How to study better for the HSC

We know this one sounds a little counter-intuitive… but seriously, it’s important!

The fact is, contrary to popular belief, even the best students aren’t machines who spend every waking minute glued to their notes.

Everyone is human, and as humans, we all need to work to the limits of our attention span. The best way to study effectively is to work in chunks – the size of these chunks depends on what works for you personally, but generally we find our Talent Mentors recommend 40 minute to 2 hour study breaks, interspersed with other short breaks.

Getting up and stretching your legs, having a quick snack, and taking a mental refresher is all part of maintaining your effectiveness while you work.

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Another strategy to conquer your supposedly unbreakable time-wasting is something therapists often prescribe their clients.

Called paradoxical intervention, this strategy is very helpful in changing what you view as instinctive. How does this all work? Well, if you cannot control the urge to hop on Facebook or Instagram in the middle of a study block, assign 5-10 minutes of your break tine to doing exactly this. This way, you’re controlling what you thought was uncontrollable.

Although it takes time to build these skills, the earlier and more frequently you put them into use, the easier it will be.