Newcomer here- thanks for stopping by this thread!
Currently a high school junior who is having a tough time with high school academics in general. As background, I’ve always taken the absolute maximum courseload (I like the classes), and I will say that I work hard, real hard. But no matter how much I study I’m still a B student in math, chem, and AP computer science. I don’t know how this is possible, I study more than anyone I know, waking up in the early mornings and studying into the night for 6 hours + a day. Yet the kids who have A’s don’t seem to mess up on tests nearly as much as me, and I know because I’m close friends with them
For example, I recently studied about 7-8 hours for a math test, doing all the practice problems, making study guides and diagrams. I walked out of the test feeling so-so, I had blanked on one of the problems but thought I should be able to manage a 90 at least. I get the test back and it’s a 78! How is it possible that I literally study so much, but when it comes to the test I blank, make stupid mistakes, forget which formulas to use, and just mess up in general?
I’ve scoured the internet looking for answers, most of which seem to tell me that I’m not studying “smart”. But even my teachers seem to approve my study habits and methods. I ask questions, write/rewrite my notes in my own words, reach other people, do countless practice problems and write down how I did them, make flash cards, almost anything! If you looked at my study methods you’d think I’m the top of my class!
I’m willing to put in the work, I just don’t know what to do?
Have you ever been tested for an Learning disabilities. My daughter has vision processing speed issues and anxiety and would be in the same boat. Could study for hours and then do poorly on tests. mostly with careless errors.
Thanks for your response! My parents would never let me get tested, they think I’m just trying to make excuses for being lazy.
If I may ask, How did you realize your daughter’s issue? And did you bring that up with her school? How?
First talk to your guidance counselor. Perhaps if the suggestion for testing comes from someone else, your parents might take it more seriously. Second, talk to your parents about a study skills class, because you shouldn’t have to study that much. Quality of study is more important than quantity, and it sounds like even with a significant amount of study you’re not understanding the material very well. Math, Chemistry and Computer Science are all STEM classes, and to do well, you have to understand the material completely; solving practice problems isn’t going to help without understanding the underlying material. Practice problems are the mechanics, and as you see will get you to a B. Your friends most likely have a better understanding of the underlying principles, so they understand not only how to get to the answer (where practice problems help) but WHY the answer are what they are. What comes naturally to you is not going to be the same as what comes naturally to them, but you need to focus on understanding the problems more than the mechanics of completing them.
You need to understand where your mistakes are coming from. I would get a good tutor who would sit down with you, look at the problems, gauge your understanding and help where it’s lacking.
was the 7-8 hours you spent studying for the math test done in one of a couple of big sessions? The way learning works is you study something, you have it down, and then you start to forget it. So you do a new set of questions on the material and relearn the stuff you forgot. Then you forget some, but less this time. So you do even more questions. This is called distributed practice. That you blanked on one of the questions suggests you had learned the material in a small number of marathon study sessions. Cramming doesn’t work well for college students either.
rewriting notes is largely a waste of time. You look at a paragraph or two, think about it, rewrite it. This takes lots of time but still only superficially engages you in learning. The way to learn is to self-test; find a set of questions that covers the material (easier to do in math/science than some other subjects) and see if you can answer them. If not, review the chapter and then test again a day or more later.
Both of these concepts (distributed practice, self-testing) and more are covered in a book you ought to read this summer called “Make it Stick”. It talks about the science of learning and has lots of advice for HS/college kids.
The idea of talking to your GC about being tested is also a good one and you should do it when school is back in session.
I think all the advice posted is great. I wouldn’t have thought about LD. Having said that, you have a quantity over quality problem. Is there someone who could help evaluate your study skills? Someone who could give advice on how to work more efficiently? I would go to each one of your teachers and ask, “What are the best techniques I should use to study for this class?” Often teacher volunteer this information, but not always.
my daughter was just always struggling with school, so we had an educational evaluation done. They are not cheap. From there we were able to then get her an IEP, which allows to extra time and other things. One other thing we did was put in a private school, where study and note taking skills were emphasized. During elementary and middle school how did you do on the standardized tests? What about PSAT/SAT/ACT?
@mikemac ~ Great suggestion to buy, “Make it Stick.” I’m going to order it today.
@homestuckinhel ~ Looks like you’ve received some great advice here. Regarding testing for an LD, I just wanted to reassure you that if you do in fact have an LD, it in no way diminishes your capacity to do well at a good college. It’s estimated that roughly 20% of Ivy League students receive or are eligible for accommodation. If you have an LD, you’ll learn techniques that work best for you and you can receive needed accommodation. There are still people out there who stigmatize LD’s—could that possibly be why your parents don’t want to have you tested? If so, I recommend doing a little research on the subject that may help sway them.
If you don’t have an LD, it sounds like a class in study skills would be beneficial. You definitely want to be working smarter and not harder. I really hope you find the help you need and that you see all of your hard work pay off.
You should be proud of your accomplishments. In fact your course rigor will speak for itself. You are very consistent. Perhaps these challenging courses would have been much lower grades without your hard work and dedication. Over time you will be rewarded for your discipline and attention to detail in your line of work. It will also be very useful in college for you.
I am not one to automatically look for a medical reason as the answer to all situations. It could be. It could also be that you are doing a great job and things make take a bit longer for you. Or you have skills in other areas.
You can shoot free throws for 10 hours a day and not be better than some of your friends who might have a knack for it.
Keep at it. Don’t look at life as a competition with those around you. Be the best you can and hold your head high. It all works out.
I would really look into the ideas in the previous thread responses. A tutor to help you see things differently. Study styles that aren’t so time intensive. Perhaps you are just way too stressed out and the undue pressure can cause you too press too hard.
A lot of educators are seeing a connection between constant screen time and loss of attention span, coupled with lack of subject retention, and then lack of performance. Do you use your iPhone all day long, right up to the minute of class, sneaking looks during class, right after class, between classes, and while doing homework? How many hours do you spend on social media or playing video games? Just a thought!
A lot of good suggestions. I am going to suggest you are studying wrong. Are you reviewing everything before the big test, or focusing only on those things you struggle with. Always start with those areas that will give you the biggest bang for the buck. Do not waste time on stuff you already know. Go for help, form study groups with other students in the class and ask questions in class.
I want to also jump in and agree with all the posters who have suggested an evaluation. There are all kinds of issues that will only come up during testing and they are not things you can easily study away. I struggled for a very long time with a form of dyslexia that led me to reverse numbers and make all sorts of “careless” mistakes. Because it didn’t lead to any noticeable reading problems, it wasn’t diagnosed for a long time. If you have something similar, you can learn techniques to help minimize the impact. It may be that you don’t need subject tutoring, but test prep. You will only know if you get tested.
Its genetics and born intelligence. Your iq score doesnt change a lot after you hit teen years. I’m saying something that is controversial but it’s the honest truth your academic success is tied to background and it is out of your control but I’m not stating a certain percentage though. Dont quote me telling me I think all of academic success is related to background not saying that at all (my disclaimer)
Lots of good advice here. Another tip is to make sure you are getting enough sleep on test days. If you are waking up super early and staying up late, it’s possible you are too tired to perform at your peak.
Look up the signs of dyscalculia (a math learning disorder) and dyslexia. Do any of them sound like things you struggle with? Many students who have learning disorders are labeled as “lazy” by people who don’t know better.
Your parents can ask the school to have you tested for learning disorders. Testing through the public school is free, and the school can provide resources to help address issues they find. If your parents are sure there aren’t any learning issues, they have nothing to lose by agreeing to free testing.
@Legitimatelyrich, when you get to college, please use punctuation. Professors won’t wade through paragraphs without it.
You can’t have it both ways. Academic success is either the result of inborn intelligence and out of an individual’s control, or it’s not. Are you as smart as you’re ever going to be? For your sake, I hope not.
I think it’s great you are getting that book. When you talk to your guidance counselor, ask about evaluations done through your school. You may have a learning disability, but I’m also wondering if it’s possible you have ADHD. That would be something to talk to your medical doctor about. You mentioned that your parents wouldn’t let you get tested before. Has this been brought up to you before, or did you wonder about it and ask them?
I would start with your teachers. Go meet with them. Find out what you’re not getting. Each of the teachers may be able to help you understand the material better and help with a study plan. I would do this before jumping to the conclusion that you need testing for a learning disability. My daughter was struggling in math last year and this year, studying many hrs and getting Bs on tests. She met with those teachers, who helped her immensely,and she pulled out As (low, but still As) each year. Sometimes teachers go too fast or aren’t great at explaining concepts and some kids get it more intuitively and others don’t. You have to self-advocate. It also helps to build rapport with your teachers.