop a much better understanding of your subject and be in a better position to apply your skills in problem solving/analysis questions.
LEARNING FACTS AND FORMULAE Commit definitions, facts and formulae to memory by “blind repetition”. Flash cards are very useful for these types of materials.
Always learn/re-learn materials by reading out loud and then rephrasing materials out loud and in your own words. You may use other techniques such as writing or concept/mind maps when revising.
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ADDITIONAL LEARNING SUGGESTIONS
Learning occurs when information stored in your short-term memory connects with information that is currently stored in your long-term memory. This connection occurs naturally, and only when you stop inputting large amounts of information into the brain. Therefore, take a 10 minute break every hour whilst you are committing knowledge to memory, and ensure that you get at least 9 hours of sleep when preparing for tests and exams.
The first step in memory is attention, which selectively determines what information will get through for further processing and learning. This process requires that you remove distracting stimuli and focus on the task at hand. Distractions impair the learning process and reduces how much information can be input into memory per unit time.
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SECTION 2: SMART USE OF RESOURCES AND TIME TIME MANAGEMENT
People shun time management skills because they think that they don’t need it and don’t like living life around a schedule. However, living according to a schedule and managing your time more effectively will help you in many aspects of life including:
Meeting goals and deadlines.
Completing more work in less time.
Completing tasks to your highest possible standard.
Finding more time to relax.
Reducing stress and anxiety.
Developing control in all aspects in your life.
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ASSESS YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS Keep a time log for one week to see how effectively you utilise your time. Then evaluate the results and identify strategies that will help you become more time efficient. Ask yourself the following questions:
Did I complete everything I had to do? Why/Why not?
Did I have to rush to complete the assigned tasks? Why/Why not?
At what time was I most productive?
At what time was I least productive?
Did I procrastinate at any stage? Why/Why not?
At what times did I procrastinate?
Is there a pattern evident in my procrastination regime?
What sort of things did I engage in as part of my procrastination process?
Which tasks were greeted with the greatest amount of procrastination? Why?
How could I make such tasks less tedious?
How much time did I waste procrastinating?
How much time did I waste procrastinating?
How much time did I waste talking on the phone or watching TV?
How much time did I waste searching for items? Why/Why not?
How much time did I waste rebuilding momentum and motivation after being interrupted during study periods?
Then use your observations to structure an effective and time efficient study timetable.
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HOW DO I MANAGE MY TIME MORE EFFECTIVELY?
Live according to a schedule. This will usually enable you to find more time to do other things as well as minimise procrastination.
Plan each week ahead of time.
Record ALL major deadlines as assessments/ assignments are issued. Always plan ahead and ALWAYS allocate more time than you think will be required to complete a task.
Document due dates on a calendar that is displayed in a regularly frequented position eg. fridge, bathroom etc.
If you are a notorious procrastinator, record due dates earlier than the true date so that you are forced to work ahead of schedule. This will ensure that there is sufficient time to complete or polish up on assignments STRESS FREE.
Keep detailed lists of everything that you need to address. Cross these items off your list as they are completed. When you start an assessment task or assignment, prepare a checklist of concepts/items to be covered or included. As the task is completed, cross each item off your list so that you can feel confident that you have addressed all the required components.
Prepare lists on a daily basis so that you can take commitments into account into your study timetable.
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Use homework/task folders where possible eg. Coloured cardboard document wallets. File homework in accordance with its urgency. For example: Red Wallet: Urgent Tasks File the tasks that need to be completed that day in the Urgent Wallet. Orange Wallet: Medium Term Tasks File the tasks that need to be completed that week in this wallet. Green Wallet: Long Term Tasks File the tasks that can be completed over an extended period of time in this wallet.
Manage leisure time and friends and family. Ask friends not to call or drop in between certain hours, as disruptions will lead to a loss in concentration and motivation. A 30 minute unscheduled break may entice you to break your study plan for that day. How many of us have justified disruptions by saying "I’ll relax for the rest of the night and work harder tomorrow”???
When you finish studying – CLEAN UP immediately. You do not want to waste time at the beginning of each study session cleaning up and sorting material. This will only create a state of panic and confusion during high stress periods, and at best, create a “valid” reason to justify procrastination. File everything away immediately so that you do not waste valuable time searching for items. If it takes 30 minutes to find your work: You have lost 30 minutes of study time. You have lost 30 minutes of leisure time. You will start to panic. You will lose motivation and increase the chance of procrastination. Dedicate a shelf or box to each subject and file items away immediately after they are no longer required. Allocate a box that can be used to store miscellaneous materials for future filing or sorting. This means that if you cannot find an item in the appropriate place, it should be easy to locate in the UNFILED box.
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OTHER TIME SAVING STRATEGIES
Save considerable amounts of time by writing up study notes and summaries within 24 hours of addressing materials at school, reviewing or revising for a test. Do not leave this task to the weeks leading up to the exams as it will take significantly longer than if you were to complete this task when your ability to recall information was higher, and under less stressful conditions.
Learn your theory progressively throughout the year rather than cramming before exams. This will allow time for revision and repetition as well as greatly improve marks.
Regularly revise materials throughout the year rather than re-learning in the weeks leading up to the examinations. It is less time consuming to spend short periods reviewing materials while they are fresh in your mind, rather than re-learning materials “from scratch” before the examinations.
Use waiting times eg. travel times, the dentist’s waiting room, lunch times to complete smaller tasks or revise materials.
Circle difficult, challenging or tricky questions as you come across them and highlight sections of work that you found difficult as you come across them. This will save you valuable time when trying to prioritise which materials need to be addressed in the lead up to the exams.
Complete assessment tasks and assignments AS YOU GET THEM. Do not leave tasks to the last minute as there are probably more around the corner! As assessments often come at once, the procrastinator will end up with little sleep and completing work to a lower standard than otherwise possible.
Commence preparations for the exams well in advance so that you can complete the bulk of your learning under low stress conditions. Note: Stress impairs how much information can be input into the brain, which means that it will take you longer to commit knowledge to memory.
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USING RESOURCES WISELY — THE FOUR T’S How do I get the highest possible marks with the minimum of effort and at the lowest possible expense? Use your available resources and time wisely.
Teachers/School
HSC Success
Tutors/Coaches
TSFX
Texts/Resources STEP 1: ADVANCE PREPARATION Those students who dedicate the time to covering materials in advance of school will develop a better understanding of course materials, and will out-perform their peers in school based assessments. This simple measure will cut down on the time required to address homework, improve confidence, increase a student’s ranking at school and hence their final ATAR score. Advance coverage of materials will also ensure that students commit a significantly greater amount of material to memory when materials are addressed at school, decreasing study commitments and stress levels before tests and examinations. Note: TSFX offers advance preparation lectures across school holiday periods for those students wishing to take advantage of a painless and highly effective means of preparing in advance of school. Advantages of Lectures:
Highly effective Relatively painless Cost effective as compared to using tutors/coaches
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STEP 2: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR TEACHERS (IN THE NICEST POSSIBLE WAY OF COURSE!)
Ask questions and correct problem areas as you come across them.
If materials are being addressed in advance of school, you will find that many of the questions that typically arise whilst you are preparing for tests/exams will come to mind in the classroom. This will give you the opportunity to address these questions at school, reducing stress, improving marks and reducing reliance on tutors.
STEP 3: A STITCH IN TIME SAVES 9
Complete homework and assessment tasks as they are issued. If you complete tasks whilst information is still fresh in mind, you will decrease your need for external help (eg. tutors) as well as money.
Do not neglect learned information. Keep learned knowledge alive by undertaking regular reviews.
Highlight key concepts and important questions that should be reviewed as these materials are presented.
Work through examination questions progressively throughout the year.
STEP 4: USE EXTERNAL RESOURCES WISELY Tutors and coaches offer invaluable assistance, but unfortunately, many students do not derive the full benefit from such support services. To derive maximum benefit from tutors and minimise the associated costs, students should be using tutors to work on tasks that their school teachers and organisations such as TSFX cannot address. For example:
Correct problem areas that require one-on-one attention. Extend a student beyond that which has been covered at school. Develop strong writing skills. Correct essays and re-enforce essay writing skills.
Students can obtain comprehensive notes that condense all the examinable materials by attending our exam preparation lectures (which are held in the weeks leading up to the major examinations). These lectures further offer students a cost and time effective means of revising materials, meaning that any time that is being spent with tutors is being used in the most beneficial manner. Please remember that many tutors/coaches are no substitute for qualified, currently practising HSC teachers and HSC exam markers who possess the knowledge and experience to demonstrate the means by which students can achieve the higher ATAR scores.
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SECTION 3: THE CORRECT MINDSET
WHAT DO SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS HAVE IN COMMON?
Successful students exhibit common traits which are not superhuman. These are ordinary traits which successful students have cultivated to a high level because of their desire to succeed. These traits include:
High but realistic, achievable goals.
A high level of drive and energy.
Ability to meet challenges.
Ability to cope with stress, set-backs and disappointment.
Readiness to learn from mistakes and failures.
The ability to prioritise effectively.
Ability to control procrastination and not leave tasks to the last minute.
A high level of self-confidence and/or determination.
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DEVELOPING A GOOD MINDSET
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MOTIVATION AND PROCRASTINATION
It can be very difficult to maintain motivation across the year and commit to the expected 20 – 24 hour personal study regime, particularly during school holidays. These periods, are, however, the ideal time to get ahead and make a significant difference to stress levels and study loads later in the year.
Students often make up clever excuses to justify why they should put off their studies, resulting in feelings of guilt and regret when they do not obtain the results they need. By taking control of procrastination, not only will your marks improve:
You will complete tasks faster. The longer you put off your studies, the more knowledge you forget, and therefore, the greater the time and effort that will be required to complete a task.
You will create more free time to do the things you enjoy.
You will feel better about the quality of your work as well as your overall abilities.
You will feel more confident about forthcoming tests and exams.
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BEATING PROCRASTINATION Combating procrastination requires a little “reverse psychology” as well as a technique called "Nike". Step 1: Ask yourself the following questions: Why am I procrastinating? What are the benefits of putting this task off until later? What benefits will be derived by NOT putting this task off until later? These questions are usually enough to propel most students into action, however, if you do need a little more encouragement, proceed to Step 2. Step 2: One of the most important neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit impulses from one nerve cell to another) involved in motivation and ability to complete tasks is called dopamine. Dopamine also plays a key role in concentration, learning speed, memory formation and regulating reward and pleasure. When we complete a task, no matter how small, dopamine is released, improving motivation and brain function! Therefore, divide large tasks into smaller more achievable milestones and/or start with the smallest or most pleasant task. Step 3: Employ the relevant strategies from the suggestions below. Trick your brain. Rather than telling yourself that you need to work for three hours straight (which might put you off starting) tell yourself that you will only study for 30 minutes. Pick something relatively easy – you will be surprised at how easy it is to continue working once the momentum starts. Think about what you want to achieve before you sit down to study. This will help prepare your unconscious mind for the tasks ahead, reducing the chances of procrastination. Bite the bullet and just start! Don’t wait for inspiration to hit or for the perfect time, just start working. Try using rewards to motivate you to study. This could be a break or relaxing activity for every hour of study or for every task completed. Use things that are typically classified as distractions as rewards (such as TV or Facebook), rather than punishing yourself when you use technology to procrastinate.
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Step 3: Continued. Tell yourself how great you will feel once you have completed each task. Visualise how you would feel if you didn’t get the marks you were aiming for. Now pick up something easy and get on with the task at hand.
After a productive study session, record a message to yourself. Explain how you didn’t want to study and looked for any opportunity to procrastinate. No matter how difficult it was, you then decided to spend a short time studying, only to find out that it wasn’t as bad as you thought. Describe how good you felt after completing your studies and why you shouldn’t procrastinate next time. Play this message when you are struggling to get started – there is nothing more powerful than a personalised message that directly targets your logic and thought processes. Turn tasks into challenges or games. Find purpose in the tasks you need to complete. It is always easier to commit to tasks when they have meaning. If all of the given suggestions fail – just accept the fact that you have to complete the task and get on with it.
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ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS
Compile all tasks that need to be completed into a list. Then ask yourself: “What is the best use of my time right now?”
Set realistic and manageable goals so that you know what you want to achieve and you can see clear evidence of your progress towards your final goals. It may help to visualise what you want to achieve and put up posters around your house that remind you of your goals.
Set early deadlines for tasks. Rather than leaving things to the last minute, ‘fake’ deadlines will compel you to complete tasks earlier than required, leaving you with sufficient time to go over your work before you hand it in.
Find a place to work that is quiet and free of distractions. Your surroundings can affect productivity as well as the quality of your work.
Use reminders and prompts around your room and house. These will serve as a great source of motivation when you are distracted or avoiding your studies. Examples include: “Procrastination wastes time. Do it now and get it over and done with.” “Procrastination adds time to tasks”. “Don’t like studying? Don’t procrastinate and save huge amounts of time!” “Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.” “How will I feel when I get my results and I haven’t achieved the ATAR I need? Don’t risk it. Get studying”.
Keep specific to-do lists or calendars with your tasks and goals clearly documented. This will help you track your success and recognise your achievements.
Engage in a regular study timetable. Study every day – NO EXCEPTIONS. This will ensure that you develop a regular study habit and render you less susceptible to procrastination! Established routines will:
Minimise effectiveness of procrastination attempts. Ensure that work is completed on time and that it does not accumulate. Create time to do other things. Reduce stress and workloads before tests and examinations.
Do not over commit yourself to any one particular activity including study. Set aside time to do the things that you enjoy.
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Perfectionism often leads to many students avoiding their studies.
If you are a perfectionist, it may be beneficial to learn about the “The Pareto Principle”. This principle states that for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Many natural phenomena have been shown to exhibit the 80 – 20 rule, including spending, distribution of wealth, customer complaints, land ownership, company profits, staff productivity and even essay marks! So rather than spending significant amounts of time trying to perfect essays and assignments, aim for a slightly lower standard, saving considerable time as well as reducing the chances of future procrastination.
As hard as it may be, make every effort to manage procrastination on a daily basis. You will be very glad you did in the weeks leading up to the exams!
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The HSC Survival Guide
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GOAL SETTING Most people spend more time planning a vacation or a night out than planning their lives by setting goals. People usually have no problem achieving goals – it’s setting the goals that are the problem. People just don’t do it! Then they wonder why they aren’t more successful. Why are goals so important?
Goals provide you with something to strive for.
Goals deter you from giving up.
Goals provide a measure of your progress.
Goals enable us to see progress in what may previously have seemed to be a pointless exercise.
Fulfilling goals also gives you the confidence and belief in your ability to achieve greater and more challenging goals. Goals also help to:
Improve performance.
Increase motivation.
Increase pride and self-confidence.
Increase satisfaction in your achievements.
Research shows that people who use goal setting:
Concentrate better.
Perform better.
Suffer less from stress and anxiety.
Are more content with life.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your mind off your goals. If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Note: Every student should have a well-defined set of goals for the HSC. If you do not have any goals in mind, you will not have anything to aim for and will not be able to motivate yourself to study when the pressures and demands of the HSC become very high.
The winner says “It may be difficult, but it’s possible”. The loser says “It may be possible but it’s too difficult”.
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MEETING YOUR GOALS Meeting goals will require sacrifices, however, the benefits of reaching your goals will far outweigh the sacrifices in the long term. Are you prepared to give up some of the things that you love in order to reach your goals? If you are, you are more than likely to succeed. Some Suggestions:
SMART Goals
Ensure that goals are small and easily attainable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem as if you are not making any progress; which may encourage some students to give up on their goals.
Set goals that you can measure in some way.
Write your goals down on paper and display them in regularly frequented areas.
Vocalise your goals as often as you can.
When you start making progress, keep yourself motivated by introducing more challenging goals.
Make sure that each goal has a time limit for completion/achievement.
If you have several goals, give each one a priority, otherwise, you may find yourself becoming too overwhelmed with the challenges at hand.
Make sure that your goals are realistic.
Some of your goals should be slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is no chance of reaching them.
Use rewards to mark your progress and keep you motivated.
Regularly review your goals.
When you are feeling de-motivated, tired or feel like quitting, visualise the following scenarios: Visualise yourself achieving your goals. Visualise yourself not achieving your goals. How do you feel? Visualise the course of your dreams. Visualise failure and how you would feel. Then visualise the pride that you will feel when you succeed. Remind yourself that every other HSC student is in the same boat. Remind yourself that other students have been through the HSC before and have succeeded.
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GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR STUDIES! TSFX
The School For Excellence 2015
The HSC Survival Guide
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