Are you struggling to improve your academic performance in high school or on campus? Struggles with academics can take a toll on one’s self-esteem. You might view yourself as inferior which is not always the case. There are a couple of reasons that could lead to poor performance in school or college. Before you can look for solutions, it is imperative that you’re getting to the bottom of the problem. In this guide, we’re going to highlight some strategies that you can incorporate in your life so as to see an improvement in academic performance.
Set Goals
Setting goals will enable you to know the targets with academic performance. You will know your weak subjects and what can be done in order to see improvements. You’re likely to leave assignments to such subjects to the last minute. This is not always recommended as you may be forced to look for someone to “write my paper” because you don’t have the time to do it on your own.
When you set goals, you’re able to account for your time which leads to better time management when you’re on campus or high school. You also get to re-evaluate your performance so that you determine what is achievable throughout the academic year.
Uses Different Varieties of Learning Resources
You should not only be restricted to the materials that have been recommended by the professor. It will be in your interest to use a variety of learning resources, especially if it is a subject that you’re experiencing some challenges with. Something that gives a different perspective on theory will always enhance the learning process. The professor will obviously give you the marks if you can defend the theory. You can use the resources which are more impactful in learning and increases the understanding of the subject.
The most effective way of memorizing information is through repetition and variation. Repetition is the oldest trick in the book and most students will only stick to the materials that are provided by the professor. Repetition might be effective but it can become tedious and monotonous. Having a variety of learning resources will improve retention ability.
Handling the “Frustration Period”
There is no doubt that you will have to go through a frustration period when trying to learn something new. The same applies to academics. There are students who never get past the frustration period. Unlike hobbies, excelling in particular subjects will be necessary if you’re to graduate. This means that you will have to overcome the frustration period if you’re to enjoy a particular subject. One way you can think about overcoming this period is to use the same analogy of learning how to drive. It will be scary in the beginning but the more you get used to it, the better a driver that you become. If you can get past this stage then you can be assured that you will not have a lot of difficulties with the subject.
Improve Examination Techniques
Exams will determine whether or not you fail a particular subject. Sometimes you might fail an exam not because you don’t know the details but because of the presentation. That is why it is important to learn how to answer exam questions. This is a skill on its own that requires to be fine-tuned at every available opportunity. It is a skill that many students find it hard to master yet it is crucial. Most examination testing will follow a particular pattern. You need to answer the questions just as you’re asked.
You might be required to incorporate discussions depending on the complexity of the question. It is also important to have a marking scheme so that you can know exactly what the examiner is looking for when answering the questions.
Practice Exams
It is possible to study for an exam provided you’re savvy enough and you’re willing to do the research. Not a lot of changes when exams are being prepared for a particular subject. You can look for exam papers for the previous years in order to establish a pattern. In most instances, you will find that the professors are testing for the same concepts.
To sum it up, you need to connect to the question if you’re to answer it effectively. We hope that these strategies will come in handy when you’re preparing for your exam or want to improve academic performance. It might not be such a bad idea to look for private tutoring if you’re struggling with a particular subject.
Featured image source: ams.sjhcon.edu
