With Year 12 exams and final assessments looming it is absolutely critical for our Year 12s to maintain their discipline to keep striving towards their ultimate goal. For some, that goal is a tertiary pathway, for others it is a more vocational pathway, and some are still not quite sure.
Investigator College we want to help all of our students learn these valuable skills and apply them to many facets of their lives. It doesn’t always have to be academics. So many of our students are involved in local sport, music, drama, work and volunteering. All of these require them to be very disciplined and clear in their goals. Below are some of the strategies I have used and encouraged in our students.
Self-discipline strategies
- Create a routine
- Daily planning: establish a consistent schedule, including time for studying, activities, and relaxation.
- Prioritise tasks: break tasks into manageable chunks.
- Minimise distractions
- Identify distractions (e.g., phone, social media, TV) and set boundaries
- Create a study space that is free from distractions
- Self-reflection and growth mindset
- Reflect on setbacks without being overly critical. Understand that mistakes are part of the learning process.
SMART Goals
In conjunction with self-discipline is the ability to set realistic goals. We teach SMART goals to our students throughout many year levels and again, they are fundamental to success. SMART Goals are:
- Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. e.g., Improve my math grade. Kick more than 5 goals a game.
- Measurable: Set measurable outcomes. e.g., Raise my grade from a B to an A by the next semester. Beat my personal best at the 50m freestyle
- Achievable: Ensure that your goal is realistic within your current capacity.
- Relevant: Choose goals that align with your values or long-term ambitions.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline for achieving your goal. e.g., By the end of this semester or by the time musical auditions come around.
It is also important to review and adjust these goals from time to time. It is not uncommon for students to experience success very early and then feel the need to challenge themselves further.
We want all Investigator students to be their best self and by implementing SMART goals and remaining focused and disciplined all students are so capable of success.
Week 10 of Term 3 is already here, and it is hard to believe that we are about to approach Term 4. For our Year 12s, they are in their last few weeks of school at Investigator. Many of them will be back onsite for the October holidays as they prepare for exams and final assessment items. Their last day will be on October 24th. With that in mind, we wish them a productive and enjoyable last few weeks at Investigator College. There will be much more to share early in Term 4, as we celebrate and farewell them all.
