Journey to Academic Success
Expert advice on keeping exam preparation on track.
Dr Prue Salter dropped into Wenona this week for her annual presentations to secondary school classes, sharing her toolbox of strategies for a systematic, layered approach to academic success.
"Bad habits are hard to break, and you don't want to graduate with any regrets," she told the students as she revealed some of the finer details of chunking material, long-term planning, and procrastination-busting techniques for every personality.
Designed for students in Years 10 and 11, a key message of this week's sessions was that it is possible to accommodate regular gym visits, sporting endeavours, friends and family, and even favourite TV shows amid focused, effective study routines.
And, with the raft of apps and technological approaches now available, it has never been easier to knuckle down. These include:
- The Pomodoro Technique (to work in focused, 25-minute intervals)
- StayFocusd (to limit access to time-wasting sites)
- Time lock boxes (to physically prevent access to temptations such as mobile phones)
- Wright Weight (to strengthen hands in preparation for three-hour exams)
- Notion (to plan out busy student lives).
Another overarching message was for the students to stay flexible (plans change and goals sometimes need to be adjusted), be proud of their personal successes and above all, not compare their accomplishments to those of others!