There's this thing that happened to me when I just got into high school. Before getting admitted, I didn't know what studying meant. I used to pass my exams without any effort except listening to my class teacher. I was a very intelligent pupil and was popularly known by all the teachers and other pupils in the school.
I was hoping to maintain that level in high school, and of course without much effort. So I didn't study while others were studying, or should I say that I didn't even know what it meant to study. I would only skim through the pages of my notes like I'm reading a novel, then I'll close it and begin to gist with friends.
I was dwelling on my past glory, and I didn't realize it until the end of term when I came 12th in my class.
It was a hard blow to my face because I'd never fallen below the second position before. The fact that my parents were expecting me to come home with good results made me cry. They were a bit disappointed, much less than I expected. I was encouraged to do better and take my studies seriously. And I did.
My grades came out very nice the following term; I came second this time and it was a great shock to my friends in school, including our matron and my class teacher. I can remember when one of my seniors and my seatmate in the prep class asked me how I did it. She told me she has been struggling to come to the limelight even when her class is less competitive compared to mine. I was a bit embarrassed, mostly because of how she said it. "You haven't changed friends, you still gist with us during prep, and nothing has really changed about your attitude. So please tell me, how did you do it?"
Source
Well, the truth is that I changed but they didn't notice. I adopted so many techniques that looking back at them now, I can't figure out how I learned them or who taught me.
I was determined to be among those at the top, so I made a study timetable for myself.
I made sure to read my notes that same day my teacher taught me, this was to reinforce what I learned and prevent memory loss.
I did my homework by myself with the help of the school library, and only asked someone to cross-check it after I must have given it my best. I made friends with a Js2 student, who was ahead of me and was topping her class too. We took turns to assess each other every weekend and play productive games.
I would confess that I wasn't too deliberate with these actions, I only made the decision to change and my subconscious mind took over.
I made myself proud, I made my parents proud, and that is all that I ever wished for.
I am still using these techniques to study. And I've even added more to it.
I now use colored pencils to study, so I can underline and highlight key information, this helps to enhance my focus on critical concepts like definitions and laws during revision.
These practices have significantly contributed to my academic progression, despite encountering occasional challenges which, although existent, have been very manageable.
This is what my academic journey looks like. How is/was yours? I would love to know in the comments section.
Thank you very much for reading, I truly appreciate it.
Post is in response to #Aprilinleo daily prompt, day 28. You can check it out Here.
