i need help.. study tips.. what to do.. feeling stuck and panicking

Hi everyone.

Currently in my second year of A levels doing chemistry, biology and English lit (all WJEC exam boards). My mocks are literally in 3 days time for chemistry and biology and I have done absolutely nothing for chemistry and very little for biology. I don't know why but I feel so demotivated this year. Last year, whilst doing AS, I was so motivated to do the best that I could possibly do I achieved AABC - was happy, but not satisfied. I really want to achieve AAA this year, but the more I think of it the more I feel I cannot. It's already January in 2 hours and I haven't understood or revised any of my work over the holidays. Mentally, I'm not even ready to give it my best shot. I feel like there's been a switch inside me turned off and it's getting more difficult by days to try to turn it back on. Throughout the whole holidays I got myself into a bad sleeping pattern, sleeping 3/4am and waking up no earlier than 12pm or even 2. The days I would wake up 1pm for like the past week I would think what's the point of studying half the day is gone and not study at all for the whole day, just like today. I have no routine at all.. when I do try to revise my family are always telling me to go out and do stuff and plan different things for the day. So either I'm doing other stuff or not revising. It's all getting really frustrating and I don't know what to do. I feel like I have failed before I have even started. I was so determined to do well, but my family don't really care and don't motivate me at all.. I don't find motivation in myself either. What do I do? Is it too late to get really well (AAA)?

Reply 1

evalilyXOX

The fact that the situation worries you shows how much you care - this is a good thing !

As you don't have long until your mocks, the best thing to do is to start with past papers. Go through the past few years of material and see how many questions you can answer. There are only a certain number of questions they can ask you each year (that is certainly the case with biology) so quickly skim through them and try to briefly answer as many as possible.

This will help you in making a list of the areas of the course where you feel relatively confident, and the areas where you really need to focus. By prioritising like this will help sort out where you need to focus your attention and will slightly cut down your workload.

If you have an AS course document (i am from Scotland so I am unfamiliar with the english system), then go through it and use the traffic light system to sort out the different units of the course into categories depending on your confidence with them.

Another thing to do would be to let your family know how important these exams are and that you would appreciate if they cooperate with you rather than distract you. Sometimes my parents would do the same and would rather me participate in the January sales than study.

Another thing is try to relax slightly. I know this seems like crazy advise since your exams are close approaching, but trying to study whilst stressed isn't really productive. What i like to do is to try breathing exercises whenever I got overwhelmed. It might sound silly but it does actually work, well certainly for me it did.

Finally, I have said this on other threads but studying is like running a marathon. You can't expect to be able to run the full distance of the race on the 1st day. You have to build up to it, so you can't expect to be able to study for hours on end if you are not used to doing so. Start off with 20/30 mins on and 5 mins off. In that 5 mins take a quick walk around your house or get a drink. If you are coping fine with that then increase it to 40 mins and eventually you will be able to do 2/3 hours on and 15 mins off.

Good luck with your exams !