Academic Fitness

Growth Mindset

Have you ever heard of the term 'growth mindset'?

Having a growth mindset means believing that your brain is like a muscle that can be developed. It means believing that your abilities and intelligence can be improved through hard work, persistence, support from others, and learning from your mistakes - instead of being fixed traits that you either have or don't have.

Whereas someone with a fixed mindset might say “I didn’t do well on my science test because I’m just not good at science”, someone with a growth mindset would say “if I keep practicing, I will get better”.

Try the following to promote a growth mindset:

• Catch your negative self talk (e.g., "I can't do this, it's too hard"; "I'm so stupid") and try to replace it with positive self-talk (e.g., rather than "I can't do this", consider "what am I missing?").
• Instead of avoiding challenges, embrace them as an opportunity to learn and grow. Recognise that setbacks and failures are an essential part of learning.
• Rather than solely focusing on the outcome, focus on the effort and progress you make. Celebrate your small wins along the way.
• Believe in your ability to change: Believe that you have the power to change and improve your abilities through hard work and dedication.

Managing Study Stress

Stress is a normal part of life, and our body’s stress reaction is designed to protect us from danger via our ‘fight or flight’ response.

Our stress response can be activated by both physical and psychological stress –which explains why many students feel stressed when assessments and exam periods are looming.

Stress can be helpful in moderation to improve motivation and help us perform at our best; however, too much stress can reduce our ability to concentrate. It can also lead to unhelpful behaviours such as procrastination!

Try the following ways to help manage study stress:

• Set SMART goals and create a study timetable (make sure to to schedule in time for breaks!)
• Make time for relaxation - e.g., via exercise, spending time outdoors, or meditation (see mindfulness activities here)
• Be mindful of procrastination. The key to tackling procrastination is to persist with the task! You could try:
  • Breaking study down into 10-15 minute increments ('study grazing'), asking friends or family to check in and keep you on track, start writing a draft, switching task, and/or using rewards.

Watch the following video clip on keeping perspective when it comes to your ATAR:

The video clip below talks about how to manage procrastination: