Getting back on track
We make mistakes. No one is perfect and sometimes in life we mess up. This is a normal part of being human (and an important way to learn). This section of the toolkit is here to help you get back on track at S6F if things have gone wrong.
There are lots of different reasons why you might have gone off track at college. Sometimes personal issues at home take priority over college work which can lead to you falling behind. Sometimes mental health issues can impact on how you are able to study, and sometimes issues with friendship groups can impact on attendance to specific lessons. Other reasons may be less obvious and difficult to understand for example suddenly feeling unmotivated to put in the effort that is needed for the challenge of study. Whatever the reason, you will not be the only one, and we can work together to help set you back on track.
If you get a grade that does not reflect your ability, or your attendance suddenly drops, then this might trigger case conferences, messages home, and meetings with teachers. This can feel overwhelming and scary. You might be tempted to try and ignore the problem and hope that it will go away. It won’t. Problems that are not dealt with tend to just get bigger when ignored. It is important to acknowledge them and then do something about it.
Five step solution for getting back on track
- The first thing to do is to ask for some help. Going to your teacher or GST and talking to them about your situation and asking for advice about how to move forward is a good way to start the process. Teachers want you to do well and will help you formulate a plan to enable this, they won’t shout or shame you. Asking for help shows maturity and strength of character. It is important that your teachers understand your situation.
- Reflect on why you are in this situation – being honest and open about how you got here? Is it a lack of motivation? Was it a lack of revision? Is it that the courses is not right for you?
- Identify what you need to move forward – more revision techniques, better exam techniques, seeking out mental health advice, career advice?
- Action plan for how to get there – formulate a plan of how you will turn it around. Make sure it is realistic and a plan that you can actually succeed in.
- Revisit and revise the plan – be prepared to change the plan of action if you need to. Life is busy and messy, so sometimes even our most committed plans need tweaking sometimes.
Understanding and being honest about your own motivation is the key to being successful here. Everyone has the ability and chance to change, however not everyone is willing or wants to do it. Getting back on track means being pro-active, honest and motivated to change. Often its small positive changes to your study routine make a big difference.
If nothing changes……nothing changes. What small changes will you make to get back on track?