FOCUS TO THE END AND MAKE EVERY MARK COUNT
“It’s all about strategy, and fighting for every last mark you are able to score in your remaining papers,” says Nola Payne, Head of Faculty: Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education institution.
“Consistency is key right now, and you will thank your future self for not getting distracted by the light at the end of the tunnel, but rather approaching each paper as a new opportunity to take your grades from good to spectacular,” says Payne.
“There are so many more study options available to today’s young people, both in terms of higher education institutions and qualifications, that they are really able to pick a closer match to their vision for their lives and careers than before. However greater options don’t mean less competition for limited spaces, particularly in very popular new programmes such as Gaming, for instance, so every mark counts when institutions assess applications,” she says.
Payne says learners should approach their upcoming exams with a clear head.
How do you stay motivated in matric?
DON'T START CELEBRATING TOO EARLY
DON’T REST ON YOUR LAURELS
“If you did better than you expected in you last papers already written, good for you! However don’t be tempted to slack now because the going is great. Gaining better marks than expected may open up a world of new opportunities that you were not even aware of, so make this final push count.
“You also don’t want to ruin your great performance to date by doing worse than you were counting on in upcoming papers, thereby negating the earlier advantage gained.”
COMBAT FATIGUE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Matric finals are a marathon, not a race, notes Payne.
“It is normal to start feeling fatigued as the end nears, but don’t let that derail you. Ensure that you get enough fresh air and exercise, and take short breaks to give your brain a complete rest. TV and social media can cause information overload, so limit your screen time apart from where you are using it to study. Focus on ticking off one subject at a time, and don’t allow yourself to feel overwhelmed by looking at the whole list of papers you still need to complete,” she says.
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THE BIG PICTURE
For some learners, things may at this stage have started to go seriously pear-shaped. Those who feel that they are facing a looming disaster should refrain from looking for solutions that will make things worse, such as considering cheating, for instance.
“Looking for the wrong kind of solutions now may be tempting, but may have far-reaching and even unfixable consequences on your life,” says Payne.
“If things really are not going well, keep in mind that you do still have enough time to make up points in remaining subjects. Again, fighting for every mark now may mean that you have more options to rectify things after the exams, for instance by doing a rewrite or re-doing only one subject instead of the whole year.
“Yes, Matric marks are very important, but at the end of the day there are always options even if you didn’t perform as you would have hoped, so don’t resort to solutions which are bound to throw further problems your way.”
STUDY WITH THE RIGHT FRIENDS
