A year ago, my daughter anxiously awaited her matric results. It was such a relief to get them and find that after a hard year’s slog, she had achieved her goals and matric was finally over.
There is no doubt that matric is tough. It’s not that the level of work is that much harder than Grade 11 work, but there is unrelenting pressure – too little time, so many projects and assignments to complete, and everything counts. But there are several ways you can make matric life a little easier. Here are my 5 tips for managing matric.
Decide Your Goals
You know yourself best.You know how school has been for you and you may have some idea of what you want to do in the future. Therefore, only you can decide on realistic goals for yourself. If you have been getting 50% for Maths, don’t plan for an A in matric finals unless you have a master plan to work relentlessly, every day, catching up on the work you have not fully understood in prior years.
Remember too, that if you want to improve dramatically in one subject, it is likely that you will need to spend more time on that subject and will therefore have less time to spend on your other subjects. So factor that in.
While it is quite possible to improve your results in all subjects in your matric year, through consistent hard work, it is very hard to significantly increase your marks unless you are willing to put in loads of extra time.
Look at all your subjects as a whole and think about your strengths and weaknesses. Then decide your goals and make sure you have enough capacity to prioritise the subjects that may need some extra effort.
Learn to Schedule Study Sessions
To survive matric, you must work out when you study best, and for how long you can concentrate per session. Some people like to work early in the morning, others at night. Most people can work effectively in 30 – 45 minute sessions before needing a break. It really helps to establish a routine that works for you ... and then get into the habit of applying it.
My own children found that working in 45 minute sessions worked best as it allowed them to cover a significant chunk of work. They would take a 15 minute break between sessions so that they could really rest. Because they preferred working in the morning, they would do 4 sessions in the morning, have a lunch break, do another 2 sessions, take a 30 minute break and then do a final 2 sessions, so that their studying was finished by 5 o’clock in the evening.
During test periods and exam times, we would stick up the schedule on our kitchen wall, and as a session was completed, cover it in a star. This may sound a bit childlike but there is something very satisfying in acknowledging each session, as well as being able to track your progress through these challenging periods.
Use a Mini-Whiteboard
You can’t memorise everything. Just don’t even try! It is exhausting and your brain will get bored making it harder and harder to keep going. Learning things off by heart is extremely tiring and the sheer volume of work required for matric makes it near impossible to do. One tool that my daughter found very helpful was a little mini-whiteboard, and it saved reams of paper!
You can use the mini-whiteboard to teach yourself a concept or remember key points. You can make mind-map summaries, practise doing graphs, diagrams and illustrations, and list the key words you need to help you explain a particular section or topic. And if you’re afraid of losing your work, there is always your cell phone camera. Take a quick picture and you have it stored for later use.
Make Colourful Notes
It really helps to use colour when making notes, and it makes note-making and summarising more fun. There are many ways of making notes – and you must devise a method that works for you. Perhaps you work more diagrammatically? Or maybe you prefer a question and answer format? Perhaps you like having your information summarised in a table? Whatever format you choose, remember that your headings and sub-headings will be critical to help you store and recall the information, so try to make these useful. Highlighting important terminology and making sure you can explain what they mean in your own words, is also a very helpful strategy.
Have a Comfort Buddy
Both my children found that our delightful spaniel, Bella, proved to be a great source of comfort during the tense study periods. She loved to cuddle against them when they were studying and would also wriggle into such entertaining poses at times that it brought much-needed, light-hearted relief. My kids also found the act of stroking her silky coat while trying to do the memorisation work required, really helped them focus. In addition, she proved to be an attentive, non-judgemental 'audience' when they were practising orals and presentations! If you have a pet – a bunny, hamster, cat, dog, ... – spend some time just enjoying it every day, and you’ll feel a whole lot less stressed.
Matric is a tough year, but it doesn’t have to be distressing. If you start to find yourself getting too anxious or overwhelmed, talk to someone – a family member, a teacher, or a good friend. Feeling heard and being supported throughout the year can make all the difference.
I hope you find this year manageable and achieve your own goals.
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