Preparing to Study at Higher

A big part of the step up to Higher is the responsibility for studying is now on your shoulders.  Be honest, did you generally coast through your Nat 5 course and cram for the final exam?  If so, you might find the volume of homework and revision a bit of a shock to the system. Previous students will tell you Higher exams really do take a tremendous amount of work;  don’t leave it to the final exams to discover Higher Maths can’t be crammed.

If you want to succeed, and feel less stressed come exam season, you need to start doing the work right from the beginning.

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Be Disciplined and Organised

Create a weekly study schedule that works for you.  And STICK TO IT! That’s the tough part, having the self-discipline and determination to keep it going.  No one is going to be on your case about it in school; there’s no timetabled space that makes you do it – you’re the one who’ll need to recognise when you’re drifting away and then pull yourself back on course.

Keep the bigger picture in focus to keep you going.  What do you want to achieve this year and in the years following?  Is it your dream job or a university degree?  Making sure you make time to study now will help secure those goals and make them a reality for your future.

Talk to your family, friends, mentors and especially, your school about your ambitions;  they’ll have a fresh perspective about what they feel you can manage and you gain bonus points by demonstrating your mature attitude to your future career!

For some great tips on how to begin to organise yourself check out this resource: Teenage Time Management Apps

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Study Time

"Time spent by a student engaging in activities related to learning outside of regular class time; it includes tasks such as reading, completing homework, revising for exams"

With Highers these tasks have never been more important.

Here’s a tip from an ex-maths teacher:  prioritise your homework and coursework and use the remaining time on revision tasks, which is another way of saying revision is not in addition to this study time.

For some great suggestions on how to use your study time well, have a look at this article: 10 Learning Tips for Adults

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Learning Styles

Learning styles vary from student to student and there is no one size fits all solution. You have to discover the learning style that works for you and what works for you in History for example, may not work for you in Higher Maths. Experiment a little and try different styles, making things visual, creating mind maps, listing facts, listening and talking, reading text, interpreting diagrams or trying questions and past papers.  Now is the time to identify your style and embrace it.  After all, a friend’s study style may look successful (for them) but in the same way you both would eat crisps, you wouldn’t choose your friend’s favourite ‘ready salted’ when you prefer ‘salt & vinegar’!

Have a look at ‘What’s your study style?’ for more info around this.

Before you know it, you have already developed the independent study skills you'll need if you go on to University, for example.

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If you find yourself a few topics in and you’re feeling the struggle you can always download the ILS app and choose which topics you’d like a little extra help and understanding with.

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