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originally posted on 21-09-2016 4:30 PM
Lol
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:14 PM
@Randomness there may be some advocacy groups that could help. Or your university may have a mental health strategy that these lecturers are ignoring. Have you tried talking to someone higher up about your concerns?I know it's difficult when people continue to hold stigma about mental health, but you do have rights to not be discriminated against due to mental health.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:04 PM
So what have we learned today?
There are so many ways of studying, and different methods work for different people. Alone or in a group, using incentives and timing yourself, breaking your work down into smaller chunks, they all can be useful methods to help you get school, uni or TAFE work done. Of course, it’s also important to take breaks regularly
Not everyone takes to studying like it’s the easiest thing in the world, though. Studying a subject which you find boring can be one of the hardest things ever, since your motivation is practically down the drain. Or, you might not be the studying type to begin with – maybe you work better in a hands-on capacity, or you might just not enjoy reading and writing notes much.
Sometimes, though, studying is unavoidable. So how do you stay focused and motivated? Again, this differs from person to person. Maybe you need plenty of breaks and a quiet, distraction-free place to study. Or maybe you like to focus on the big picture – that qualification or certificate, that dream job. You might be the kind of person who needs to break things down into more manageable pieces. Either way, there are so many different approaches you can take to make study easier.
Struggling to get your work done is nothing new, and says nothing about you as a person. It just means that things are getting a little overwhelming! There are different ways to cope with the workload, outside of good study techniques. It’s perfectly okay to ask for help or extensions, and remember to do as much as you can, in the time you have. Your mental health and wellbeing comes first!
How do you keep that in mind when you study? It’s pretty straightforward, just don’t let study overwhelm your own needs! Eat and sleep regularly, take breaks when you need to, and ask for help when things get overwhelming. Plus, it’s perfectly okay (and healthy!) to relax a little between study sessions, maybe with some meditation, a walk or even a quick YouTube video.
Different educational institutions can differ in the types of support they can provide. Schools can have counsellors and curriculum programs to help struggling students, while universities and TAFEs might have disability support services. However, not all of them are up to the same standards or provide the same services. Some places might not have anything at all! If you’re struggling to get through to a support service, maybe think about talking to a teacher or a friend about what you’re going through. Plus, we have a section on exam and study stress if you ever need it.
Thanks so much to @Ben-RO for co-facilitating, and to everyone to came to the session!! Hope you all have a great night 
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:09 PM
Hope everyone has a great night. Great summary @safari93!- Mark as New
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:01 PM
Personally my advice for high school me would be "stop freaking out, the HSC is not the be all and end all, despite what they keep saying. You can always go to uni as a mature aged student, there is more than one way to become tertiary educated. TAFE is excellent and you can always study online with them as a pathway to university. Don't stress out, you'll be okay no matter what those results say."Also, sometimes it does take a while to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, I've gone from wanting to be a journalist, to teacher to finally realising I want to help people and become a social worker with a masters in psychology. It takes time to figure out what you want to be.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:59 PM
@j95 hahahah it's no biggie, the fact that you came out is pretty cool in itself!
My advice would probably be not to overestimate your own abilities, and that it's better to get help sooner rather than later, when you need it.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:57 PM
I really suggest doing everything in moderation. Don't make yourself sit and study for 3 hours straight. If your starting to get bored, get up have a break and don't push yourself because that's when you start to hate what your doing.I study by online mode whilst volunteering 2 days a week in a community services organisation and having two casual jobs, so I have to plan my time accordingly. Since high school I have always found starting right away on an assignment not only means the information is fresh but I feel more engaged with the assignment.
There have been times when I haven't followed this practice and I have had to write an assignment in one night, but I found I became frustrated and annoyed and was unable to do my best, let alone take a break because of the time crunch. Even if you spend 20 minutes a night doing a bit of research that's 20 minutes less time you'd need to spend before that due date.
My best advice is dont work too hard, take lots of breaks when you become bored and to not strive for perfection, because nothing is perfect, just do your best. Plus it's always great to ask for help, and if you've started early you can ask those questions rather than freaking out because you have 12hrs until your deadline.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:05 PM
@Ben-RO Thanks. I know some of their words and actions are really crossing a line, but unfortunately in my field, the hierachy and power some of these people hold make my pretty powerless to do much and even my health professionals have struggled to make much headway with them. For me to take any action would likely make things worse and potentially risk my entire career. So yeah, it's complicated and tough. Mental health stigma, misunderstanding and mistreatment unfortunately still exist.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:07 PM
I am sorry to hear that @Randomness still, we're here to talk, maybe we can find some options you haven't explore yet, or a way to join a group of people (like, you know a community) to push back together, so that they can't target you as easily.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:08 PM
And here ends the "live" part of our chat, feel free to keep talking though, responses will just slow down a little now 🙂
Thanks again to everyone who popped on tonight great chat!
I'm off to have a snooze, cya 🙂
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:00 PM
If you could go back in time and talk to your past self, what advice would you give on study?
" Break things into small chunks, remember the 80/20 rule and focus on getting the big chunk done, rather than doing everything perfect on the first pass. It's actually okay to do everything all at once, you'll actually get paid quite well one day because of your ability to do that, so don't be too mad at yourself for not being able to do the routine thing that some people can do. Oh and chat to a Doctor, you have anxiety bro and learning about that will make studying a lot easier 🙂 "
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:55 PM
Let's round off this chat with some advice!
If you could go back in time and talk to your past self, what advice would you give on study?
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:02 PM
Talking to my present self, I'd say to do the bloody work and get on with it! Making a plan would be helpful.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:01 PM
DON'T GIVE UP - GOOD THINGS ARE ON THE WAY!- Mark as New
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:54 PM
@FootyFan26 this is true, students can really slip through the cracks when teachers don't notice (or sometimes, don't care) about what's going on.
@Randomness that sounds so tough, on top of all of the coursework you do! Its good that you have had friends and other teachers to rely on though
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:48 PM
What resources are there in your school, TAFE or uni to help students cope with the pressures of study? Do you think they could do more?
The uni I studied at had a pretty good Disability Liaison Unit, which had a lot of information and support services for people to access. It wasn't perfect, though, and many people found that they didn't help all that much with the paperwork and other things like taking into account the needs of international students. The student unions actually came to the rescue there, with disability officers! They acted on behalf of the students to make the service even more accessible
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 10:00 PM
I'm not sure how accurate what I'm about to say is - but I feel like when you study at university, the teachers aren't really "teachers" in the sense that your teachers were in primary school etc. And as such, they don't have any real obligations towards their students - other than to do the bare minimum in terms of supporting their cohort: giving extensions where needed, making phone calls and discussing difficulties the students may be having. But for the most part - there is so much emphasis on "self-directed learning". And while I agree with this approach a fair bit - I find it is empowering and makes me feel good about myself to know that I am in control of my learning and that I can do this. And when you get as far into your degree as I have - you can look back on all you have done and think to yourself "maybe that philosophy of self-directed learning wasn't such a bad idea after all". So in a way, you can claim full ownership of all that self-directed learning/achievement and feel wonderful about yourself.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:45 PM
If your in High School it's great to try and talk to your subjects teacher so they are aware if you are having issues completing the work. Extensions are always avaliable and teachers do understand if you are having problems and are generally happy to help.I have studied at both tafe and uni and both have had excellent student support. I have always had access to tutors and counselling services. Don't be afraid to ask for help, as there may be a service avaliable that you are unaware of. I believe that tertiary education has improved significantly in the support avaliable for students.
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:41 PM
Self-care during study is super important, but what about getting help?
What resources are there in your school, TAFE or uni to help students cope with the pressures of study? Do you think they could do more?
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:48 PM
Unfortunately many of my lecturers and supervisors have not been supportive or understanding when things have been tough, some of whom have actively made my life harder and put increasing pressure on me, which kind of sucks and certainly doesn't help me learn! I've had other people that have been really good though and tried to support and sometimes protect me from some of the people who are trying to make my life tough. Like many places, my uni has counselling and other academic support services and there's also a headspace nearby. I've got some great friends as well who really help me get through stuff and I think it's important for people to remember and use those around them as supports, they don't have to be professionals!
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:55 PM
@Randomness it's not okay (or even legal a lot of the time) to be treated differently because of a health issue or disability. If you are being treated differently by a lecturer because of a mental health issue, OR if they don't do reasonable things to make it easier then they could be in quite a bit of trouble. If you want to chat more about this, make a thread, I'd be happy to help explore some options with you 🙂
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:56 PM
again... i got distracted, why does this happen every single week? haha- Mark as New
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originally posted on 19-09-2016 9:47 PM
What resources are there in your school, TAFE or uni to help students cope with the pressures of study? Do you think they could do more?
I wish I had that much commitment @SmileMonkey!
We have:
- Counsellors
- Co-curricular programs for maths and english
- Homework clubsTeachers are always open to helping students
I feel like teachers should do more for individual students when they recognise that not much is getting done. A lot of the time they notice but don't really ask them about it.
