Dear Year 7 Student,

I am a year nine student and I’m writing to you because I need some advice. I’m having some difficulties planning my agenda to study for exams, I always try to organize myself before it starts, and study like two weeks before; however, I can’t. I always procrastinate and leave it for the last minute. Especially the past trimester I felt I didn’t care too much about the test and didn’t study for them as I should. Although my report card was good, I felt I should've done better on the exam and dedicate more time to this. I really need some advice on how to focus and set time to study. I hope you can help me with my problem.

Best regards,

Year 9 Student

Dear Y9 student,

Your problem that you sent to me was that you can’t organize yourself to study and when you study, it’s like a day before that test. It’s super common, especially with distractions like phones around, activities, and other things you like that you can get distracted. A helpful approach might be trying different study methods, like asking a friend or family member to quiz you or, for example, asking Chat-GPT to give you a little test about your subject and give you a final grade. Remember, practice makes perfect.

First of all, setting up a regular study schedule can make a big difference and it can be hard to follow. Following this you need to keep studying on your own time, and try picking a specific time each day just for studying, even if it’s only for a little while. Small work leads to big work. Starting early will make you feel less stressed and give you more time to really understand what you’re learning.

Another tip that might help is breaking your study material into smaller, easier chunks. Instead of trying to do everything at once,if you focus on just one topic or subject each day, you’ll feel less overwhelmed. For example, if you’re studying for History, stick to one event or time period at a time.Take it step by step is a useful approach. If you set mini-goals, like finishing one chapter or section, you’ll feel a real sense of progress without getting overwhelmed.

If it still feels challenging, try breaking down your tasks into even smaller steps. I hope these ideas help you find a study routine that works for you.If it’s still tough, don’t worry—you can always tweak things to fit what feels best. Remember, small work turns into big work. Good luck with your exams!

Sincerely,

Y7 - Lucca B.