The shift to our homes to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is a major challenge for senior school students. It is tempting to view this as an extended holiday with time for crashing out on the couch. Now I don’t wish to throw a dampener on your party plans but if you decide to veg out and do not work, you might regret it later. At the risk of being a major spoilsport, here are a few ideas to consider.

Develop and keep to a system

Goals are good but systems are better. Decide on your study program system for the next few weeks and stick to it. Consider when you learn and think best and don’t fritter those hours away. If you don’t develop a system you are relying on waking up in the morning and saying to yourself, ‘Great, I can’t wait to get some study done today!’ I don’t know you but I wouldn’t like to place a bet on that happening very often. Developing a system that works for you also sets you up for being a self-reliant learner after you have left school.

This is a chance to catch up not drop back

The first part of the year has been busy with ideas and papers flying in all directions. Use this time firstly to get some order into your life. Make sure your notes are coded and in the correct folders.

Elaborate what you’ve already got

Once you have got your stuff together and everything is the right place, you can start to plan to surge. List all of the topics that have already been covered this year. For each topic develop a concept map that links main related ideas and outlines their relationships. Developing a visual outline of a topic area deepens your understanding, improves your memory and improves your marks. That’s a win-win-win situation for you.

Build your Learning Strengths

Analyse your learning strengths at my  www.mylearningstrengths.com and use the information to build on what you are already good at. Obtain a copy of the full Learning Strengths report to learn how to use your strengths to develop in other areas. By using your brain correctly you can get better outcomes.

Extend your thinking

Ask teachers to provide you with a list of forthcoming topics. Read related texts. Research future topics.  Use google scholar to find related articles. If there are concepts you that seem difficult to understand search for students explaining these ideas for the benefit of other students.

Email or phone your teachers. They will have resources that can help you.

To read more of this article by Andrew Fuller, click here.

Andrew Fuller is a Fellow of the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Learning and Educational Development at the University of Melbourne. On Monday 25 May at 7.00pm Andrew Fuller will give an online Parent Education webinar for Camberwell Grammar School Parents. For details on this event, contact Mr John Allen at mja@cgs.vic.edu.au.