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Dear Jaime,

I am a Form Three student. Recently, I've found that I  can't concentrate when revising. I spend a lot of time studying but my marks are not improving.  Everyone is  doing well, except me.  I am worried - what should I do? Emily

Thanks for your e-mail, Emily. Firstly, where do you study? When I speak with teenagers, many of them tell me that they study in an environment that makes it hard to concentrate. This could  be a reason why you may be struggling.

If you study in your bedroom, do you work lying down on your bed or sitting at a desk? I often encourage teenagers to keep their bedroom only as a place to sleep and rest, and find somewhere else to study.

If this can't be done because of the size of your flat, it's a good idea to make sure you have a clear space to study in.

Secondly, what distractions do you have around you when you are studying? For example, do you have the internet or TV on while your are studying?

Many people find it hard to concentrate because of things like MSN and chatting with friends.

Thirdly, take a look at your study techniques. There are different  ways  to improve your studying. A  daily schedule  can be very useful.

Try  setting 30 minutes aside every afternoon to revise and summarise the work that you did that day. This will help you when you have to revise it later on for exams.

Another tip is to  study in 20- to 30-minute time slots and give yourself a break for five to 10 minutes in between. When you go back to your desk, try and remember what it was you just spent 20 minutes focusing on. It's always good to focus on one thing at a time and not many different things.

Let me know if you want any other techniques.

Dear Jaime,

I'm having some trouble with my family. Somehow, they just never seem to understand me. When I am happy, they pull a dark cloud over my day. When I am sad, I have no one to share my feelings with. People may tell me to sit down and talk to them, but I find it almost impossible.  I  don't know what to do. Please help. Jessie

Hi Jessie,

Family relationships can be a very emotional part of a teen's life. Parents often find it difficult to understand their children and  teenagers can find it hard to get along with their parents.

I think the most important thing  is good communication and learning how to communicate with each other in a positive way.

Have you been able to talk to a school counsellor or an older person about your feelings? Often by just talking about it to someone older, you can start to solve the problem.

If you find it hard to talk to your parents, I would also encourage you to write a letter to your parents and let them know how you feel.

Don't make the letter about them and what they are doing right or wrong, but tell them about your feelings and what you need from them. For example, if you feel like they always make you sad when you're happy,  ask them to talk to you in a way that doesn't make you sad.

Perhaps they don't know this is upsetting you  or what you need.

If you can,  talk to your school counsellor, and then together with your counsellor talk to your parents.



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