Did you get better grades when you spent more time on something?

[Busydoingthis]

As a kid, I breezed through school, was fine with exams, daydreamed a lot in class. I think the same is true for a lot of kids (then and now) who find the academic side easy in primary or who aren’t challenged.

When I got a bit older - GCSEs onwards, I tried to set time aside to revise, tried to plan coursework. I never missed a deadline. However, there was an inverse reward - I seemed to get better grades for the last minute work. The exams I revised most for seemed to have at least one question focused on a tiny, area of the course, delivered as a throwaway comment in a lesson, if delivered at all.

I preferred the feeling when I handed something in / went into an exam if I’d prepared more. I don’t like the stress feeling of “Aagh, I don’t have enough time”. In theory, do less work for better results” sounds good, however, I never quite believe it in advance.

Can anyone relate and how do I best help my children?

I think there isn't necessarily a correlation, as some dc have subjects they just 'get' and don't really have to put much work into.
Or there are some subjects that have been supremely well taught throughout, with lots of revision and assessments over the years that they are so ingrained they don't need the extra time before the external exams. (Going back to when I was at school, our maths was like that. I guess I had a mathematically inclined mind, but the maths dept had always done regular assessments and internal exams so everyone got to go over and over all the skills we learned.
Then some people have a natural 'ear' for a language (and some are even native speakers, or have had experience of living in that country).
Some will have been doing lots of music outside of music lessons at school, and the GCSE would not need lots of revision and study in the lead up to the exam as they might already be ahead of that ability level.
etc
etc
etc.

Of course, if someone found two subjects equally challenging, then it is reasonable to assume the one they put more work into would be likely to get them a slightly better mark.

That makes sense. There was one subject that only had one teacher, but there were two classes timetabled for the same time twice a week. She taught the other class and the language teacher taught us with the caveat that she could try to find out answers to questions but was only reading up on the lesson that day. For the other lesson we’d have a cover teacher and would sometimes be set work, sometimes do homework. It was a ridiculous situation. The HOY said he wouldn’t be putting our class forward for the higher paper. I met with him and persuaded him to put me forward, telling him that I’d rather not be put forward at all if I had to put the coursework and revision in with my best hope as a c. I did work for that one, basically just learning a textbook and a revision book and got an A. That was a time it paid off.

However, I really can’t think of another time which makes no sense. Within the same subjects e.g. English, which we had two teachers for - one excellent and one really poor - I did better throughout when homework and coursework was done at the last minute, than when I’d put more effort in, irrespective of teacher.

I’ve seen my son take time to do work and come home demotivated and seen him push something out at the last minute which seems poorer quality and get better feedback. I feel for him as it was the same for me. Even with things like those story competitions, he put the time in and got nowhere, then the next time decided to enter at the last minute and bashed something out that didn’t seem great and got published. I want to get DC into good habits for senior school and from what I’ve seen of older children, kids have to work a lot harder these days.

I was late for one of my A-level exams - I thought it was a pm session when it was an am. I got a panicked call from my teacher asking where I was. I revised in the car on the way... and it was my best A-level mark. Adrenaline did the trick, I think!

It’s odd isn’t it? Maybe it is a push through adrenaline thing, but logically it seems such a gamble!