Catch up while you can
Friday 10 June 2005
Nobody's perfect, and sometimes we all fall behind a little with our work.
If this is happening to you at school, it's important to get it sorted as quickly as you can to avoid affecting your schoolwork too badly.
Ask for help
Don't be afraid to go and speak to your teacher about any problems you're having. It's better to let them know that you're having difficulties rather than let things carry on as they are so that your marks suffer. Your teacher should be understanding, and will be happy to go over anything you're not sure of. If you show that you're willing and can put the time and effort in to get back on track, your teacher will know that you're serious.
Get a study plan
If you need to catch up, then you should be looking at when you can fit in your study sessions. Don't plan anything for times when you know you're not going to want to study, like Saturday mornings or late at night just before you go to bed. Try and commit yourself to a few hours of study a week and you should soon be making up lost time.
Hit the library
Be realistic about choosing somewhere to study. You're not going to get much done in front of the TV. The library is perfect: there are no distractions and the place is full of books. Any info you need should be there. Some libraries have private study booths or even rooms to let you have a bit of peace and quiet. Ask the librarian what study facilities are available.
Take time out
Make sure you take plenty of breaks. You don't want to overdo it, or your enthusiasm for studying won't last long. Reward yourself for studying by taking a long afternoon off from the books and just do whatever makes you feel the most chilled out.
Look to the future
Once you've caught up, you need to think about the future. Identify where you went wrong before and see how you can fix it so that it doesn't happen again. Your teacher should be able to give you more hints or extra help to make sure that you're well on the way to being back on top!
