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If you're a GCSE student, you're probably familiar with the all-too-common dread of studying. The pressure of exams, the endless textbooks, and the mind-numbing repetition can make it feel like a never-ending slog. But what if I told you there's a trick to turn your studying from a chore into something you enjoy?
Now, that must sound like a fairy tale. You can stay with me, knowing that it is not just ordinary advice I have given you. This is perhaps a revolutionary strategy that could tilt the balance in your favour the next time you prepare for an exam. Let’s dive in!
However, let us first see what is behind this torture of studying and why it becomes such an uninterested process. When you think about it, studying involves many repetitive actions like reading, writing notes, and memorising information. Due to the abundance of materials, it becomes complicated, and the stress of the coming exams does not make memorising the course materials any easier.
For many students, these tasks can become so rigorous that they become burned out. You might have set out with the best of plans, but shortly, you find yourself daydreaming, yawning, and your enthusiasm gone up in thin air. That is a cycle that can take some time to change.
Now imagine if there were means of escaping this vicious cycle—means that would allow a student not only to tolerate learning but even to enjoy it.
This notion pertains to points, levels, challenges, and rewards, which are incorporated from the insight of gaming in the non-gaming context. Here, we are using it in context to your studying habits. Playing educational games during your study sessions is indeed a win-win, meaning you will get more out of your study sessions and enjoy them, too!
Games are not supposed to be boring in any way. They grab our passions, ask for change, and encourage justifying success. Now, imagine or recall one video game that you enjoy playing. What makes you endlessly drawn to it? It is the joyous satisfaction of advancing to the next level, getting a great score, and getting the associated prizes right!
If you use some of the gamification ideas while studying, you stimulate those psychological factors. Studying then becomes a battle, where it’s no longer about flipping through piles of notes; it becomes performing at the next level, getting more points, and thus beating one’s own record.
That is one of the benefits of gamification. Let me explain the different angles you can apply to your study schedule. Below are some tips to help you begin this process.
Games have a definite SMART purpose or goal; the same goes for study sessions. Rather than merely opting to “study history,” one should define direct and achievable objectives. For instance, “I will briefly explain the main factors that led to the First World War and do ten mock questions in half an hour.”
To make this even more complicated, start the clock. Will you complete it before the due time? If so, reward yourself with something small like a break or a snack you deserve, maybe because you worked hard or are bored. If not, do not worry – one more time, it is possible. At the same time, the task should be easy enough for people to attempt it, yet it should also be challenging enough for them to try something new and rise to the given challenge.
Also Read: Why do children need creativity, and how can we empower it?
It would also be perfect to start using a point system at some moment to keep a record of your advancements. Give corresponding points to the children for accomplishing tasks, answering questions correctly, or reviewing for some minutes/ hours. For example, you might give yourself: For example, you might give yourself:
Since the points accumulate to a certain level, don’t wait for them to get to a very high level; set target levels. For instance, once the person utilises their account to earn 500 points, they may watch a movie or spend an hour playing a game. Some of these take time, but their prospect can help keep you going.
As in any game, you start from the first level and progress to higher levels; you can do the same in your study. Department referencing should be on levels, with each level dedicated to a different topic or difficulty level of the teaching subjects. For example:
Every time you are through with a level, make sure you make a reward and then proceed to the next level. Frankly, this structure with values and specific goals empowers you to see your progress and have a clear direction in sight.
Interesting Read: How on-demand tutoring supports your learning goals?
For the bachelor who is a cutthroat competitor, powerful encouragement will be to study with another person or several people—design effective learning games like presenting quizzes to one another, a race, and point generics.
You can also find gadgets online or applications that enable individuals to challenge friends and monitor their scores. Fun competitions are always healthy, as they make learning more fun and encourage you to work to your maximum potential.
Who says study games have to be long and involved? If you feel bored at times, you can include mini-games in your sessions so that you can change the pace now and then.
Here are some ideas:
These are some of the short and enjoyable activities that may assist in boosting you up as well as your brain.
Currently, there are different apps that aim to apply the concept of gamification to studying among students. These apps feature point systems, levels, and rewards, which come as integrated options and can help motivate users further.
Here are a few popular ones:
The above-mentioned apps can help you explore a new angle on your studies and sharpen your disciplinary focus.
Looking for tutors to help you with your studies, visit MTS today!
Hence, the rationale for why gamification is effective lies in the above-explained factors. It all depends on the brain’s way of perceiving and processing rewards and threats.
If You exercise and do something, for instance, get to the next level or score high in a game, your brain perks up and releases dopamine. Thus, dopamine gives you a positive feeling, which encourages the activity and ensures that you continue with it, in this case, playing.
The same principle applies when using games for studying or gamification, as it is more popularly known. With every personal achievement toward your goal, every point, or reward unlocked, your brain gets small doses of dopamine. This makes studying a more fun activity and compels you to be consistent.
Games provide immediate feedback. The bad thing is that if you make a mistake, you immediately realise it, giving you a chance to rectify it. It is such a morale booster because if you have done your work well, you can see it at first glance. This active learning feedback loop makes you stay more alert and enhance your knowledge.
When you gamify your studying, you establish the same kind of feedback loop: grades. It checks and encourages progress, whether by getting the score after a simulated test or observing the point increase.
It also nurtures proper study habits or habits for learning into consideration for improvement; hence, developing proper habits is easier when using gamification. By translating studying into a game, they are less likely to skip it and will integrate it into their daily life instead. In the long run, they perform better during exams because their studies are consistent and well-understood.
Now, you might be wondering if this works. The answer to this question is, without a doubt, affirmative. Almost every student can attest that gamification in one’s study schedule yields good results.
Let us consider Sarah, a GCSE student with a problem of motivation. Task completion took her long hours, and she would put off a task for the most part of the day before engaging in it. It so got her attention that after learning about it, she thought to give it a try.
She believed she should start by setting simple goals and then reward herself with points to gain these points. She preferred using a study app because she liked the feeling of accumulating points. The meaning of studying shifted as a game, and her attitude changed. Thus, she was encouraged to become more active, regular, and assured of herself in her work.
As much as the exam might have been stressful for others, Sarah had prepared well in advance. Not only had all the material been covered, but all the habits vital for a student of the institute to stay calm and work with focus had been developed at the place. Her results? She got distinctions in all her courses.
Sarah’s case is quite common among women of her age or any age. Gamification has assisted several students in changing their study behaviours and getting what they want in class.
All in all, after you have learned how to ‘play’ your GCSEs through using games, there is no reason why you have to ‘stop playing’ after the GCSEs. Regarding gamification principles, all aspects of your academic experiences and other spheres can be reviewed.
The workload does not decrease as you go on to A Levels or a university; if anything, it intensifies. However, using Flow 3 continuously in the form of gamifying the studies, the level of interest and motivation will remain the same. Step up the goals, devise more arduous point schemes, undertake with your partners and don’t let the race end.
Even after the academic phase of your life is over, gamification may be beneficial when learning in the workplace. Whether you are starting a new class, studying for an exam, getting ready for a certification, or working on a big project, the main ideas of gamification will make your life easier.
Gamification is a handy tool. However, the usage of this tool must be appropriate. Here are a few tips to ensure you get the most out of it:
The beauty of gamification is that you can try it over any time. If you are a fan of Mario and anything Nintendo, for that matter, this should get you going.
In other words, when using the term ‘competition’, think about making studying fun, not stressful. Integrate it into your studying, but do not abuse it and never consider using it instead of conventional methods.
So there you have it—the one trick that can make studying for your GCSEs not just bearable but fun. By gamifying your study sessions, you can turn the process into an engaging, rewarding experience that keeps you motivated and on track.
Give it a try, and you might find that studying isn’t something to dread anymore. Instead, it’s a challenge, a game, and an opportunity to achieve your best.
And remember: the game isn’t over until you’ve reached your goals. So set your sights high, start playing, and watch as your grades and enjoyment of studying soar.
Good luck, and happy studying!
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