Is the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program right for your teen
and if so,
when’s the best time for them to do it?
“I wish we’d had this earlier”
Posts filed under About Us
Why even top students sometimes procrastinate (and how to overcome it)
Even top-performing students still procrastinate.
And it’s not down to a lack of motivation.
This Y11 ATAR student is currently getting in the 70%’s
for English and is working on achieving her goal of high 80’s.
One of her struggles this week was getting an independent reading and summarising task ‘done’.
She’s not lazy and she wants great results.
So motivation’s not the issue (and therefore also won’t fix it).
Watch us unpick what’s stopping her from getting going,
and transform the task from vague and intangible to specific and actionable.
P.S. Sometimes procrastination sneaks in as ‘productive procrastination’, like
– doing more research (rather than actually starting the assignment)
or
– filing notes (instead of processing those notes)
The result is actually worse than spending that time scrolling through Insta or watching Netflix.
The task still isn’t done and they’ve spent hours ‘studying’ rather than getting some free time.
Use the questions I asked her with your teen next time they aren’t getting a task done and feel like they don’t really know why.
Want better time management? Use ‘Outcome Scheduling’.
Wish your teen had better time management skills?
Well, I hate to break it to you, but
(unless you’ve got a time machine – in which case – can I come?!)
we can’t actually manage time itself.
All we can do is manage what we DO, in the time we have.
Plus, what does time management really mean?
Getting more done??
More what?… Insta-scrolling?
Or maybe, being more efficient?
Sounds good.
HOW?
(You know I love the HOW!)
The solution is ‘Outcome Scheduling’:
Time pressure vs. stress in exams
Some stress is good.
In fact, it’s helpful.
It keeps us focused, energised and alert.
I’m often telling students this.
Because the word ‘stress’ (understandably) has a heap of negative connotations.
And a lot of my training is indeed centred around reducing students’ stress.
But there are times (like having to write an essay in exam conditions!) that it’s natural to feel some stress.
The key is understanding when everything is going to plan and we’re just under pressure
(time pressure of the exam and the pressure to perform well – the latter of which is even greater when it’s a seen essay Q that you’ve prepped for!)
VS.
Stress because we don’t know what we’re doing.
The first type can be beneficial.
The second… well, that can be fixed 😉
Tiny tweaks = big results
Is it really possible to make big changes to your teen’s results and confidence
(and do it FAST)
with just a few skills, techniques and tweaks to how they study and tackle exam questions?
This analogy is a great example of what’s possible when current efforts and progress are optimised with some expert tips and specific tweaks.
Tips for studying online in lockdown
Some students love the online style of learning during lockdowns.
Others hate it.
Either way, it certainly highlights students’ strengths and weaknesses when it comes to studying strategically and independently.
Whether your teen’s learning online or in the classroom right now,
the conversation I had this week with Sam Richardson from Hope FM in Sydney
will give you answers to Qs like:
– How can students avoid burnout?
– What can parents do if they have a teen who’s a bit of a (or master!) procrastinator?
– What’s the key to studying ‘smarter not harder’?
(Spoiler alert – I start my answer with the reason why I personally hate using that phrase!)
– For parents with students who put a lot of pressure on themselves, what can they say or do to help?
And more!
WHY they leave assignments to the last minute (and no amount of nagging will fix it) ;)
“My daughter constantly leave everything to the last minute. Then assignments become a panic and she often doesn’t end up submitting her best work. It’s so frustrating. What do you suggest to help her manage her time better and get things started well before the deadline?”
Here’s the thing:
Often it isn’t about time management at all.
Here are the 3 REAL root causes of procrastination
(or a lack of motivation, or whatever you call it!)
that need to be addressed first
and – important! – why no amount of nagging will solve them.
The second best time is NOW
If you feel like there’s not enough time to make a difference to your teen’s results, then THIS is for you.
I’m a bit of a perfectionist and planner (okay, a bit of a control-freak too) so I totally get it when you WISH an opportunity had come up at what felt like a better time.
However, even if you wish your teen could’ve mastered their exam technique and learnt how to revise strategically months or even years ago, does that mean that they can’t benefit from the opportunity to grab these skills right now?
Is ‘late’ better than never?
P.S. Here’s the other video I reference in this video!…
Is it too late?
Dealing with school closures
In this week’s coaching call with my Next Level students, one Year 12 student typed into the Q&A chat:
“Do you have any tips on dealing with the anxiety of not knowing my future, with exams etc”.
I’m sharing my response so that it can hopefully help all the other students (and their parents) in this position.
And if you’d like more strategies and tips on how your teen can stay AHEAD, not just afloat through schools closures, I’ve got a TON of support:
- 7 Steps Parent Checklist: Free download – www.gradetransformation.com/parentchecklist
- Live webinar, with Q&A: Register for free at www.gradetransformation.com/closurewebinar
It isn’t even that difficult
As we get ready to release the brand NEW 10 Week Grade Transformation Program (2. 0),
whilst a lot is new and has been upgraded and even more amazing training added,
when I went back to the original info I wrote for students about the 10WGT almost 4 years ago there’s literally nothing I would change in that description!
I was expecting to cringe my way through it
(as you do when you go back and read something you thought was good way back when, but then later… well… not so much)
but when I read it, I was actually like “Wow, this is goooood!”.
It totally nails everything the 10WGT is and everything the 10WGT does.
Because of course, the key concepts and the core purpose of the program HAVEN’T changed at all – so I’m sharing my fave snippets of that description with you here:
Fact: You could easily raise your grades in any exam, essay or assignment if only you knew the untold secrets to exam success.
SO TRUE!
Did you know that most students will never get the marks they should in assessments, assignments and exams, even if they study hard?
(In fact it doesn’t matter how hard they studied, even if they worked harder and longer than anyone else).
Why? Because they are not fully skilled and confident in things like understanding command words, selecting and structuring content, and knowing what the markers are specifically looking for.
In my experience as an exam marker, national coursework assessor and award-winning high school teacher – and now – exam board scrutiny panel member and school workshop leader – I’ve come to realise that it is NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, it’s all about how well you put it down on paper.
But: Teachers just don’t have the time to teach these skills along with all the content laid down in the curriculum they have to cover. Plus, most of them aren’t trained examiners or assessors and so don’t have this insider knowledge.
Pretty depressing, right?
But here is the good news – well in fact it is brilliant, awesome news… This ALL means… that
You Are Better Than You Think!
Your grades can be higher than you ever imagined.
You can have access to more career and life opportunities.
All with less stress.
Yes, it is possible to achieve fabulous results whilst feeling cool, confident and in control.
And the best bit is…
My online 10 Week Grade Transformation Program means you can easily discover all these secrets and master all of these skills. It isn’t even that difficult. In fact it’s a lot easier to perfect things like ‘exam technique’, structuring extended responses and giving examiners what they want, than it is to learn lots more subject content.
Now, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to work – this isn’t a magic fix that’ll happen overnight. But what it does mean is that you can become highly skilled in the strategies required for amazing results, and when you do, you’ll have these ‘super-powers’ forever!
The 10 Week Grade Transformation Program is for you if:
You Sometimes Feel:
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Like you’re drowning in homework, notes, assignments or revision
-
That there are some subjects or topics that you just never seem to do well in
-
That you don’t know the best way to organise your time or tasks in order to get things done efficiently
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Lacking confidence in some aspect of your academic abilities
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That you don’t know exactly HOW to make your work better even after it’s been marked
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Unsure if you’re ‘doing it right’ when answering exam questions or writing assignments
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That you work hard but still wish your results were better?
And the 10WGT is for you if You Want:
-
Expert help and support to give you the skills to be confident, organised and motivated in your school work
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To feel positive and in control of your study, your exams and life at school or college
-
To know exactly how to tackle different types of tasks and assignments
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To know PRECISELY what ANY exam question is really asking
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And able to respond in a way that will earn you the MOST MARKS with the subject knowledge YOU have
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To know exactly what ‘exam technique’ is and what ‘command’ and ‘trigger’ words are
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To set goals beyond anything you ever thought possible, and actually achieve them!
My proven system has led hundreds of students to success already and it can work for you too.
So, if ANY of this sounds like your teen, then definitely go check out the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program 2.0,
and take advantage of this once-only opportunity to be able go through it in REAL TIME, with me checking in each week and all of our new students, as we all kick off together.
This time next week, we’ll be in it, doing it.
So let’s make this an amazing week, and I hope I get to meet you and your teen if you decide to join me inside the 10WGT 🙂