I can almost taste the summer holidays, yet I am seemingly confined to my desk. That’s right, even though school is ‘officially over’ we are still expected to make an appearance for multiple NCEA exams, which we need to perform well in for the promise of university entrance and so on. However, this year I can’t help but wonder what the point of our exams are, as most of us are already admitted to university, on the condition that we simply pass.
May I introduce the term ‘senioritis’, defined by Dictionary.com as “a decline in motivation or academic performance that supposedly afflicts some seniors in high school, especially in their last term.”
Now, we all know that senioritis must be overcome so that we can finish our high school careers with a bang, but how? How can we possibly reduce any form of procrastination and actually see a POINT?
Welcome to my suggestions for surviving senioritis!
Set Goals for Yourself
When asking myself “what’s the point?” I find myself trapped in a cycle of procrastination. However, I know that I still want to do well in my exams, so I need something to work for. In all of our other years of school we have had something to reach for, whether that be an excellence endorsement or passing a particularly hard paper for our record, all so that whoever looks at our records sees our successes. This year, you need to treat it like it’s no different. Set goals based on what you would want someone to see when looking at your transcript, even if your transcript seems of little importance now. Now, everything you do during this time period will work towards those goals; if you procrastinate, you won’t achieve anything. Now you have something to work for.
Work as Hard as You Always Have
Remember those days of cramming hours of study in the days before your mock exams? Remember when you were always worried about not studying enough? Get back into that mindset. A person who works hard is someone who exerts maximum effort but still doesn’t feel like they are doing enough. Compare your study schedules with the amount of time you have spent in the past, particularly this year. Have you studied that hard paper more than you did for mocks? This is an easy way to determine whether you are slacking, and gives you a benchmark for how much effort you need to put in over this month.
Make a Schedule
If you know that you won’t feel like studying, make a schedule and stick to it so that you get those precious study hours in. Don’t think you are that guy and enter your exam thinking you’ve got it down packed because you got a good grade on your mocks (unless you actually are that guy). Make a schedule and reserve enough time to go over each subject enough to go into the exam actually confident. Make sure you also stay on schedule—just ignoring it isn’t going to help you!
Wake Up/Go to Sleep at Reasonable Times
I find that waking up early makes me more motivated for the day ahead, and makes me feel like a girl who’s got her life together. I feel this way also because I go to sleep at a reasonable hour. This tip is subjective: many people may feel more productive at different times, and this is backed up by science! The London School of Business & Finance describes the best time for deep focus as between 4am and 7am, however the brain is most alert and teachable between 10am and 2pm or 4pm and 10pm. The key thing to remember is that if you study late, try not to get up too early and vice versa. Keep your eight hours of sleep, and don’t go to sleep/wake up at ridiculous times (a good measure is to think about whether your parents would be disappointed if you went to bed/got up that late/early)
Touch Grass
I know that literally every single person tells you this every time you try to study, but for goodness sake go outside, touch some grass, and breathe some real air. There are multiple studies that show the benefits of reconnecting with nature, including reducing stress and improving wellbeing, which we all know is required during exam season. Oh and it can also improve cognitive ability, which is vital to not crashing out when trying to do maths problems!
Remember Who You Are
Here’s my free confidence boost for you my queen: you’ve totally got this! You are better than procrastination. You eat procrastination for breakfast. These exams are yours, and you can totally beat them. Not that they are a competition of course, but it’s sometimes motivating to think about them like that. Remember how good at exams you are, and remember how far you’ve come with studying in the past! Hard work gets results, and you need to prove you are deserving of them (you know you are: now go and work for them!)
That’s all from me, so good luck everyone for your upcoming exams. I know that you would all rather be lounging on the beach soaking up the summer sun (making the most of the high UV), but just remember that this is your final step to completing high school. After this, you’ll never have to tear the clear covers off of an NCEA booklet again, and will no longer have to live the trauma of reviewing past papers and comparing what you studied to your friends (well until Uni exams—but that’s future you’s problem). You’ve totally got this!
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