Smorgasbord I: The first instalment of my favourite study tips

5 of my favourite study tips plus a sneak peek about the exam study guide I'm working on.

Since launching Cram Lab last year, I have written about pretty much every aspect of studying.

From organisation to essay writing, maths study and exam preparation, my aim is to share absolutely everything I know about studying so you can help your teen get the grades they’re actually capable of.

Now that I have covered what I think are all of the main aspects of studying, I’m working on something else I’m really excited about.

Over the course of this month I’m going to be working hard finishing a downloadable exam study guide — a complete A-Z on how to prepare for exams.

I’m transposing my method for studying and preparing for exams (my Study System) into an in-depth but easy to follow guide, so that any teen who doesn’t know how to prepare for exams can follow my study method step by step.

The downloadable exam study guide I’m working on.

I’m doing this now in July because it’s a quiet time for high school students. The Northern Hemisphere is on summer break and here in the Southern hemisphere end of year exams are still several months away.

So I’m going to knuckle down and finish this study guide before any exam panic sets in.

But with three young kids, there has to be a trade-off, so I’m going to focus on finishing the new study guide rather than new study posts this month.

I know as a busy parent you probably haven’t had time to have a look through my Archive, but there is so much studying gold in there, and chances are I have already written about the study issues your teen might be struggling with.

So in lieu of new posts this month, each week I’m going to collate and share previous posts looking at some of my favourite study tips.

Here are my 5 favourites for this week:

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1. There’s Only One Way to Study — Right? Wrong!

“It’s 2023 and I don’t know about you, but I feel like the public dialogue about studying hasn’t changed in, well, too long.

Being in the Internet age, there is of course an ocean of information about studying available, but is it good information? Will it actually help teenagers learn effectively and get the grades they’re capable of?

I think some of the information swirling around out there needs a refresh, and some of it actually just needs to go in the bin.

To that end, below are three myths about studying I reckon are in need of a good debunking… ”

2. How to get even the most disengaged teen over to their study desk

“Because if we can reduce the obstacles that hinder your teen from starting, this will make the entire studying process a whole lot easier.

Firstly, having a study space that works for them.

Unlike the homogenised earthy tones of social media, I am here to simply say, that your teen needs to figure out what study environment works for them.

Primarily I mean the room they study in and the desk they sit at.

I don’t care if their desk is Instagram-worthy. I don’t even care if it’s messy. Mine certainly wasn’t tidy all the time… in fact it was a darn right mess sometimes… ”

3. Getting to the bottom of it: How to help your teen sort out the REAL reasons for their study woes

“This is because before I can help I need to identify what the root cause is, as these common study issues are usually just the symptoms of deeper underlying study issues.

Likewise, if your teen is battling with study issues like those above, you too will need to get out your excavation shovel to dig down deeper in order to help them figure out what the real problem is.

But you don’t have to do it alone!

Today I have put together a list of what I often find are the big 4 common study complaints, alongside what the real issue(s) might be… ”

4. The Exam Study Process: An Overview for the Struggling Teen

“If this is an accurate description of how your teen feels, I want to help change their view of their upcoming exam study — to shine some light on the process and make the prospect of studying far less daunting.

To that end, below is an overview of how I used to go about navigating the exam study process.

At the least, this overview should give your teen a starting point (and I reakon starting is one of the hardest parts of studying), and a blueprint from which to build their own exam study process… ”

5. How to help your teen set goals that actually motivate them

“Made correctly goals can be a really useful tool for high school students. Goals can give teens a target that keeps them MOTIVATED and FOCUSED.

Today I want to help your teen come up with a plan to reach their goals that they're actually going to be able to STICK TO. Okay, queue the music and let's do this… ”

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Thanks so much for reading, it really does mean a lot!

I am here to help your teen get the grades they’re actually capable of. Studying is a LEARNT SKILL and does not need to allude as many teens as it does.

So if you’ve got a question or want to talk it out, jump into the comments below or email me directly at clare@cramlab.org. I love helping out one on one :)

And until next week, I’ll be working on my exam study guide and look forward to sharing more details over the coming weeks.

Thanks again and take care,

Clare