Students of all age groups have some common shortcomings that hinder their path to success. It is more common in younger students – children who have yet to understand the importance of discipline and regularity in their studies. This article will present the reasons for the most common mistakes made by children as students, particularly school students.
When we say common mistakes, we refer to small errors and trivial misunderstandings that students develop by force of habit. These mistakes can be termed insignificant but gradually manifest into faults that can adversely impact their future academic performance. These kinds of mistakes can be found across all academic subjects. While theoretical subjects may still camouflage these mistakes in verbal representation, minor errors in analytical subjects, like Maths and Science, can lead to wrong conclusions.
Curbing bad habits that might lead students to commit common mistakes repeatedly is essential. Students should be trained to consciously avoid these issues during their childhood. Although maturity develops with age, bad habits take work to rectify. Adult students can try to tackle those problems consciously but can easily forget to make those efforts under pressure.
Reasons Behind Students Committing Common Mistakes
Read on to understand the reasons behind students committing common mistakes in the following paragraphs.
Procrastination
Most children do not like to study much. They would rather play and find more exciting things to do. So, when homework is given at schools or tuition centres, students consider it a burden. Parents and teachers try to inculcate good habits in students by making homework completion a priority. Many students, however, set the work aside, calling it difficult or pending work. This delay does not help the student because time becomes scarce when the work keeps piling up. Also, when students do not submit their homework on time, they miss out on vital corrections made by teachers. And whatever small points or concepts that students have misunderstood, are carried forward, leading to committing many more mistakes.
Losing Faith in One’s Own Abilities
Irregularity in studies leads to low confidence. Children may lose faith in their abilities. And nothing makes failure an easy recipe to cook than doubting ourselves. When we procrastinate, we keep piling study materials which are only helpful if we are studying those. We continue our classes at the school or tuition centres with a vague understanding of the topics. When we finally decide to sit down to study as exams are near, we have lost a considerable amount of time. For example, in a class for Science, we are taught about the formulas and atomic representations of certain elements. But we did not bother to understand them when they were taught. The classes continued, and we reached the chapter on Photosynthesis, where complex equations are used to explain the process. We will now be struggling to understand the topic. Thus, our confidence in class for Science will go down significantly.
Not Organising Our Work
To learn efficiently, we have to cultivate this skill. As students, children should learn to organise their syllabi and topics. It is a process that must be focused on in classes at schools or tuition centres. Listening to the explanations by the teacher and making notes for these topics and chapters are the first steps to take. Students must categorise notes and study materials according to the chapters given in their textbooks. The same goes for their homework and classwork. Topics taught in classes contain possible issues that can be questioned during examinations. A personal timetable for study can help students sort out their priorities and set specific study goals. Thus, children can dedicate time to work on their common mistakes. This can be experienced mostly during a Maths class or a class for Science.
Not Understanding Instructions or Questions
Students also make mistakes when they cannot understand the questions or instructions in front of them. There have been a lot of cases where students lost marks because they did not read the questions correctly or misunderstood the instructions. This is a phenomenon observed mainly during exams. Mistakes happen either because of lack of attention or due to stressful environments during exams. And the core reason behind this is the unfamiliar nature of the question paper. It may result from poor knowledge and lesser use of study materials. Well, exams depend not only on your studies but also on intelligent preparation for the exam. To reduce anxiety during exams, students should practise previous years’ question papers and sample question papers. Tuition centres can help them easily with this kind of preparation.
Not Seeking Help from Teachers and Friends
This is one of the most common mistakes made by children who are students. Often, we find ourselves stuck trying to understand certain concepts. But many times, we hesitate to ask our doubts and queries. It may be due to a lack of time during classes or because we assume our questions could be irrelevant to the topic. These doubts can accumulate over time to blur our understanding of the subject. For example, in a class for Science, we might not understand the features of an outer shell electron properly. This ignorance can later become an obstacle to understanding atoms in nuclear elements. Whenever we face problems in any subject or topic, we should not hesitate to ask for help – may it be from our teachers or may it be from our classmates and friends. Resolving our doubts helps us progress in our learning.
Not Revising or Practising
Memory and problem-solving skills are two essential aspects of mastering any subject; these do not always come naturally. We cannot memorise facts and figures in a single day. They need continuous revision. Also, to solve problems in subjects like Maths and Science, we need specific techniques and shortcuts up our sleeves. These require a rigorous practice schedule and solving as many problems as possible. Ignoring revision and practice can limit our chances of excelling in exams. Students should always revise their study materials regularly for better chances of remembering shortcuts, formulas, facts and figures.
Easy Learning with BYJU’S Tuition Centres (BTCs)
BYJU’S Tuition Centres (BTCs) are one of the recent initiatives taken up by BYJU’S to provide quality tuition classes for Maths and Science. We follow a standardised syllabus and research-based learning materials for these subjects. Expert teachers are there to guide you all the way to help you harness your full potential. We provide high-tech teaching aids that focus on delivering crisp and coherent lessons for better understanding and long-term retention of concepts. This teaching model holds true for any class of Science or Maths. Tutoring service at BYJU’S Tuition Centres (BTCs) comprises animated videos, games, puzzles and various other interactive activities for an immersive peer-learning experience.
Our tutoring service is available in a hybrid format. At BYJU’S Tuition Centres, both online and offline classes can be availed of by students. Personalised tuition classes are arranged for students who struggle with certain topics. We provide Science and Maths tuition to students from Grades 4-10 following the CBSE, ICSE and other selected state boards.
To summarise, you can avail of
- A competitive peer-learning environment.
- Pre-recorded lessons and study materials on BYJU’S – The Learning App.
- A two-teacher model for online classes.
- Face-to-face interaction with teachers at tuition centres during offline classes.
- Regular homework, followed by subjective assessments.
- Teaching tricks involved in application-based problems.
- Preparation for other exams like Olympiads, scholarship tests and entrance exams.
- Analysis of tests and assessments are made available on the app.
- Quizzes and tests are accessible from anywhere on the app.
- Monthly parent-teacher meetings for regular feedback and the discussion of remedial measures.
If you are feeling confident about learning with us, you can go to our official website for more information and clarity on our products and services. Feel free to contact us if you face any problems in reaching us or enrolling at our tuition centres.
