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Game plans for a subject are crucial for success. They give you confidence, direction and motivation to get things done. However, I was surprised by myself when I realised that I did not have a game plan at the beginning of year 12? After a period of learning and improving every assignment, here are the best 3 tips I can give that can provide you with the most efficient improvements!
1. Be ahead of the curve (effort-wise)
Good students in English tend to go the extra mile. They read the texts a little earlier, finish a bit more homework, and ask a bit more questions than the rest. Most importantly, these little differences are consistent. These little differences add up and culminate, until suddenly one day you see the difference clearly!
Note however that just effort is not good enough. You need to put effort into the most effective strategies and tasks. Someone who puts an extreme effort into the 100% may end up about the same as someone who puts the same effort into the 20% that produces 80% of the results. Brainstorm in your reflection what worked well for you specifically, and find guidance from other students (but take many different pieces of advice holistically, not as a bible!).
2. Be early with past papers
The best actionable step to improve with most HSC subjects is past papers. They work because:
- You expose yourself early to what most students only see once or twice, staying ahead of the curve.
- Your expectations are aligned with what is expected of you.
- You find out your flaws, and have time to fix them.
Depending on where you are with your module progression, skim through past papers and find questions for your module. Pick questions that you find challenging, and some that you find ‘easy’ as well. The latter tip is there because sometimes what we find easy is not in fact as easy as what we thought. Having someone read your essay is another world compared to you writing your essay! Be mindful of the Dunning-Kruger effect, and seek constant feedback from your school teachers, friends and tutors. The best motivation I had for starting my first past paper was thinking of it as a series of little steps, instead of one big step. If I thought of it as one giant step, I was much more likely to procrastinate!
3. Be hungry to improve
Motivation to improve can be very difficult to find during the HSC. When I went into year 12, I had a big ATAR goal written on my desk. As time went on, when my results did not match with my expectations of my ATAR, I grew really anxious. This anxiety made me unmotivated, and I lost my desire to improve.
In reflection, my downfall was placing my goal on something externally motivated. I wanted the prestige of a high ATAR, and my parents approval, instead of wanting to do my best. Now, I work with internal motivation, where I try for the best that I can do. I find that I get about the same happiness even if my score was 60% or 98%. This is because I focus on how I can improve on both scores, no matter what they are. This growth mindset is important to motivation because it actively encourages us to look where we can improve, and not demotivate ourselves based on someone else’s standard!
Found this resource helpful? Want to discuss the next step? Reach out to Concept at https://www.concepteducation.com.au/enquire or email us at admin@concepteducation.com.au - we're always happy to provide you with more motivation to study!!
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