Graduating from primary school is an important milestone for many school-aged children. It’s the start of a new chapter in their lives. It’s an incredible feat that both parents and children would be most proud of.
However, despite this, starting secondary school can also be a nerve-wracking experience. This is especially true if the child is enrolled in a completely new school, which means a new environment, new teachers, and new peers. A lot of children can find it difficult to start anew after being accustomed to certain things for quite some time. This can cause a lot of stress on the students, making it harder for them to cope with high school life.
So, if you’re in your first year in secondary school and are finding it challenging adjusting to a new environment, keep on reading our guide to not just survive, but also thrive in secondary school!
1. Build good study habits.
Building good study habits at the start of the school year will help you form a strong foundation for your entire secondary school life. Doing so will also let you develop routines that make learning new lessons and tackling exam stress and anxiety more manageable. Good study habits include making a schedule, finding your own space, studying in short bursts, finding a study group, and getting enough sleep. There are other tips out there, so find out what works best for you and do them every day to get accustomed to them right away.
2. Always ensure that you have the right school supplies.
Securing all the required workbooks and textbooks needed for the school year ensures that you’re always prepared for every lesson. Having the necessary school supplies also helps you get off to a strong start every day since you won’t need to ask help from your peers. It will also ensure that you’ll be able to participate in any school activity -- improving your performance.
3. Set realistic goals.
Setting your goals will give you direction and motivation. Your goals will guide you with regards to your school performance. Whatever you want to accomplish within a school year will help you focus on all that’s necessary to excel. Your parents can help you set realistic goals that you can achieve throughout the year.
4. Manage your time.
Success requires carefully managing your time, which means prioritising tasks to ensure that you’ll be able to complete all the assignments you need to do. It’s also important to plan ahead, especially if you have major assignments that will have a huge impact on your grades. To be able to effectively manage your time, you need to create daily, weekly, and monthly schedules, avoid anything that will distract you from studying, work on projects as early as possible, and accomplish one task at a time.
5. Find time to relax.
Giving yourself some free time to do other things that you enjoy or pamper yourself helps instil balance in your life. Taking a break lets you recharge, which in turn can help you return to whatever you need to accomplish in school with renewed focus and a fresh perspective. To be able to relax and recharge, you should get enough sleep, get quick breaks from time to time, schedule time for interests and hobbies, and start on your projects as early as possible.
6. Make new friends and build a strong network.
Having peers who share the same interests as you make your secondary school life more bearable. It’s more enjoyable to go to school, work on projects, and participate in extra-curricular activities if you have friends with you. It’s also okay to take the first step by reaching out. You should listen to other people’s tips and advice. Always treat others with respect. Have empathy towards others. Lastly, always be open to constructive criticism.
7. Get as much support as possible from teachers and other adults.
If you’re struggling with any subject, be it Maths, English, Science, or Chinese, it’s okay to talk to your teachers so they can discuss the subject further with you. Aside from your teachers in school, it would also help if you enrolled in English home tuition or engaged a Chinese home tutor in Singapore. They can help with enrichment lessons, so you can improve your performance in school.
Conclusion
To thrive in secondary school, you must first aim to survive. Follow the tips above and develop your own survival techniques along the way.
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