Are you in Grade 11? If yes, you can attest to the fact that Grade 11 is one of the hardest years of your high school career. Need a survival guide? Well, you have come across the right article!
Looking ahead at everything that can go right and wrong can be extremely overwhelming. In this article, we’re going to break down the Grade 11 year, give you some tips on how to keep up with everything AND excel. We will also highlight the importance of Grade 11 with respect to applying to University. By the end of this article, you’ll be ready to do Grade 11 like a Pro!
Grade 11: The Reality
You are nearly at the final stop on your high school journey. It is beneficial to look back on the grades you’ve passed but even more important to focus forward on these senior years ahead.
The reality is that Grade 11 is, for most, the hardest academic year of high school. This isn’t because the content you’re learning is so much harder than anything you’ve learnt before but because you:
- have more content to cover than ever before
- are, in essence, learning your Matric work at the same time, so the majority of Matric can be used for revision and consolidation of knowledge
- are possibly juggling leadership positions and could be in line to be a prefect with greater responsibility
- have to start thinking about tertiary education: Is it for you? Where will you go? What will you study? AND
- are dealing with the stressors of being nearly eighteen and trying to balance your academics and social life!
But, be sure not to forget how far you’ve come and how much you’ve achieved!
Stressed already? Don’t worry – you came to the right place – we’ve got you covered and will ensure that you’ll do Grade 11 like a Pro!
How to be a Pro Grade 11 Learner
Get ready – because here we go!
There are 4 essential tools to effectively ace Grade 11 and stay ahead of the stress, here they are:
1. Revise daily
This may sound obvious or daunting to you – either way, you NEED to do this! By simply revising all that you learned at the end of every day, you’ll not only stay on top of your work but be able to consult your teachers and ensure you understand the work… rather than panicking the night before exams and tests.
2. Plan your year
It is essential to know when your tests, exams, and assignments are going to happen. Also, give some thought to applications for various leadership positions and whether you should reserve time for this. We would advise that you plan term by term: at the start of every term, you should be given an outline for the term that indicates when all assessments are due. Get yourself a wall calendar or diary and jot all of this down. If you do this – you’ll be able to start your projects early enough to avoid stress and study early enough to ensure that you know your work. This is ESSENTIAL to staying on top of your work and doing Grade 11 like a Pro!
3. Exercise
Trust us – exercise! Keeping your head in your books for too long, day after day, will leave you unmotivated and struggling to concentrate or take in the content. All it takes is 45 minutes – 1 hour of exercise 3-4 days a week to ensure that the blood is flowing and those learning brain cells are firing on all cylinders.
4. Study Efficiently
Studying efficiently is a vital tip on how to do Grade 11 like a Pro! Three 45 minute study sessions a day are much more effective than six straight hours of studying. Don’t tire yourself out – study for 30-45 minutes and then take a break! Going for a short walk, eating some fruit or kicking a ball around outside is the best way to utilise your ‘break’ periods.
Study breaks are a crucial part of any productive study session. If you’re a crammer, check out this article on how regular study breaks are beneficial to your learning capabilities and why you should totally be taking them.
Grade 11 Unpacked
The best survival tip is to always be prepared. Here’s a heads up on your penultimate high school year. Your Grade 11 year will look like (or a lot like) this:
- Term 1: Tests, projects and learning A LOT of new concepts and content. Use the aforementioned tips to stay on top of this!
- Term 2: A few tests, possibly a project and JUNE EXAMS. Efficient studying is imperative to succeeding here. Use your results from your June exams to gauge how hard you need to study for Term 4.
- Term 3: Tests, projects and consolidating the work from Terms 1 and 2. Revise every day to ensure you’re ready for Term 4.You may also want to look at applying for roles related to being on the Matric Dance committee or other leadership positions that will a) add value to your overall high school career and b) stand you in good stead when applying to university!
- Term 4: FINAL EXAMS! These exam results could be used for university applications to a few universities so give it your ALL! If you follow the aforementioned tips, you should be ready to ace these exams and do Grade 11 like a Pro!
EduConnect 2Cents
With consistent revision as well as effective studying and planning, you’re more than halfway to doing Grade 11 like a Pro. Put your head down and keep your eyes on the end game. This is an opportunity to prove to yourself how capable you are. Onwards and upwards! 🙂
