The most common mistakes made by students

Teachers and tutors often see their pupils repeating the same mistakes. Very often these mistakes are relatively minor, and don`t represent any significant academic misunderstanding with the subject; but even seemingly trivial oversights can sometimes impact a student`s productivity, and lead to them obtaining a lower grade than they are capable of.

Unless we strive to break certain cycles and routines, we will very likely repeat the same mistakes again and again. Bad habits have a way of sticking with us, and we may never even notice how much of an impediment they can be. To others these character traits will very likely be all too obvious, but the student might not be aware how they consistently hinder themselves by repeating such mistakes as these:

Believing that they cannot complete the task

Confronted with a difficult piece of work - a tough assignment, a lengthy piece of coursework - there is often an understandable tendency for a pupil to be overwhelmed, and believe the work facing them is too difficult, or too onerous to be undertaken. They may think they are simply not up to the task, that it is too difficult, or there isn`t enough time to get everything completed.
The problem is that this kind of thought process validates itself: by framing the task as something impossible to complete the student will most likely simply accept this, and not even begin working on it until a deadline looms.

This kind of procrastination wastes precious time, and leaves the student anxious, and feeling like they are simply not equal to the task ahead of them. In order for this cycle of behaviour to be broken the work should be cut down into manageable chunks. If it is a piece of coursework the student could build an action plan, making a number of sections (or chapters) that will comprise the finished piece. If they are facing a single assignment or particularly tough question they may want to list the modules of their course that they can revise, in order to make the problem more tractable. In this way the work they face will become less imposing, less overwhelming, and the student will see a methodology they can follow that will lead them to completing the task.

Misunderstanding the question asked

When asked about the most common mistake students make in exams, almost all examiners will cite students misreading questions. This is of course understandable: they are working in a pressurised environment against a time limit, and are painfully aware their whole future may depend upon the answers they give while sitting at their desk. In this stressful situation it is hardly surprising a student might misread a question.

In multiple choice questions it can also be very easy to make simple mistakes while working under pressure. Examiners have have said they will often find the examinee has selected both answers, instead of choosing just one, which will of course lead to them receiving no marks. Another very common mistake is for students to omit answering questions completely, though of course this could be because they don`t have any answer to give, and wish to focus their time and effort on other questions. Very often however, after an appeal or recheck, students have found to their dismay that they unintentionally left a question blank, perhaps meaning to go back to it later.

Examiners recommend that, should a student wish to pass over a particular question, and return to it later, they mark the paper with a cross, so they will see that it still needs to be completed. How terrible it would be, after two years of study, to receive no marks for a question you understand, simply because you misread what was asked, or fail to answer it at all. To prevent such mistakes students can strive to reduce exam anxiety by requesting past papers from their teacher, and getting in the habit of reading each question slowly and carefully before they undertake to answer it.

Not asking for help

This is perhaps the most common mistake students make - not requesting for assistance in a topic they do not fully understand. It is understandable that a pupil may not want to draw attention to themselves in the classroom, revealing to everyone else that they haven`t grasped part of the lesson. By asking a question however very often they would be assisting other students, who have also struggled to understand that particular topic.

By waiting too long to ask for help the student risks falling behind, as future lessons will assume understanding of previous concepts. Don`t be afraid to ask your teacher for help, or perhaps look for assistance with some lessons from a tutor.