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March 19, 2024, 06:36:00 pm

Author Topic: How do I know I'm doing enough?  (Read 1152 times)  Share 

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tigerclouds

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How do I know I'm doing enough?
« on: July 07, 2020, 02:13:36 pm »
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Recently, I've been really stressing out about this. How do you guys know that you are working hard enough? How does one know that they are on the right track to achieving their dream ATAR or any goal for that matter? I'm sorry if this is vague, but I thought it would be good to gain some insight into this because I just don't know if I'm working hard enough. I just don't want to look back on year 12 and wish I would've worked a little bit harder.

K888

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Re: How do I know I'm doing enough?
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2020, 11:25:08 pm »
+12
Recently, I've been really stressing out about this. How do you guys know that you are working hard enough? How does one know that they are on the right track to achieving their dream ATAR or any goal for that matter? I'm sorry if this is vague, but I thought it would be good to gain some insight into this because I just don't know if I'm working hard enough. I just don't want to look back on year 12 and wish I would've worked a little bit harder.
Hmm this is always hard! It's always easy to feel like you're not working hard enough and to compare yourself to others. I think the main thing is to set yourself (realistic) goals to work towards, and then if you're achieving them I think that's a fair indicator that you're on the right path!

Honestly all of year 12 I just tried my best and I got through my exams and felt pretty happy with how I did, but then the night before ATARs were released I convinced myself I hadn't worked hard enough and that I wasn't even going to get a 70 (when my aim was over 90). I ended up getting mid-high 90s and worked myself up for nothing lol.

All you can do is give it your best and make sure you get your work done. If you put in effort and do your work you'll be set up for success :) VCE is designed to be achievable by 17/18 year olds - you don't have to be doing hours upon hours of study every night to do well.

Bit of a vague answer but I hope this helps reassure you! I think if you're asking the question then that probably means you're doing enough ;)

tigerclouds

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Re: How do I know I'm doing enough?
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2020, 07:09:32 pm »
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Hmm this is always hard! It's always easy to feel like you're not working hard enough and to compare yourself to others. I think the main thing is to set yourself (realistic) goals to work towards, and then if you're achieving them I think that's a fair indicator that you're on the right path!

Honestly all of year 12 I just tried my best and I got through my exams and felt pretty happy with how I did, but then the night before ATARs were released I convinced myself I hadn't worked hard enough and that I wasn't even going to get a 70 (when my aim was over 90). I ended up getting mid-high 90s and worked myself up for nothing lol.

All you can do is give it your best and make sure you get your work done. If you put in effort and do your work you'll be set up for success :) VCE is designed to be achievable by 17/18 year olds - you don't have to be doing hours upon hours of study every night to do well.

Bit of a vague answer but I hope this helps reassure you! I think if you're asking the question then that probably means you're doing enough ;)
Thank you so much for your reply and kind words, I really appreciate it :) I guess I just don't know if I'm giving it my best, I'm really afraid that I procrastinate too much and that I'm not setting the right goals to reach my dream ATAR (which is why I devour videos and articles on study tips haha). Then there's the whole study smart not hard argument that confuses me so much because when I feel like I'm working 'smart', I feel like I'm not doing enough. I know there isn't exactly a way to quantify this, but how do you know you're setting the right goals and giving it your all? Is there like a set number of hours that people study per day so give them that sense of satisfaction? Sorry for the many questions, I just get really anxious about this and about the thought of failing my own and other people's expectations.

whys

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Re: How do I know I'm doing enough?
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2020, 07:22:14 pm »
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Little goals go a long way. One method I use to satisfy my craving for productivity long after I'm buried in an insurmountable mound of procrastination is to write down a to-do list. Nothing beats the great joy of ticking each one of those tasks off (I don't think I've ever actually gotten everything done though). Each person will have different ways of measuring and finding a sense of satisfaction within the level of productivity they've reached, you've just got to find it. I've been told from a very young age by my enthusiastic father to 'study smart, not hard', but I never quite understood the distinction between working 'smart' and 'hard'. Over the years, I've learnt that there is no substitute for hard work, however, there are shortcuts you can take and ways to cut down on time (e.g. a drastic example would be that instead of reading the textbook a 100 times, make notes. You learn the same content and cut down on time). I'm all for giving it your all ending the year with 'no regrets' but no matter how hard I try, I always fail. I think no matter how well you do, a 99.95 or making into a coveted university or any other achievement, you will always regret something - it seems almost inevitable. If you think long enough, there will be something you could have done better, or something you could have worked harder on. I guess the point is learning from your regrets so you don't make the same mistakes, but not to eventually be regret-free - a perpetual cycle, almost. The thing is, it's okay to regret things. What matters is that you can reach your goals and feel satisfied in the end.
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Bri MT

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Re: How do I know I'm doing enough?
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2020, 08:42:56 pm »
+7
Short answer: you don't

Slightly longer answer: I think it's about finding a balance where you intentionally prioritise and choose where your energy is going rather than having passive habits dictate your choices. I don't think it's viable to plan out or "be productive" 100% of your time so try to have patience and compassion for yourself about "non-productive" time too. There's no set rule or answer but from how you've framed your posts I think you might benefit from focusing on being kinder to yourself about not dedicating all of your time to your goals + looking at what you can do to manage your anxieties from an emotion-focused point of view (as opposed to trying to address your anxiety through the topics your anxiety is talking to you about).

This is a question I asked myself a lot during year 12 & in the end I got my (mostly secret because I didn't want to set expectations) goal ATAR; I hope that you similarly achieve what you're striving for.

tigerclouds

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Re: How do I know I'm doing enough?
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2020, 07:13:27 pm »
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Thank you so much for your advice whys and Bri MT, what you've said makes perfect sense, I just need to remind myself of it and implement these things. It's given me a new way to look at things, Thank you again, this has really helped <3