Sometimes, you feel in control of everything. Sometimes, nothing seems to work right. The majority of students do not (cannot) work at the same pace as school teachers. This is a reality that everyone faces at one time or the other, even the very best. Of course, what changes is when they actually experience it. The best only feel it at the very top, which may be at the university undergrad, grad or even professional level.
So how do you cope with a system that does not fit your internal pace?
The answer is quite simple to say but difficult to apply in practice: adapt.
If note taking does not help you learn the content, then figure out what does. Maybe just listening to the teacher is much more effective. If that is so, ask the teacher permission to do audio recording. In class, listen and make sure you understand. At home, listen to the recording again and jot down the notes you will need for revision.
If your school teacher does not cover the learning material well, go for a private tuition teacher. Now, a common mistake is to rush to the “elite” teachers, those who “produce” laureates. One thing you need to keep in mind is that these teachers produce laureates because of the rigor of their tuition and (most usually) fast pace they use. If you can’t keep up at school, there are chances you will not be able to cope with tuition too. Solution: try out several tuition teachers and then settle for the one whose teaching you understand best.
If you feel that you understand the content at school completely, but still have issues with past exam papers and practice questions, then you have two options. The first is to go to your school/tuition teacher and ask them if they would correct your work if you did extra. Then, you would just increase the amount of homework you do (find other textbooks, online sources, older past papers, etc). The second option would be to work past papers alongside the marking scheme. Do questions by questions. Don’t worry about how time you take; you should be instead focusing on understanding the answers in the marking scheme. Do this for several past papers until you feel confident that you understand the answers.
If you understand everything and are good at past papers but have exam stress, then you need to understand one thing. Everybody feels stressed at one point in life. It’s inevitable. What you can do, however, is manage the stress. Maybe try meditation. Maybe play tennis just before your exams (that’s what I did anyway). Do something that will relax you. Most importantly still, believe in yourself. If you have done your revision well and practiced enough, then you will know your level. Believe in yourself.
University Seeker 