By Mrs Jenny Gillespie, College Counsellor

Habits Matter

As we move through Term 1 it is worthwhile thinking about habits and how, no matter which year level your student is in certain habits can help improve your teens’ high school experience and promote independence moving into adulthood.

And although the adolescent years are a time when young people take on more personal responsibility, teens will still need guidance to help them become the best versions of themselves.

Good habits in high school

The key to developing good habits, re: school, starts with consistency. If your teen wants to know how to improve study/schoolwork habits, there are basic ways to go about cultivating them:

• Take meaningful breaks from social media. Model to your teen to switch off their phone, close the apps and to tap out from social media for a while. Notifications are an easy way to lose track and deter them from starting or finishing a task.

• Set up a study/work area. Help your teen create a peaceful zone inside the house where they can focus on the tasks at hand. It should be quiet, comfortable and uncluttered with minimal distractions.

• Encourage your teen to avoid cramming for exams. Cramming can increase stress and make it more difficult to retain information.

• Outline objectives. To ensure your teen accomplishes what they need to in a practical, systematic fashion, it’s a good idea to look at their assessment calendar with them and see if they need help to plan out their assignment tasks, step by step.

Time management

Strong time management skills go together with good school habits. Whether your teen likes to wait to the last possible moment to complete their history assignment or they continually miscalculate how long it takes them to get ready for school, waiting until the last moment to complete tasks or arrive to an event will cause them issues in their adult life.

Instil in your teen the importance of managing their time effectively on their own without needing constant reminders. NB – some teens will take longer to learn this than others. A consistent but patient approach does help.

Sleep Matters

Teens are notorious for having an unpredictable sleeping schedule. With the combination of early starts, social media, online gaming, and Netflix movies, it is no surprise they might not be getting enough sleep. It is recommended by the Australian Department of Health that teens get 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Household Wi-Fi control apps can help parents and teens to establish (and maintain) a regular sleep routine which in turn, assists them to function at school to the best of their ability.

For further information or resources please contact Jenny or Brett in the College Counselling office Monday through Friday each week.