When we say hard work what exactly do we mean?

[Londonbug1]

I keep reading that the as/a level students need to be working really hard.
What I wonder does this mean?
Clearly watching endless episodes of friends after school isn't hard work nor is staying in bed till 12.00 and the spending two hours dolling up constitute hard work but what does?i want to impose insist on and ensure hard work but unfortunately I am out for the majority of the time undertaking hard work myself. How do others manage this? Have I missed the hard work boat? All these DCs going to Oxbridge ect were they all naturally hard workers? Self starters? Incredibly intelligent?
I really could do with some tips as I feel this next few months is hard work Armageddon and time is running out.

[stonecircle]

It will vary from student to student. DS1's gf got AAA but she worked very very hard - including going through the whole A2 syllabus in the summer holidays after year 12 so when she did it in year 13 she was going through it for a second time.

It also depends on the quality of work. DS1 could spend an entire day with books propped up in front of him but in a complete daydream. DS2 undoubtedly achieves more in an intense focused hour of work (generally done after everyone has gone to bed).

But I do believe that by the time they get to sixth form if they haven't got some sort of work ethic, you can't give it to them. You could tell your dd you want her to do 2-3 hours work a night, and she might sit at a desk and give the appearance of working but if her heart isn't in it then it's pointless really. She's got to want to do it for herself not because you've told her. You can lead a horse to water etc

[ISingSoprano]

I think working hard means:

1. Completing all homework before the deadline to allow for time to seek extra help if required.
   

2.. Seeking help from teachers if you are not sure. Dd's sixth form have workshops every lunchtime for every subject for just this.

1. Reading around the subject from journals, online articles, books (!)
   
2. Regular revision of topics including sample exam questions
   
3. Reading mark schemes to understand how marks are allocated and the importance of the use of terminology

[stonecircle]

ISing - I completely agree. But a 17/18 year old shouldn't need mum to tell them this and really, there's no way mum can ensure dd does this if she's not minded to do so herself.

[runningonwillpower]

I think that post statutory school age, study is effectively 'your job'. It's what you've chosen to do opposed to getting a job with all that that implies - turning in a performance in return for pay. For a student your results are your pay.

Yet some students in this age group expect to be treated as adults with no responsibility for their effort or input.

If studying is your chosen option then study, without mum or dad wielding a stick.

If you can't do that on your own behalf, then get a job.

[stonecircle]

I have never forgotten how my A level French teacher used to look at people who missed deadlines, shrug his shoulders and say, "oh well, it's not MY French A level - the only one who will suffer is you".

That's no longer the case of course and now that teachers stand or fall by their results those results do matter to the teacher. My French teacher was probably wrong in his attitude but he did a fantastic job in underlining the fact that it was MY A level and therefore all down to me.

The thing is, the sixth form is not just about passing exams, it's about becoming independent, taking responsibility for your own education/future, being proactive in asking for advice/help. It's not about having teachers/parents manage what you do.

I don't mean to sound harsh OP - I know exactly how you feel. I don't think DS1 had ever looked at a mark scheme by the time he left school (and it showed in his results). DS2 has been able to talk about precisely what examiners are looking for since he was doing GCSEs (and it shows in his results). I could no more change DS1's attitude (and believe me I tried) than I can take credit for DS2's attitude (never needed any encouragement). They are what they are - different beasts.

Of course that isn't going to stop you trying to get your DD to knuckle down - but don't expect it to make too much difference! I speak from bitter experience with DS1 and am now trying to follow my own advice with DS3!!

[Londonbug1]

Well I'm impressed that you struck lucky with one natural studier!
My dd1 could have got all a* s in TopShop and the outfits it had in stock!! But she's got it together now and is a qualified teacher with her very own class-- vv scary.
So just one to go ... Despite all the advise above I feel the need to cajole and nag is going to get the better of me - just was hoping one of you had a magic study potion or something instantaneous that you were using and were keeping secret from the rest of us!!!!

[secretsquirrels]

I think stonecircle may have hit it spot on.
I have DS1 exceptionally able and hard working (and you do need both to get top grades). He worked so hard this last year I was in the position of trying to make him do less. He did every past paper for every subject for the last umpteen years. He probably put in 10 hours a day in the month leading up to A levels. Too much IMO.
DS2 on the other hand has the brains but not the drive......

One of DS1s friends missed both his firm and insurance offers by miles. His grades were well below prediction. I asked DS what he thought had gone wrong, whether his friend had worked hard enough. His response was that the friened thought he was working hard by studying during his free periods. He also thought his predicted grades were somehow set in stone because the teacher had predicted them.

[KittiesInsane]

I have an anxious, distractable diddler who spent far far, far, far longer pounding up and downstairs angsting about his lack of work ethic work than actually doing the bloody work.

He was very hard work.

[Notsoskinnyminny]

I partly agree with stonecircle but a lot of it depends on how they learnt to learn. DS was very bright, fluent reader by 5, and was like a sponge for retaining facts but struggled with handwriting. His teachers didn't mind because "he was so bright" when really interventions should've been put in place. Fast forward to Y9/10 and suddenly everything's not as simple and he needed to be doing independent learning on top of what he'd learnt in class. He drove me mad when he was at uni because I'd go to work leaving him to do some coursework and come home to hear the word count had gone up 125 if I was lucky yes darling I know you can tell me all about x,y and z but commit it to paper and stop moaning about the wording of the damn question!

DD by contrast had moderate/severe developmental delay and was always in his shadow at school. She does work when its still fresh in her mind so homework was done the night it was set, coursework was planned, drafted and completed within a couple of days so it could be checked by her teacher/tutor and improvements made.

[Greengrow]

You cannot generalise. Some are so bright they don't ahev to work much. Some learn and remember from lessons. Others have to spend hours hammering information into their brains. Some are idle and do badly. Most who want to do well have to work hard.

If they find it hard to work in holidays (i.e. are the usual lazy teenage layabouts who abound) they might want to do those Easter revision courses for A levels - my daughter did a residential one and the other daughter a day one. My son didn't (but that was probably because he wanted a lazy Easter holiday not working).

In my view being on to children 4 and 5 now it is up to the child. You cannot force it. Mine could not play tennis with their friend (age 15) all summer as his mother was making him do 9 hours of GCSE revision every day. In contrast mine did the set work from the school. I am content with that although I bet had mine done the 9 hours a day they would get higher grades. I only worked really hard at A level stage and managed to get the best exam results in the school and that was hard work and loving the subjects etc I read all the novels by the authors of the English books; most of the class just read the one set work etc etc

My brother didn't work at his very academic school much until at 15 he decided he would read medicine at Cambridge (which he achieved) and he started working hard then at 15 because he suddenly had an aim.

Also some children find it harder to memorise facts than others so some will need to do more grunt work than others just to know the material.

Today's Times reports a study that when asleep you can take information in - which was illustrated with a cartoon of someone asleep and waking to tell their mother not to disturb them as they were studying. Sounds worth a try. When I was a law school I had a memorising system where in my head every morning I would go through facts and cases in a whole range of subjects until I had learned the whole course and I still remember a lot of that now so it obviously worked. Others remember by writing work out or talking to each other. My twins often work together.