How I Went from Hating Studying Until 9th Grade to Loving It in 11th Grade

This time of year always makes me think about entrance exams.

Looking back now, I'm surprised I managed to turn my grades around in high school.

The study methods I used

This is probably the main topic, so I'll list three main points.
I'll list three main points.

• Explain the solution method over and over until the other person understands (Math, Physics)

• Repetitive practice (English)

• Don't study subjects you hate (lol)

Point 1

This is a study method I was taught when I was attending a cram school at the time.
The teacher at the cram school I went to was the type to fly into a rage and was scary, lol.
I'm surprised I endured it.

Explain the field before solving the problem!

I remember being confused when I was first told that.
I thought, 'Isn't it enough to just solve the problems given and be done with it?'
Why do I have to explain every little thing? What a pain.'
But this was incredibly effective, and I still remember the exhilaration I felt when I finally became able to solve them.

Point 2

Even if you can memorize English words and idioms instantly, it's natural to forget them a few days later.
That's why I made sure to be exposed to English every day, and to repeat it out loud over and over.

Point 3

For subjects I was bad at, I just memorized them the day before the test.
That's all there is to it. You won't improve your grades or feel motivated if you study something you hate.
I focused on improving my strong subjects and kept my weak subjects at an average level,
I just did things my own way.
By doing this, I started to like studying.

The reason I came to hate studying

The reason I hated studying
It was largely because my parents forced me to study.
They apparently wanted me to take the middle school entrance exam in 6th grade,
so I was basically made to go to cram school every day.
I was truly trapped like a rat in a cage.
This was a huge factor, and it was really painful.
Because of this,I lost my mind and gave up on the middle school entrance exam,
and went to a public middle school.

Weekdays for club activities, weekends for baseball (senior league)

I spent my middle school years doing sports.
I was in the track and field club and just kept running.
I wanted to distance myself from studying as much as possible, so by doing sports,
I felt like I was also deceiving my parents, lol.

My close friends were all high achievers

Even now, for some reason, everyone around me is smart, and
I was always at the bottom.
This was incredibly frustrating, and I was made fun of for my test rankings so many times, haha.

But since junior high is compulsory education, I just let it go, thinking it didn't matter.
However, there was one subject I was good at.
That was English!
The reason for this is simple:The teacher who taught it was interesting.
Thanks to that, my motivation for English was maintained, and that's why my grades were good.

For high school entrance exams, I managed to get certifications (Kanji Kentei Pre-2nd Grade, Eiken Pre-2nd Grade) before the exams,
and I entered a private preparatory school through general admission, not through single-choice or concurrent-choice applications.

Awakening in the second year of high school

In my first year of high school, I spent my time playing Monster Strike with those around me and being in the badminton club, but in the third term, things started to change significantly.
It was in my math class,where I was somehow thrown into a class that only top-performing students could take and was completely crushed.
This was just so frustrating...

From there, my desire to prove them wrong grew stronger,
and I studied like crazy.
I focused mainly on the subjects I was good at—English, math, and physics—
and that's how I improved my grades.

I hope this serves as a reference for anyone struggling even a little bit with their studies!
See you later~👋