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Hell Term: A Survival Guide


By: Kai Beaumont, as interviewed by Chloe Prasetya and Kaira Nugroho


For those who don’t know, Hell Term is known as such because there’s a lot going on. The majority of IAs and coursework are due during this term, as well as lots of assessments so that teachers can decide predicted grades. These are often relevant to university acceptances, causing stress. Most applications to university themselves take place during this term. It can feel as though the work is ‘ramping up’ in difficulty and quantity, especially compared to Grade 11.


While Hell Term is definitely a lot to handle, I think calling it ‘hell’ is an exaggeration. I think it’s more so that we haven’t developed the right habits, which may not even be our own fault if we’re never taught them to begin with. If you have good strategies and organization, you can succeed and still enjoy your term. What worked for me might not for you, but here are some tips to try.


1. It feels like hell because it’s everything, everywhere, all at once…

…so, try to get your summer work done over the summer to stave off burnout.


That includes the EE draft and any IA drafts. This is essential, because you’ll be given new work as soon as the term begins. Consistently doing work over the summer keeps you in the habit of doing work, making it easier to get back in the zone once school starts. Of course, there are a lot of things going on over the summer, like travelling or internships, which can make the ‘break’ still feel quite busy. However, if you pace yourself and schedule out your work gradually into something manageable, it can be done smoothly.


“But what if you’re really burnt out?” Whilst this is a valid point, I think burnout can actually be avoided in the first place. To put it into perspective, there’s actually not a ton of work to do over the summer, unless you compound it with all the work you have to do when you get back. You have eight weeks, which is enough time that rest should far outweigh the work you do over the break. Sure, there will be other activities during the summer, but if you can make time around that to slowly yet consistently get some work done, it shouldn’t burn you out as easily, especially if you’re balancing it well with rest.


2. It feels like hell because you can barely keep your eyes open…

…so, try to get enough sleep.


When you compromise on sleep, you may feel like you’re getting a lot done, but you stop functioning during the day and struggle to remember what you learned in class. This creates a vicious cycle where you’re constantly losing more sleep to catch up on work. Set a time at which you switch off your devices and get some rest.


I know we tend to feel guilty when resting, especially when there’s a lot of unfinished assignments waiting, but try to avoid thinking about the work you should be doing when you’re taking a break. Otherwise, that break won’t actually feel rejuvenating or restful. When you start working again, you’ll feel just as stressed and tired as before you stopped. Disengaging is difficult, but with practice, it really is helpful.


For example, I never work after dinner on a weeknight unless I’m enjoying the work and actively want to do it. This means that I have a set time each and every weekday to not work. During this time, I watch TV shows with my family or play games like chess or Geoguessr with my friends online. For me, doing activities with others allows me to completely forget about any work or upcoming deadlines. You might not find that doing activities with others will allow you to fully disengage, but I encourage that you try and practise disengaging before Grade 12. Whatever it is that helps you relax, whether it be painting, reading a book, or memorising digits of pi, devote some time to it.


3. It feels like hell because you’ve never done this before… …but you can learn good study techniques.


Good study techniques will maximise the output per unit time you put in and make some free time for you to enjoy. Which techniques are good for you will depend, but in identifying what works well for you, you can minimise procrastination and maximise productivity.


For example, I study well over one long session. This means that on weekends I tend to work in one 4-6 hour session, without breaks, and then rest for the remainder of the day. I use this example to illustrate the importance of recognising the drawbacks of any study technique. The day after these long sessions, I tend to feel a lack of motivation and struggle to do more than a couple of hours of work. As such, I’m conscious of when the best time to use the long-session technique is. I may not use it if I need to do a lot more work the following day and cannot afford a drop in motivation. Finding the study habits, techniques and resources that work for you is important, but perhaps just as crucially, recognise when to use them.


4. It feels like hell because the only one who can get it done is you…

...but don’t write off the support teachers can give you.


We groan when our teachers tell us to “actually rest” because we assume they don’t understand our situation. It’s true that teachers are limited in how much they can reduce this term’s burden, as all our coursework is an IB requirement.


But they can recognize students have different packages and therefore different pinch points (weeks with lots of tests or IAs). So, if you can’t make a particular deadline, don’t shoot yourself in the foot by not telling your teacher that. They want to help you, so be transparent with them, and they’ll accommodate you. You don’t have to feel as though it’s you against the school, or you against the IB. Just make sure you give them at least a week’s notice (or as much as you can) so that you don’t blindside them.


If you’re struggling to reach an agreement with your class teacher, ask your mentor for help. Your mentor is, in part, there to help you navigate interactions with other staff members. If you think a teacher is being unfair or expecting too much, ask your mentor for advice, or if they’ll back you up in further communication with your teacher.


5. It feels like hell because you can’t stop thinking about those acceptance stats…

…but you can and should work with other students.


Our school may be competitive, but I absolutely think a collaborative culture is possible. After all, no one student can be the best at everything. Rejecting a competitive mentality frees you to approach the student in your class who is best at that specific subject or subtopic. Some people are great at understanding a reading the first time through and can help explain key ideas. Others are great at applying knowledge to questions, or using exam techniques. By learning a little bit from all of them, and occasionally being the expert yourself, we all learn more.


In summary…


The benefits of adopting these habits increase with scale. If you were aware of ten different strategies, you might have one that worked for you. Scale that up to a hundred different strategies, and you’d have ten that worked.


If you adopt the right habits, you won’t just scrape through Hell Term, you’ll succeed. Make sure that you find the strategies that work for you. Those might not be the exact strategies mentioned here. In order to find more, work with your teachers and other students, research online and don’t be afraid to try something new. Share what you’ve found with others, and they’ll share in return. If you can find and implement the strategies that work for you, not only will you ‘survive’ hell term, you’ll raise the bar and get out of limbo.

3 comments

3 Comments


Tangerine Robinson
Tangerine Robinson
Jun 08

I agree

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Guest
Jun 08

I agree.


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Guest
Nov 23, 2023

Honestly a skill issue..

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