Advice on motivation for study? :S (1 Viewer)

musing

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The competitive environment in my new school motivates me. Use it to your advantage :)
 

thongetsu

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In this more competitive environment it helps you to aim to beat the other kids whereas in your old school if everything was relaxed, then the kids probably weren't as smart. If you hadn't transferred I'd say that you would be in for a rude awakening in the HSC.


btw you're doing prelim, who cares about prelim.
 

hscishard

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dont tell me what to do
:uhoh:

You're like a target to cyber-bullying.

Motivation:
- Dunno <--- You don't want to be this guy

Advice for study:
- Punch the textbook a few times and scream "Why are you so complicated?!". Then read the book :)

I really did do that, it actually worked. Prob something about adrenaline and learning.
 

luvtads

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OMG thats just like me!!!! I moved my school last year, and found it hard to fit in with the competitiveness of my new school. I was like in the bottom 10% of the student for ALL my subjects. And yeah I felt like you I didnt bother studying coz i knew that im still going to fail, but i kept trying... and trying and then gave up during middle of the year. One of my friends told me to go see a school counselor. I started seeing a counsellor, but I thought it wasnt really helping me but in the end it did. Like every week i would see my counselor cry, wallow in self-pity and tell her how shit I am in all my subjects and she would tell me that I can do well, i do have the potential and i just need to change my attitude towards my studies. Oh, and my counselor also talked to all my teachers about how i was feeling about moving to a new school and the troubles im having. My teachers also helped me out quite a bit, if i would get 50% in an assessment they would tell me thats a great mark and that i should be happy.

I did change my attitude towards my studies, now i think im just as good if not better than other ppl in my school :) and that really helped me, I am now in like the top 10% of the students in nearly all my subjects :D

The only way to get better is to believe in yourself, as corny as it may sound but thats the key to success. Dont ever think just coz everyone is getting 80% and whinging over it that you need to aswell. Make realistic goals for yourself and actually STUDYYY it really helps lol !!! and like for your next eco exam have a goal of getting 50% and DONT COMPARE YOURSELF to others. Compete with yourself and before you know it you'll be getting better marks than ever before.

I really recommend that you see a counselor, you might think they dont help a lot but they actually do without you even realizing it. :)
 

alcalder

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For the original person who started this thread.

Hey there, I can completely appreciate what you are feeling. There certainly is a very competitive attitude in Years 11 and 12 because the students are trying to be the best and get the best ranking. Rather, it would be more healthy if everyone helped eaac other and saw it that they were competing against the system to get the best marks as a cohort that they can.

That aside, though, can I suggest some thought about your mindset. The "fail" versus "success" mindset, focussing only on the goal of being first or top marks, is probably not the best way to go. Cold Chisel once said "the motion is its own reward" meaning that the journey towards the end result should be what you are trying to improve and the result itself is the happy ending that may come.

Here is an article that may help explain what I mean:
Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You? � Michael Graham Richard

It's a good idea to set goals, but set achievable goals that focus on the process (which you can control) rather than the result (which you can't). Aiming to be the best purely depends on making sure that no one else gets better and that teachers and exams will work in your favour.

Rather, setting a goal that I will understand that topic better (in a measurable way - ie will be able to write a comprehensive essay on that topic which I am happy with) or I will be able to explain to someone else the reasons for such and such... These are good goals.

In terms of fitting in, take it from someone who NEVER fitted in, try and find the group of misfits and fit in with them. They are usually far more accepting of new people. My friends were all the misfits and now we are the most cohesive group after school and the most diverse in terms of professions. We helped each other get through the HSC and in life.

30% may be a bad result to start with BUT, hey, look at it this way, you can only get better :D

Try and see the positive and lessons you can learn from your experiences (write a journal that aims to do that) and you are part way to changing to a Growth Mindset and feeling more motivated. It is easy to accept failure if you never try, but you can never succeed unless you do try. Take a chance. Ignore the competition and do YOUR thing.

And, even if your marks don't improve to the levels you really want, the HSC is not the ONLY way to reach your goals after school. Keep that in mind. It may take longer, but, remember, the journey will be fun and fulfilling and you will feel more achievement if you have to work harder to get there.

But the idea of seeing a Counsellor is a very good one. My son was having trouble with stuff at school. I took the last step of sending him to a Counsellor. They tended to just chat, but his attitude changed and he's doing much better now and is far more motivated. Ask the School Counsellor, maybe, to suggest a good Teen Counsellor you can see outside school (and sometimes provate health insurance covers the cost of this!).

I hope that helps a little. Good luck.

And some advice on how to change the mindset:
Mindset | How can you change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset?
 
Last edited:

Lolsmith

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The HSC is competitive everywhere and is always cared about in secondary school.
No. It's not.

It's all about what you want from the HSC. You have to decide if you want to have a future in University or if you want to take another direction after your HSC is finished. If you want that uni future, buckle down and study. Write up a schedule and stick to it. But don't over-burden yourself with something insane of 5 hours + a night. You need to build up to it.

Or don't bother. It's entirely up to you. And don't worry about year 11. It's a practice.
 

adomad

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take an honest go at the hsc.
you don't want to be raging at urself in 5 years times saying " man... If only i studied that little bit more i could be in the careers of my dreams". no regrets:d
 

Omnipotence

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For the original person who started this thread.

Hey there, I can completely appreciate what you are feeling. There certainly is a very competitive attitude in Years 11 and 12 because the students are trying to be the best and get the best ranking. Rather, it would be more healthy if everyone helped eaac other and saw it that they were competing against the system to get the best marks as a cohort that they can.

That aside, though, can I suggest some thought about your mindset. The "fail" versus "success" mindset, focussing only on the goal of being first or top marks, is probably not the best way to go. Cold Chisel once said "the motion is its own reward" meaning that the journey towards the end result should be what you are trying to improve and the result itself is the happy ending that may come.

Here is an article that may help explain what I mean:
Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You? � Michael Graham Richard

It's a good idea to set goals, but set achievable goals that focus on the process (which you can control) rather than the result (which you can't). Aiming to be the best purely depends on making sure that no one else gets better and that teachers and exams will work in your favour.

Rather, setting a goal that I will understand that topic better (in a measurable way - ie will be able to write a comprehensive essay on that topic which I am happy with) or I will be able to explain to someone else the reasons for such and such... These are good goals.

In terms of fitting in, take it from someone who NEVER fitted in, try and find the group of misfits and fit in with them. They are usually far more accepting of new people. My friends were all the misfits and now we are the most cohesive group after school and the most diverse in terms of professions. We helped each other get through the HSC and in life.

30% may be a bad result to start with BUT, hey, look at it this way, you can only get better :D

Try and see the positive and lessons you can learn from your experiences (write a journal that aims to do that) and you are part way to changing to a Growth Mindset and feeling more motivated. It is easy to accept failure if you never try, but you can never succeed unless you do try. Take a chance. Ignore the competition and do YOUR thing.

And, even if your marks don't improve to the levels you really want, the HSC is not the ONLY way to reach your goals after school. Keep that in mind. It may take longer, but, remember, the journey will be fun and fulfilling and you will feel more achievement if you have to work harder to get there.

But the idea of seeing a Counsellor is a very good one. My son was having trouble with stuff at school. I took the last step of sending him to a Counsellor. They tended to just chat, but his attitude changed and he's doing much better now and is far more motivated. Ask the School Counsellor, maybe, to suggest a good Teen Counsellor you can see outside school (and sometimes provate health insurance covers the cost of this!).

I hope that helps a little. Good luck.

And some advice on how to change the mindset:
Mindset | How can you change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset?
+1
Damn, that was awesome to read.
 

Omnipotence

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take an honest go at the hsc.
you don't want to be raging at urself in 5 years times saying " man... If only i studied that little bit more i could be in the careers of my dreams". no regrets:d
Definitely my new signature.
 

bouncing

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i moved to a new school this year, and i am finding it hard to 'adapt' to the school.

in my previous school, everything was relaxed, but at the current school, everyone is just so competitive and smart that it overwhelms me, and makes me wish i never transferred schools.

to the point that i say to myself 'what's the point in studying? i would be in the bottom heap anyway.' and hence i'd leave everything the last minute.

an example of this would be my economics test which i'm not so proud to say i barely got 30%... but other people are also 'depressed' by their marks of 80%.

this kind of attitude actually scares me, but i don't know how to get out of it.
i just can't find the motivation to study...

anyway to get out of this and change my attitude towards work/study? :S
any advice appreciated! :)
Hi :)
I think you just need to keep your own personal goals in mind and not let other people's successes dampen your own if you get what i mean... it seems like you stopped trying because you "think you're going to fail" the moment you stop trying you already fail.. so yeah :) pick yourself up im sure it will be fine

and those who are depressed by marks of 80% are just stupid let them be depressed whatever lol
 

besime

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you know, all of you aren't helping this person at all, you're all just abusing each other and quite frankly, that doesn't help anyone. so shut the hell up and concentrate on the actual blog this person posted, not your own stupid boring lives.

oh and the person who posted this blog, i'd suggest like a goal or something to get you motivated so when you're feeling like you don't want to make the effort you can just think of what you want to become when you finish school or get into some extra curricular activities at your new school so you can meet new people and be surrounded by friends that do well and want to achieve the best they can at school. this will in turn make you want to study and be like all your friends because you won't want to be the one left out of the group. i hope this helped you anyway, good luck :)
 

mystery_meat

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I really shouldn't be giving advice on studying (because I'm only answering this to avoid doing work... and until this year had never studied more than two days prior to a test), but what I want to say is don't worry about how other people are doing. That will just stress you out and make you feel worse.

Year 11 is important in that it provides a basis for the HSC (& you work out study routines/patterns etc), but realistically the marks you get are not important. If you know the work, but it's not being conveyed in your results, then just figure out what it is you can improve on for next year. If you don't know the content, then listen more, ask questions, revise etc but don't wear yourself out & stress more than necessary.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is don't worry about marks yet (espescially others), just make sure you have at least an average grasp on all the content.

As for motivation... well, I really can't help there. I'm a lazy, unmotivated little shit.

That wasn't really helpful at all. Sorry.
 

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