Developing a Study Routine to Avoid Stress During the HSC & VCE
The final year of high school is an important one. At the start of the year exams seem a long way off, but the time will go fast, which is why you need to hit the new school year running.
Many students make the mistake of waiting until the HSC or VCE trial exams to create a study routine. Establishing a routine at the start of the new year can reduce a lot of stress.
Follow these tips to make the most of your time during this important year.
Set Clear Goals
Motivation is key to creating a routine and sticking to it. If you haven’t done so already, research university courses and careers you’re interested in to find out what marks you’ll need. This knowledge will also give you a clearer idea of how much work is required to achieve your goal.
If you don’t yet know what you want to do after school, it’s important to give it your best shot. Not only will good results keep your options open, you’ll also learn about planning, self-discipline and perseverance.
List Your Commitments
Divide a piece of paper into days of the week and then list all your regular commitments against each day. This will help you recognise all the other demands on your time. Make sure you include sports, hobbies, clubs, part-time work and family responsibilities. From here you can work out how much time you have available to devote to homework and revision.
It’s important to be realistic when planning study time. If you overburden yourself and can’t keep up, this will only add to your stress. If there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day, you may have to consider cutting back on some extra-curricular activities.
Talk to Teachers
It’s hard for students to know how much time they should be devoting to revision. If you’re not sure, talk to your teachers. They will be more than happy to give advice and suggest additional resources.
Teachers usually provide the dates for assessment tasks at the start of each term, but you can ask for the dates for the year. Mapping out your deadlines and tasks will help you feel in control and make your workload more manageable.
Don’t Forget Revision
The start of a new school year is busy, particularly for senior students. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by assignments and due dates and forget about revision. Make sure you slot in time each night to revise a subject, even if it’s only for ten minutes. As you get closer to exams, your revision time should increase.
It’s important to get plenty of rest and include frequent breaks in your schedule. If you push yourself too hard at the start of the year, you’re in danger of burning out. The most important factor when it comes to a routine is consistency, so use this time to get into the habit of revising regularly.
Establishing a study routine at the start of the year will help you excel.