LAST week I shared hints on how you should spend your academic holiday such as taking it as a time to reflect on your performance, set new goals for the new term and revise whatever was taught.
This week I am challenging learners on the importance of being prepared especially for those in examination classes who will be sitting for mock examinations.
Now that schools are opening this week, what are some of the things you are looking forward to? I have heard pupils complaining because holiday is over.
Of course there are various reasons for such behaviors, among them is stress.
Stress is often experienced by such pupils who have spent the entire holiday on tuitions hence they have not seen the benefits of having a holiday.
Others could have had some fun and the freedoms that they enjoy when they are not in school.
While for others especially those in boarding schools may again not come to terms with the reality that time to go back to school has come and it is a must they go.
Grade 8s especially in boarding schools often fail to get used to the system and are often home sick hence being told you are going back to school becomes a real challenge to them.
Additionally there are those pupils who behave as if they are pushed to be in school- little do they know it is for their benefit.
On the positive side there are those pupils who are excited and ready to go back to school.
They have set new goals with a new sense of confidence. Especially those who are in the examination classes who are counting down to the time they will exit school.
These are learners who always look out for the new term with whatever challenge will come along.
What are your goals for this term? What type of a pupil do you want to become?
What kind of results do you want to be getting during the monthly and termly tests? It is common that only few pupils take time to strategically plan for their academic life and performance. I am always reminded with the 5 Ps which are Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. I first heard this when I was in grade 11 when our teacher of English was trying to motivate us on the importance of preparation knowing the following year we were going to sit for final examinations.
From there I decided to change my studying habits and I had to re-define my goals by being specific on the type of results that I would get and the institution I was going to attend after completing school-the University of Zambia.
Most of my classmates will attest to how I started confessing that I will study at the University of Zambia.
That helped me to remain focused because only less than a percent from our school would make it to the university- hence somehow it was a farfetched dream.
Last time I shared how I had struggled in Math from grade 8 up to grade 11 despite being taught by dedicated teachers who were there for me.
was failing and math was a subject in which I performed badly. I decided to change my mindset and by the time mock examinations were coming I was among those who performed well in my class.
Term two is the time for mock examinations. It is not a secret that often times pupils do not perform fairly in the mock examinations term.
I have pupils complaining that mock examinations are always hard and put them on some pressure- which is a fact.
Mock examinations are very important and ones performance during this time speaks volumes of the likely results a person will get in the final examinations though in that latter one would perform better.
Therefore mock examinations should be approached seriously by every pupil who is serious about his/her academic life.
Just as the way the final examinations are where by questions are derived from a wide range of the syllabi even from what has not been covered in the class.
Hence a learner should not limit him/herself to what the teacher has taught and as the case is for most schools in Zambia where they do not complete the syllabi, if they do, they do not do it in time.
Hence a learner has to put in a lot of efforts. Every success which has been attained has been birthed out of hard work, consistency, discipline in terms of conduct and time management.
Therefore, it is imperative that learners go an extra mile in studying, participating in study groups, and seeking clarity from their teachers in subjects where they are behind.
Mock examination results often help learners to plan effectively for the final examinations.
As earlier stated it is common for learners not to do very well in the mock examination, but tend to do well in the final examinations.
I should mention such a situation only happens to those learners who learn from their mistakes and failures.
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