How to improve your marks

June exams are over and the holidays have begun! Some people will be relieved that they do not have to think about school for a month, whereas others will have already started on their holiday study schedule. It is important that you PLAN how you want to spend your holidays so that you get the most out of it. The importance of a good plan can’t be over-emphasized. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Now, we are not going to tell you not to take a holiday, rest is SO important, but make sure your studies are not disregarded.

Bad maths mark? What to do next…

Were you disappointed with your mark? Do you feel you can do better, or do you NEED to do better? Thankfully the June exams are largely used to predict grades (depending on their weighting towards your end-of-year result which varies from Grade to Grade and School to School). They are a very good way of finding out where your ability is currently at, but they do not determine how you will do at the end of the year. There are plenty of things you can do to improve your results/marks.

1. Firstly make sure you are motivated to succeed by setting challenging but realistic goals that are meaningful to you. Only you know how much effort you put into your studies in the first half of the year. Look in the mirror and reflect honestly on whether you put in enough work or whether you need to work harder. If you did work hard but it is still not reflecting in your results then consider changing your approach to studying slightly. But most importantly, tell yourself not to give up! Keep working hard, you CAN improve with hard work and you may be on the brink of a breakthrough! Finding motivation is key! If you are not motivated then it is almost pointless reading further as unfortunately someone isn’t going to give you a magic potion and…VWALAH…you are better at Maths – its going to require effort and effort requires motivation.
2. Review your paper and revise those sections you did badly in. Your recent test will show you the section/s you were weak in. Remember to go through your notes from the year, re-learning or revising those topics over this holiday. The class will be moving off those topics and onto new ones so make sure they do not leave you in the dust.
3. Seek help. You are not alone! There are many options you can explore to support you in the mathematics you are struggling with. One option is to hire a tutor. Tutors are great, there isn’t really anything which tops a dedicated hour with a strong teacher focusing only on you. Another option is to use a study guide or online study platform, like Maths Online to give you structured learning that is not just a repeat of the notes you have from school. Remember our Maths Online also gives you live support with a maths teacher from 08:30-16:30 weekdays so make sure that you make use of this time during your holidays if you are already subscribed!
4. Ask for extra help from your school and attend any maths clinics or help that the school provides. Many teachers have chosen to become teachers as they love to see students learn. If you ask for help and your teacher has time, then they may be able to provide you with the support you need during your school day. If you don’t ask you will never get! And if you don’t want to take it from us then take it from Steve Jobs.

 


5. Revision sessions – attend them all! Your school might put on revision classes, definitely attend those. Here at Advantage Learn we also have Maths revision sessions and workshops happening in Durban and Johannesburg.

 
If you are motivated and put in the extra effort/time/money into your personal studies then you should see great results in your end of year maths exams!

My marks were great, I want to be number 1 in my class

Woah, someone is competitive, you remind me of myself! Good, isn’t good enough. Let’s try to be the best! Well, sadly this means you cannot take it easy this holiday as that person who beat you will not be taking it easy. They may not take any holiday easy! Open that textbook, complete the most challenging questions from each section that you have not done yet. Put in 30-minutes to 1-hour every couple of days to make sure that your brain doesn’t switch off and you’ll arrive back at school fresh and ready to kick off your learning straight away.

Secondly if you want to get the jump on your next terms content then the best way to get ahead is to be taught those sections or to start teaching yourself. Again there’s really only two ways to do this; hire a tutor or use a study guide or online study platform, like Maths Online. For learners who want to perform at the top of the class, it is also worth signing up to our Maths revision sessions and workshops at the end of the year which, not only deal with closing knowledge gaps, but also have a strong focus on mastering advanced concepts and extending learners.

Finally have fun!

Remember it is the holidays, so spend some time studying but also make sure you have fun! It won’t be too many years until you’re in a job and these long holidays will be a thing of the past, so enjoy them!