This is it – Term 4 has landed!
Term 4 is all about directions and decisions.
While Year 12 students are pretty much locked in by whatever ATAR rank they achieve, younger students still have plenty of opportunity to get clarity on their future direction, improve their motivation and improve their study effectiveness so they don’t miss out on the best future opportunities after high school.
This article is a friendly and early reminder for parents NOT to leave the planning of your child’s future direction too late. Every year, we see parents overlook the fact that developing good academic habits and direction should begin well before the final year.
But what if your child is already in Year 11 and they’re just starting to improve their academic performance? Most experts that starting in Year is already late.
But at Kalibrate-Ed, we know they still have a tiny amount of time left— if they know where to leverage their time to maximise results. But be warned, there is zero margin for error.
In this article, we’ll look at strategic ways to help you support your child in developing the necessary study skills to get ready for 2025 – whether they’re in Year 11 or in Year 7.
How Ijay got ‘success-ready’ right on time
Ijay was a 15-year-old boy with ADHD who wasn’t sure of his direction or plan for his studies. But one thing he was sure of was that he loved his phone. He was constantly binging videos on YouTube.
Most of Ijay’s learning was done online. But instead of starting assignments on time, he pushed them back too late. He was also often underprepared and stressed for his exams.
Unfortunately, Ijay had a mind-blank during his Term 3 English paper and failed three other exams in different subjects. Steve and Cathy, Ijay’s parents, tried to help Ijay, but that only made Ijay defensive and made him sneak around with his phone.
Before Ijay entered Years 11 and 12, we worked with him to identify what energised him to study and improve his marks. We helped Ijay create and implement a tailored study plan for his technology use. We also introduced a strategic approach to proactively organise his assessments and revision.
Ijay’s new approach helped him maximise his knowledge retention, reduce overwhelm and improve his exam performance. He almost doubled his Term 3 Maths result to achieve 87%. By Term 4, he increased his results by 30% across most subjects.
In Year 11, Ijay received steady assessment marks between 86-92% in his Term 1 exam block, including his highest Maths mark ever. From being distracted and directionless, he is now set on becoming an engineer.
Tips for getting ready for the next year in Term 4
A study by Cambridge University found that when students have a clear sense of direction and goal, they’re more likely to be productive and motivated to work hard. But many students are like Ijay before his Year 11 – they have no idea what they’ll do in the future, and worse, they don’t know how to figure it out.
Yes, they may have their parents and counsellors to help them fill in the gaps. However, without a clear direction, students are still stuck asking, ‘What am I working towards?’
If you’re a parent of an unmotivated student who can’t seem to see the point of putting in the work at school, here are three tips you can use to flip the switch this term and get them ready for next school year:
Get a Roadmap
Without clear direction and an actual plan, students feel overwhelmed and lose their drive to study better and pursue higher marks. Worse still, they become more susceptible to burnout, which then leads to avoiding schoolwork altogether.
Start by asking what they want to pursue or what career do they see themselves in to chart a path. Eventually, this leads to a clear and solid academic roadmap, something we call a Future Navigator. This can ensure they know all the steps they need to take and stay on track to avoid losing steam.
Build sustainable motivation
Most teenagers look at motivation as an emotion instead of a skill they can develop. If your child depends on ‘feeling like it’ to accomplish a task, then it’s time to reset their mindset about motivation.
At Kalibrate-Ed, building motivation is a process – we call it a Motivation Catalyst. This means there are techniques that can help your child sustain their motivation and find confidence even in tough times (It’s free, and you can check it out here). The key is equipping them with these strategies so they can cultivate their motivation and sustain momentum on their own.
Implement effective and balanced study habits
If your child is unsure about their future, they’re also unlikely to know exactly what to do and how to take the right steps. They need help with effective Strategy Implementation so they can develop effective and balanced study habits.
Parents play the most important part here. It’s important that your child learns good study habits at an early stage. Now is the best time for them to be set up for success in the next few years.
We know it can be a lot for parents to stay on top of their child’s learning. But you don’t have to do it alone. Our team of education strategists can help you map your child’s path so they’ll have the clarity and direction they need to move forward.
But if you want to get your child on track fast, we’re releasing a free guide for Year 7-12 parents who want their child to study effectively so they get higher marks. The guide is free and will be sent to a waitlist before it becomes available to the public.
You can email ‘GAMEPLAN’ to community@kalibrate-ed.com.au and be the first to get a copy.
