Managing your academics, keeping up your social life and finding your personal identity are all part of the matric experience. These might all seem straightforward, but most people find it challenging to master these things.
How to manage academics
Learning how to manage your academics is important, whether you’re trying to improve all of your marks, or simply improve marks for certain subjects.
It can be easy to feel stuck and not have a way forward, but there are a few steps you can take to effectively manage your academics in matric.
- Identify your priority subjects: Take a look at subjects and areas that need improvement. You can identify these by looking at your previous marks and reflecting on how easy or difficult it is for you to grasp concepts relating to those subjects. The more difficult it is for you to grasp concepts, the more that subject should be your priority subject.
- Set goals: Once you’ve identified your priority subjects, set goals. These goals can be related to improving your marks within a certain percentage range or simply having a better understanding of the content. Remember to set realistic goals.
- Create a study timetable: A timetable is a good way to plan out how you will spend your time studying. Plan out your timetable and allocate a few more slots to your priority subjects.
- Figure out your learning style: There are four different learning styles that you can use to improve your learning experience. Once you figure out your learning style, you’ll be able to study in a way that best suits you and best helps you retain important information.
Make sure to also cut back on distractions, as doing this will play a big role in helping you manage your time correctly. The less distractions you have, the more you can use your time to be productive and reach your goals.
Social life
It can often feel almost impossible to find a balance between having a social life and having your academics on track. But at the end of the day, you need to make sure you have a social life or extracurricular activities you enjoy to help you avoid burnout.
You can even go as far as incorporating your social life into your academics:
- Host group study sessions with your friends. By doing this, you can socialise with your friends while staying up to date with your academics
- Revise while keeping active/playing your favourite sport
- Study in your favourite scenic places
It’s also important to block out time periods that are only dedicated to rest because matric can be a very tiring year.
Personal identity
Don’t lose yourself in the work of getting good grades. Take some time to figure yourself out, and what your goals are for the future. This is why it’s important to take breaks in between your study sessions and occasionally do recreational activities that you enjoy.
Doing this will help you stay grounded during what can be a very challenging year of high school.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to career guidance counsellors, teachers or family members if you need further advice and mentorship on how to navigate matric.
