"Problems with Organization?" by Bernardo H.

Dear year 7 Student,

I’m in Year 9 and I am going through some difficulties this year. I have an issue with the organisation, because I am receiving so much homeworks and so many exams.

This year I’m under so much school pressure, I can’t do anything. I have been so sad, because in the beginning of the year until now, I didn’t do anything good for my well being. Even more so that now is the week of the test, that is, there is really nothing to do. And if my grades in this trimester are not good I will be grounded.

I would appreciate any help from you!

Thank you,

Anonymous

Dear Y9 student,

I'm sorry you are having school problems with organisation, school pressure and grades, these problems are very common among students, so you’re not the only one going through that. I would strongly advise you to keep a balance between school habits and other habits, however you definitely shouldn't just focus just on one thing. 

You aren’t doing things for your own well-being due to your organisation, as you said. Also you are always so anxious and keep thinking too much of school and forgetting about other habits. If you make a routine, it will help you to organise when to study and knowing what to do next. Moreover you can study for a certain amount of time and then do something in your free time for your well-being, like practice sports or play video games, keeping a balance between school stuff and your stuff. My suggestion is to write this routine on a piece of paper and put it on the wall to always remember. You won’t make it on the first day and sometimes you will change the routine, so don’t worry if this happens, it’s okay. Also, the site Beyond Blue says: “Following basic day-to-day rituals and routines can help support your mental health. (...) Having routines for things can help reduce the build-up of stress. They can provide a sense of structure and rhythm. And in times of uncertainty, they can remind you that there are things within your control (...).”. 

In year 9, there are lots of homeworks and exams/tests, and depending if you aren’t always keeping up good grades, sooner or later you’ll get grounded. My main recommendation is to keep up the routine as I said in the previous paragraph. In addition, if I were you, I would  use methods of studying. I will give the method that I think is the most effective. The Pomodoro method consists of studying for 25 minutes and 5 minutes of break. It helps you because these 5 minutes is as if it were an achievement for studying after a lot of ‘hard work’, tricking your brain, as if you deserved this break. This site sets a timer for you Pomofocus. Furthermore, to study, I use a technique in which you need to, revise about a content on the notes you took on class, write all you learned in a subject without seeing the notes you did, after you finish, see the what you wrote and then correct it, afterwards write again about the subject until you get everything correct, with this, you’ll get good grades and won’t get grounded

All those previous problems, cause the school pressure on your life, which as I said, it’s very normal. According to the site Pacific teen treatment it can cause obsession with grades, anxiety, change in appetite, stimulant abuse (e.g., caffeine, prescription medications, etc.), sleep difficulties, inability to relax, social isolation, Loss of interest in previously enjoyed pastimes. You are under pressure because you think that school is not a good place, of course it isn’t a wonderful place, but you should consider the good things, such as, being with  your friends, learning things you didn’t know, practising things you like to do and etc. Also, if you pay attention, take notes and study, you understand the subject and you are not too pressured with school.

The most important point of the three, is to make a routine. It can help you with all the problems mentioned. If the method of studying doesn’t work very well, you can search for others. But the most important part is to always remember to not procrastinate, and keep thinking about what you can become and how your future will be better with the solution of your problems. I really hope this advice will help you, I am not a psychologist or whatsoever, but these are some pieces of advice that I saw from people that are specialised and it helped me. 

Sincerely,

 Y7B - Bernardo Hwang