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Coping With Being a Student...

Posted on Mon, 28 July 2008 09:28:57

Waking up to an annoying alarm, you sigh, push yourself from bed and start your morning routine, then make your way to prison�I mean school. If you think you�re alone in this constant misery, you�re wrong; thousands of teenagers go through this ordeal.

Whether you love or loathe school there�s one thing every student has in common, stress: whether exams, safety or bullying. Here are some tips on how to overcome these struggles:

I can�t revise!

I know what you�re thinking, whoever created exams should be sacked, but we all have to do it, even adults at work. Unfortunately it�s a never ending cycle; but can be tackled.

Make sure you organise your work space, if you don�t have a work space, get one! A clear table is a clear mind; eat before you revise, preventing hunger and distractions. Have you heard people say �there are different ways to revise� but you don�t know yours? Then revise your weakest subject through different revision methods: audio, visual and Kinaesthetic (movement and touch), finding the method best for you makes revision easier and more enjoyable.

Also, try and watch the football or shop, rest your brain and have some fun. However, once revising, hide your TVs and laptops, these possessions will do you no favours. If you need your laptop to revise, set yourself frequent breaks; and keep surfing the web outside revision hours.

Talking about routines, try and set yourself one. Make a timetable, but be aware, timetables are not for everyone! If your life is so unpredictable that you have new plans every hour, say to yourself �I will do 2 hours of maths revision with a 15 minute break every 30 minutes�. For some, this is more efficient.

Finally, taking regular fluids, i.e. water also helps your concentration.

I keep procrastinating with my Coursework!

Coursework (CW) can be hard and long and boring and I can go on. But it needs to be done. Start your CW at school, if you find home has too many distractions. Ask a friend to help, but keep focus on the CW. If your CW holds 60% of the final grade, make sure you don�t fall behind, if you do, then pray! The workload for these subjects is very heavy so get help from a teacher if you need it.

Hard at Work

College interviews

The main enquiries are:

What do I wear? � Smart clothes or school uniform, try to look professional; ties and blazers aren�t needed.

What do I bring? - Certificates, impressive work, et.

Anything the college/sixth form tells you to bring- don�t forget!

What do I say/how do I act? Act in a formal but friendly manner and start with a handshake.

Research the school and comment on something positive.

Answer any questions- don�t go off topic.

Ask the interviewer questions, this will help prove how keen you are.

Don�t panic, the interviewer expects you to be nervous.

My teacher hates me!

Some teachers push students hard to get more out of them, so be aware of this. If you truly believe a teacher dislikes you: act heavenly, do your work, and give the teacher no excuse to �hate you� -even say hello before the lesson. Being courteous is the only way to tackle this- but be ready to bite your tongue a few times.

Safety within school journeys

With knife/gun crime �sweeping� the nation, there�s no shame in being nervous when traveling to and from school. To ensure safety try to: Take the route with the most people around, no short cut is worth getting mugged Walk with friends Leave school while there�s still daylight.

Career pressure

�What are your plans five years from now� is a question many students dread. There�s nothing wrong with that. But spending one night each week researching various careers, university courses, etc would be beneficial. Many people have had 2,456 different career ideas but you will know which one is right for you and not your parents.

I stumbled across mine while sitting in an English lesson (yes, yawn). I had to read an account of a football match and then write a summary. My English teacher said �Doesn�t he sound like a reporter?� ever since then I�ve had journalism in mind. Before that, I was preparing to work for the E.U thanks to various career tests. Advice: don�t take those tests too seriously.

Obviously following these steps will be a little harder than saying the �ABC�, but with dedication and persistence overcoming the jail sentence at school should become easier. Who knows maybe one day you�ll have your own advice to give to students.

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