Three fundamental elements of effective high school study

Each of the points below actually deserve an article all to themselves. But today I just want to revisit three fundamentals of effective study — three ideas we should keep in mind as our teen’s navigate their way through high school, and especially when your teen might be struggling, feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed.

1. Studying is a learnt skill, so why don’t we treat it like one?

It’s really the reason I wanted to do Cram Lab, and it probably frustrates you as well — that the education system hasn’t managed to incorporate teaching students how to study. This could be helpful to keep in mind when your teen is disheartened because they don’t know where to start with their study or when they get a disappointing grade.

Because often when teens are in this situation, contributing factors could be that they are being forced to work within an education system that treats every student the exact same way; expects them to all digest information in the same way, and expects them to inherently know what it takes to prepare for and sit exams. Not having a go at you, teachers, you’ve got enough on your plates. This is having a go at the system teachers themselves are forced to work within the confines of.

So what are we to do? I think we start by recognising that while a few lucky students will inherently understand how to study, most students will benefit from guidance and support as they develop their study skills, just as we all do in the course of developing any kind of skill. We can’t expect high school students to figure out how to study all on their own.

2. Your teen is unique and so is their Study System

There is no one way to get good at studying. We are all complex beings, and the way that each of us process and retain information varies person to person. There are some study skills that are almost always helpful (eg writing study notes, looking at practice exams), but every student needs to develop their own nuanced approach to studying and exam preparation. This is your teen’s Study System.

Every student's Study System should be the beating heart of their study practice. A Study System is the unique study process a student undertakes as they study and prepare for exams. It's made up of all the study techniques a student uses from the moment they start studying, right up until they put their pen down at the end of the exam.

The absolute key for your teen to learning, to studying effectively, and to consistently getting the grades they’re capable of, is figuring out their Study System, and applying it every time they study and prepare for exams. Students who are consistent in getting the grades they’re capable of know what their Study System is, and they approach studying in a purposeful and systematic way.

3. Time management isn’t just about efficiency

Time management is a very boring term, but by golly it's an important part of studying. Without developing their time management skills alongside their 'hard' study skills, your teen may as well not answer 40% of their exam, because time management isn't just about making aesthetically pleasing timetables.

Time management affects not only the quantity of study you can achieve — it also has a huge impact on the quality of your study. More often than not, when a student is struggling for seemingly no particular reason, the first thing to ask is, how are their time management skills? Are they appreciating the importance that time management has on the success of their study? Have they thought about how they're using their time? How are they structuring their study sessions? Do they prepare Exam Timetables before exams?

If the answer to any of these questions is “dunno” then you need to look no further for one of, if not the, cause of your teen’s study woes. Time management is connected to all parts of studying — our motivation, organisation, efficiency, productivity, and these things all feed off each other, so having good time managements skills creates a positive feedback loop where effective study begets effective study. How your teen manages their time when they’re studying, when they’re preparing for exams, and when they’re actually sitting their exams, should be a crucial part of their unique Study System.

Why this stuff matters so much

It's easy to forget that, at its core, effective study does not need to be complex and should not elude as many students as it does. If your teen is feeling lost about studying, I would recommend starting by having a chat with them about these three ideas and using them as a base board to build up their study skills.

Thanks so much for reading.

Clare

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