When School Gets Harder: What Changes When You Move to the Next Level of Learning?
By Tracey Ropp & Erin House
A new school year can bring a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Maybe you are starting post-secondary education, moving into upper years, taking more challenging courses, or simply noticing that the expectations seem different this year.
Sometimes, the biggest surprise isn't that there is more work. It's that the things that used to help you succeed don't seem to be working as well anymore.
You may be studying for hours but not remembering what you've studied. You may understand the material but struggle to keep up with assignments. You may know what you need to do but find yourself procrastinating, distracted, or overwhelmed when you try to get started.
We've seen how frustrating this can be in our work with students and clients. But struggling at a new level of learning does not necessarily mean that you are less capable or that you aren't working hard enough.
Sometimes, the demands have changed, and your approach to learning needs to change with them.
These are some of the ideas that led us to write The Thoughtful Learning Advantage: 12 Essential Skills for Student Success and Well-Being.
Our book brings together practical skills for managing yourself as a learner, approaching academic work, caring for your well-being, and developing greater awareness of how you learn.
Order your copy of The Thoughtful Learning Advantage →Order here
When the old ways of learning stop being enough
As students move through their education, expectations often become more complex. There may be less structure, more independent thinking, longer and more involved assignments, and more competing demands on your time and attention.
For students moving from high school into post-secondary education, this shift can feel particularly significant. But it can happen at many points in a student's education.
A strategy that worked well in one course, grade, or programme may not work as well when the demands increase. The goal isn't to throw everything you've learned out the window. It's to become more intentional about understanding what you need now.
More work doesn't always mean you need to work harder
When students begin struggling academically, one of the first responses is often to try to do more.
Study longer. Stay up later. Make a longer to-do list. Spend more time rereading notes.
Sometimes, additional effort is necessary. But effort alone doesn't solve every learning challenge.
If you are spending three hours studying in a way that isn't helping you retain the material, spending five hours doing the same thing may not be the answer.
Instead, it can be helpful to step back and consider what is actually making learning difficult. Different challenges call for different strategies, and understanding the challenge is an important first step.
Learning at a new level requires more than academic skills
When we think about succeeding in school, we often focus on traditional study skills: taking notes, preparing for tests, writing papers, and completing assignments.
Those skills matter. But they are only part of the picture.
As learning becomes more demanding, students also need skills for managing themselves as learners.
That might include:
Managing your time and priorities
When there are several assignments, tests, readings, appointments, and responsibilities competing for your attention, simply knowing what needs to be done isn't always enough.
You need ways to decide what matters most, estimate how long tasks will take, and create a realistic plan.
Managing your attention
Being able to focus isn't simply about having enough willpower.
Notifications, social media, other people, fatigue, boredom, stress, and our own thoughts can all compete for our attention. Learning to notice distractions and create conditions that support focus is an important part of becoming a more independent learner.
Getting started and following through
Sometimes the hardest part of an assignment is not doing it. It's beginning.
A large or unclear task can feel overwhelming, which can make avoidance more likely. Breaking work into smaller, concrete steps can make it easier to move from “I need to do this assignment” to “I know what I'm doing next.”
Understanding yourself as a learner
Students don't all learn in exactly the same way, and even the same student may need different approaches in different circumstances.
Becoming more aware of your patterns can help you notice questions such as:
When am I most focused? What tends to distract me? What kinds of tasks do I avoid? When do I tend to underestimate how long something will take? What strategies actually help me remember and understand information?
This kind of self-awareness isn't about finding a single perfect learning style. It's about becoming a more thoughtful observer of your own learning.
Looking after the person who is doing the learning
Learning doesn't happen in isolation from the rest of your life.
Sleep, movement, food, relationships, stress, downtime, and emotional well-being can all influence how we function.
Taking care of yourself isn't something you have to earn after you've finished everything else. It is part of creating the capacity to learn and manage your responsibilities.
Signs that it may be time to change your approach
It can be difficult to recognize that your strategies need to change, particularly if they have worked for you in the past.
You might notice things like:
You're working harder but getting diminishing results.
You're spending a lot of time studying without feeling confident about what you've learned.
You're frequently surprised by how long assignments take.
You're constantly reacting to the most urgent task rather than planning ahead.
You're relying on last-minute studying more often than you'd like.
These aren't signs that you aren't capable.
They may be invitations to pause and reconsider how you're approaching your learning.
Instead of asking “Why can't I do this?” try asking “What skill do I need here?”
Instead of: “Why am I always behind?” try: “Do I need a different way of planning and prioritizing?”
Or, instead of: “Why do I keep procrastinating?” try: “What is making this task difficult to start?”
These questions don't magically make difficult tasks easier. But they can move you away from self-criticism and towards curiosity, problem-solving, and skill development.
Becoming a more thoughtful learner
One of the ideas that has shaped our work with students, clients, and educators is that learning is about much more than accumulating information.
It involves understanding how we manage ourselves, how we approach academic tasks, how we care for ourselves, and how aware we are of our own patterns and needs.
That is the thinking behind our book, The Thoughtful Learning Advantage: 12 Essential Skills for Student Success and Well-Being.
We wrote the book because we wanted to bring these pieces together in one place. Rather than treating learning skills, self-management, well-being, and self-awareness as completely separate topics, The Thoughtful Learning Advantage looks at how they work together to support students both academically and personally.
And perhaps most importantly, these aren't skills that students are expected to have mastered already.
They are skills that can be learned, practised, adjusted, and strengthened over time.
A new level doesn't require a perfect student
Moving into a new level of learning can be exciting. It can also be uncomfortable. You may need to become more independent, rethink old habits, or discover that some of your strengths don't automatically translate into every new situation.
That's part of learning, too.
You don't have to figure everything out at once. Instead, choose one area where things aren't working as well as you'd like and become curious about it.
What is the challenge?
What skill might help?
What is one small change you could try?
The goal isn't to become a completely different student overnight. It's to become increasingly aware of what helps you learn, manage your responsibilities, and take care of yourself.
Looking for more support?
If you or someone you know is struggling with learning, organization, focus, procrastination, stress, or the transition to greater academic independence, support can help.
We work with students and adults through our counselling and psychotherapy practices, and we also create self-guided programs and resources focused on practical skills for learning, well-being, and everyday life.
And if you're looking for a resource that brings many of these ideas together, our book, The Thoughtful Learning Advantage: 12 Essential Skills for Student Success and Well-Being, will be released this fall.
Learn more about The Thoughtful Learning Advantage and order your copy
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The ideas shared in this post are intended for general educational, informational, and reflective purposes. Every person's circumstances are unique, and this content is not intended to replace individualized professional advice, psychotherapy, counselling, psychological assessment, medical care, or other professional services. Reading our blog does not establish a psychotherapist-client relationship with Erin House or Tracey Ropp.
If you are seeking individualized support, we encourage you to consult an appropriate qualified professional. If you live in Ontario and are interested in learning more about our independent psychotherapy practices, information about our services is available on our website.