Raising My Glass To You
Join me in all the feels as the year wraps up including a look into the dark world of 2024
Before I get into my ‘state of the union’, can I please say… thank you.
Thank you so much for subscribing to Cram Lab. I truly appreciate the space you make for me in your Inbox.
It’s been a joy and a privilege to help families and teens all over the world this year.
This has been Cram Lab’s first full year, and it’s pumped out 33 new Substack posts, 1 new online course, launched 1:1 Help via an online booking system, and has readers from New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, South Africa, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Indonesia and Japan!
I have all the feels.
So I’m raising my glass to all of you amazing parents who are doing whatever you need to do to help your teen get the results they’re capable of.
The Social Media Crisis
I’m afraid I’m not sticking with the high fives all round vibe for long…
With the sun of 2024 peaking over the horizon, I’m thinking about what the future holds for the teenagers of 2024.
And I gotta say, I’m finding it hard not to be scared for them.
The hold that devices and social media have over the attention of teenagers — and I know I don’t need to tell you this — is gargantuan.
Different polls and studies come out with different numbers, but on average, apparently tweens and teens spend between 3 and 9 (?!!!) hours per DAY on media apps.
I mean, that makes my jaw drop like a Looney Tunes character.
There’s no doubt about it, we are in the midst of a crisis. Teenagers today are the unfortunate guinea pigs of the unintended and un-thought-through social media experiment.
So more than ever before, it is essential that teenagers have study systems in place to help combat against all of the forces conspiring to keep them distracted and off-task.
The Solution
The answer to study stress, study disorganisation, study woes, and could-definitely-be-better results, is to approach studying in a systematic fashion.
The key to getting consistently good (or at least better) results, is to implement systems for getting organised, staying motivated, and making sure you’re studying all of the key topics of a subject in a way that enables you to absorb, process, retain and recall everything you need to know.
That is what good students do.
And they apply that overall system — or Study System as I call it — every time they have to study and prepare for exams.
In other words, getting the results you’re actually capable of doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because good students approach studying in a purposeful and systematic manner.
The good news is, effective and systematic studying is not complex. I can say this because I have sat a bazillion exams and I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.
I followed a simple process each time I had exams. The hard part was turning up each day. Exam study is grind, no two ways about it.
But it’s not complicated and good results should be a possibility for everyone. They just need the study know-how to get there.
So in 2024 it will be my mission to help your teen get THEIR Study System in order.
Keep your eyes peeled for a lot more help and resources in 2024.
It’s gonna be a big year and I am ready for it.
Before You Go — I Need Your Help
Thank you again for joining me this year, I sincerely appreciate it and can’t wait to help your teen get the results they’re capable of in 2024.
But before we wrap up 2023 — I need 1 minute of your time. I want to provide the help you actually need / want, so I would really appreciate hearing what kind of help you want to get more of in 2024. It could be:
More written posts with practical study tips?
More videos? These seem to be popular…
More podcasts / audio recordings?
More resources like printouts to share with your teen?
More help on particular aspects of studying? Like stress? Essay writing? Exam prep? How to focus? How to get motivated? Organised?
Let me know in the comments! Or you can email me clare@cramlab.org, or message me on Instagram or Messenger.
Meri Kirihimete, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. See you in 2024.
With love,
Clare x
