Unlocking High School Success: Effective Study Strategies that Students, Parents, and Teachers Should Know

Students: The Pressure to Excel

For high school students, the pressure to excel and achieve top marks can be overwhelming. The fear of disappointing themselves or others can lead to feelings of stress and inadequacy. Many students also struggle with not achieving the grades they desire, which can lead to a sense of failure. And here is the real kicker: schools don’t teach students effective study skills, thanks to the nature of a rigid curriculum. This means that students are not taught the rules of the game they are playing - rigging the game against them.

Parents: Navigating Teenage Resistance

Parents of high schoolers often face the challenge of motivating their teenagers to study. It can be frustrating when your teen resists your attempts to help and refuses to put in the necessary effort. Supporting your child during these tumultuous years can be emotionally taxing. The worst part is having to watch them struggle with the feelings of inadequacy and failure and not knowing how to help them - parents were not taught the rules of the game either!

Teachers: The Feeling of Ineffectiveness

Teachers invest significant time and effort into educating their students. However, when the exam results roll in, it can sometimes feel like all those hours of teaching didn't make a difference. This can lead to teachers feeling like they've failed their students. Unfortunately most teachers also are not taught how to study effectively; and even if they were, the rigid curriculum does not allow them the time to teach students these skills.

To address these challenges and promote high school success, it's essential to establish an effective study session protocol. This protocol can benefit students, parents, and teachers alike by creating a conducive environment for learning and improving study outcomes.

1. Prepare Your Environment

A cluttered or distracting study environment can hinder productivity. Ensure your study space is clean, organised, and free from distractions. Have all necessary materials within reach, such as textbooks, notebooks, and stationery. An inviting study environment can make a significant difference in your ability to focus and learn.

2. Prepare Your Mind

Before diving into study materials, take a moment to prepare your mind. Practice stress-busting techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation, to calm any anxieties. Metacognition, or thinking about your thinking, is another valuable practice. Reflect on your goals and the best way to approach your studies.

Points 1 and 2 really are the big game changers. In the Study Skills Masterclass, we call this ‘priming your mind’. Learning how to take control of your mind in relation to the task at hand is the most powerful tool anyone can learn to master.

“The first thing I found very useful was to remove any items that I found to be a distraction and to, if even just a little, to neaten up my desk helped with my tendency to lose concentration and to do something else. The second was the box breathing technique, which helped me prepare myself for what I was about to do or just to calm myself down. The third was to outline what I needed to do, because I always have had almost ineffective study periods, because of either not knowing where to start or even what to do.” - recent Study Skills Masterclass student

3. Reading (Input)

Reading is a fundamental part of studying, as academics are predicated on and scaled according to expected reading ability. Engage with your study materials in an effort to understand every single word, whether it's textbooks, lecture notes, or online resources. Pay close attention to details, take notes, and highlight key information. This step lays the foundation for your learning. First impressions matter to the brain, and when your first impression of any given study material is filled with ‘holes’, your brain is not going to give you the feedback you need to ace an exam.

4. Reflection (Metacognition)

After reading, take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself questions like, "What did I just learn?" or "How does this relate to what I already know?" Metacognition helps you consolidate information and understand it at a deeper level. In fact, encouraging metacognition alone (which takes but a few seconds) has been proven to improve grades by a third.

5. Association = Learning

Learning is not about memorising facts; it's about making connections. Relate the new information to what you already know. This association strengthens your memory and comprehension. Try to explain the concept to someone else to reinforce your understanding. Too often students try to start from a blank slate when studying - but what else can we expect when different subjects are presented to them as different worlds, and not as interconnected nodes that form part of a greater whole? Learning to associate is an effective shortcut to learning.

6. Recall (Retrieval Practices)

Actively retrieve the information you've learned. This can involve creating flashcards, taking practice quizzes, or teaching the material to a friend or family member. Retrieval practices enhance memory and help you retain knowledge for the long term. Retrieval practice boosts grades by 30% on average when one out of two study sessions are supplemented with a retrieval session. That is amazing!

Unfortunately, this is where the ‘past paper fallacy’ creeps in. The go-to study technique promoted these days is to simply complete past papers. But this should only be your last stop. Other forms of retrieval practice should be mastered first, otherwise one runs the risk of not meeting the demands of the past paper, which leads to more stress and feelings of inadequacy. What you want is to walk away from a past paper feeling confident in being able to ace it.

7. Spacing and Interleaving - Schedule

Instead of cramming, space out your study sessions over time. This strategy, known as spaced repetition, helps information stick. Interleaving involves mixing different topics or subjects within your study schedule. It prevents over-familiarity with one subject and improves overall retention. Just like your body needs to go through various phases of ‘sets and reps’ to become fitter, faster and stronger; so does your brain. Cramming is ineffective and a huge waste of time. The same amount of hours spent cramming will on average yield 43% better results when applied to a spacing and interleaving schedule.

The Study Skills Masterclass aims to empower students with the knowledge and skills to spend less time studying, and more time on the real formative experiences they need to succeed in school and in life beyond school. Less stress, more confidence, better results - what more can we expect of our immediate next generation?

Success is within reach when the right strategies are in place. Share this with someone you love.