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Academic support is a general term for a wide variety of educational strategies that are used to offer help to students that need it. The great thing about all of these supportive choices is that many of them work seamlessly together and can help you to overcome challenges not just in your academic life but also your personal life. The fundamental aim is to see the student become unstuck and go on to empower themselves through their academic career to excellence.
Finding yourself with low motivation, anxiety, stress and low self-esteem because you are unable to achieve academic success is not a comfortable place to be. But if you have been struggling to succeed in your higher education, there are lots of options available to help with improving your situation and whatever challenge you may be having. It is essential to reach out to get some help as the longer you stay in this place of struggle the harder everything will be for you.
There is help available all around you, online and offline, in school and out of school. In this post, we will take a look at some of the challenges that you might be facing and the options available to you.
Which Organisations Can Help Me?
Lots of students find that they need some extra school support at some time in their student life. If you know that you are a good student or can do better but find your retention of the topic to be too low, leaving you unable to achieve your target outcome. Then extra school support could be instrumental to your success.
There could be lots of reasons why you are having a hard time at school, but understanding the cause of your educational challenges will help you to solve them and move forward towards achieving your maximum potential.
Every student who requires help will be able to receive it, but the most common reasons why a student needs academic support are as follows:
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They Feel Overwhelmed, Are Struggling Or Stressed
Struggling students are unable to keep up with the class and find that no matter how hard they work that they just cannot get on top of the workload. It is essential to learn to persevere in your learning. You should seek some advice from a teacher to find out what options are available for you at your school. Also, speak to your parents to see if they can help you solve the solution.
Struggling through your education can have a very negative impact on your grades, your development, your wellbeing and your self-esteem. Getting some help to decode the challenges that you are having can turn everything around for you and make education something that you enjoy again rather than stress over.
Click here for an example of where you could start your search for some help.
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You Are A Gifted Student
When you realise that your intellectual development has advanced beyond the capabilities of the other kids around you or find that your classes are boring and bring no challenge for you. You can speak to your teacher to find out if you can be moved to a more advanced level, if not then you could perhaps ask to take your exams early instead of waiting to take them with everyone else.
If there are no other options available to you, then you could try contacting academic support. They may be able to put together an advanced curriculum that pushes you a bit further and allows you to reach your maximum potential
Click here for an example of an organisation that might be able to help you
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Disability Support for Students
Learning disabilities are quite common and can range from simple difficulties to more complex challenges, this depends a lot on the child. If you have a disability that is restricting your ability to perform at your maximum potential and need help with your studies you will find your school will have lots of options available for you. Many tutors also are specialised to help with students who have a disability.
Click here for an example of an organisation that might be able to help you
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Speaking English as a Second Language (ESL and EAL)
If you are failing your classes because you do not understand English well enough then don’t worry. There will be lots of help out there to support with bringing your English level up to scratch, and you will also get help to catch up with your classes. Ask a teacher at your school if they have a program that can support you or you can work with a specialised tutor who can help give you some study tips and help you to better engage in your education.
Click here for an example of an organisation that might be able to help you
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Student Living In Poverty
If the financial position of your family is affecting your ability to excel at school, you will be able to speak to a counsellor to get some advice about the options available to you. You may be able to get financial aid for school meals, a bursary for continuing your further education and you may be able to apply for scholarships or be sponsored by a charity. Additionally, most schools have access to a discretionary fund to help students who are struggling with their finances.
Click here for an example of an organisation that might be able to help you
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Students With Mental Health Issues
If you are struggling with mental health issues while at school it is essential to speak with your teacher and let them know what is going on. They will be able to create a support system for you which may help to keep you feeling safe and well while you are studying
Click here for an example of a few organisations that might be able to help you
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You Have Been Kicked Out Of Main Stream School
If you have been excluded or kicked out of mainstream education, there are still a lot of options available to you. The first point of contact should be your local council, they will be able to work with you to get you back into education.
They may offer you a new school placement or provide a tutor for you to continue your education. The option may be non-traditional, but they will give you the opportunity to be successful if you are willing to turn things around.
School leaving may be prevented with proper academic support. Find out the optimal age to find a tutor for your young scholar!
Where Can I Find Educational Support?
School is meant to be some of the best years of your life but overwhelm, and stress can change the experience into a nightmare. Academic support brings together a wide range of learning strategies. All of them aim to empower the student and lift them out of confusion and into the clarity of high academic performance.
Here are some examples of academic strategies that can help you on your path to being the best you can be.
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Classroom Support
Peer to Peer support - Peer mentoring works well in the classroom when a weaker student is paired with a stronger student. The stronger student can help the weaker student to understand while at the same time revising their knowledge. This education support partnership can be potent if the students collaboratively understand their part. Having a peer tutor can also be lots of fun and can gain you a new friend.
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In School Support
Study groups - Often your school will set up study groups facilitated by a teacher; these small groups can be run before school, after school or at lunchtime. This is an excellent way to receive support as you will be with your peers; this is very good for revising, creating new ideas and thinking outside of the box. You may also have the opportunity to work one on one with a teacher in your study group which could help you with anything that isn’t clear.
Sign up for online tutoring here.
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After School Support
Before or After-school programs – It is great to hear the school bell ring at the end of the day and know that you are free to go home. But these programs are usually run on the school grounds and are free for students who need the help. If you are having a hard time at school and want to do better, you will have to commit to putting the extra work in.
Before and After school programs can be run in a wide variety of ways, you could meet with an academic support tutor one to one, you could meet with a mentoring study group, or you could do a mix of different programs that are on offer by your school, such as study skills or exam preparation.
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Outside of school Support
Local authority – Your local authority is full of knowledge for how you can get extra help with your education. They are the source for finding out about what might be available in regards to funding, mentoring places, counselling or anything else that you might need for your education. Find your local council here.
Charities – Educational charities can be a godsend when you need extra help but are unable to find it elsewhere. Charities tend to be specialized in one particular mission such as speaking English for women or mental health support for students etc. If you can find a charity that covers the issue that you are experiencing you will have access to free support. You can search charities in the UK here.
Tutoring services - Tutoring centres are the perfect places to assist you in finding a private tutor. Doing so can lead to an amazing learning experience and private tutoring has many amazing benefits, tutees need discipline and will need to collaborate with their tutor to get the best out of this service, but these academic advisors are committed to student success and academic excellence.
Churches – Your local church could be the source of more than just a service on Sunday. If you need extra help, you can ask at your local church if they run any educational workshops, educational classes, community groups, free tutoring or volunteer-based learning programs.
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Holiday Support
Summer school and supplemental courses - supplemental instruction in the summer holidays are a great way use of your time. Summer programs can bridge the gap to catch up if you have fallen behind or to get ahead for the coming academic year so that you are ready for the following year. Your school may run the summer school on campus with a set daily schedule or as a flexible program where drop-ins are welcomed. Ensure that if your school are running a holiday program that you confirm your involvement and commit to having full attendance.
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Technological Support
Online tutoring – Studying academic skills online can be quite impressive, you can collaboratively work with your tutor to maximise the teaching and learning exchange. Working online may involve 1 to 1 support, or you may be part of a small group. There are no educational requirements to work with a tutor online but there are technical requirements, and the most important one is a fast internet connection.
Whether you are looking for a specific solution for your personal challenges or a particular study style to complement your academic skills. There are thousands of organisations out there that can support your educational journey.
All you need to do is take the first step by following these tips for selecting your tutor.
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