Brutal Study Truth #3: Unique is Not Better

04/07/25 • 11 min

Ep. 129
→ Get the Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.___

Unique is not necessarily better. In fact often, it can be worse. If it means that it’s more tricky to meet the criteria or find the information needed.
Unique is not considered as more clever by marking criteria.

And yes, I’m even talking in creative tasks.

Now, yes, something like an artwork or an artistic performance may do better if it has some originality or unique ideas.

BUT - and this is a big but - only if it meets all of the other criteria as well!

→ Get the full episode transcript and syllabus excerpt here: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/129

→ Get Brutal Study Truth #1 (More is NOT More) at: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/127

and Brutal Study Truth #2 (Markers Don't Care) at: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/128

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Visual Art grade descriptors: SCSA Visual Art grade descriptors
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And yes, I’m even talking in creative tasks.

Now, yes, something like an artwork or an artistic performance may do better if it has some originality or unique ideas.

BUT - and this is a big but - only if it meets all of the other criteria as well!

→ Get the full episode transcript and syllabus excerpt here: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/129

→ Get Brutal Study Truth #1 (More is NOT More) at: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/127

and Brutal Study Truth #2 (Markers Don't Care) at: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/128

FEATURED ON THE SHOW:

Visual Art grade descriptors: SCSA Visual Art grade descriptors
Follow Rock Solid Study on Facebook
Follow Rock Solid Study on Instagram
Get your teen trained by Katie to excel in exams and assessment, using the most effective study strategies in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
Have Katie speak at your school: Parent-Student 'Exam Mastery' Information Evenings for Schools

Previous Episode

Brutal Study Truth #2: Markers Don't Care (and that's great news)

Ep. 128
→ Get the Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.___

→ Get the full episode transcript and syllabus excerpt here: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/128→ Get Brutal Study Truth #1 at: https://www.rocksolidstudy.com/127

This sounds brutal, but actually it is a HUGE source of relief for many students.
If your teen has ever felt like they had to
- come up with some sort of unique perspective on a current social issue,
or
- make a special connection between themselves and a topic they’re investigating,
or
- have an interesting opinion or personal take-away on the Shakespeare text they’re studying,
and (if they’re anything like me) struggle, panic or just have no idea... then you’re going to love this episode!
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Syllabus Prescription example: NESA English Modules
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Get your teen trained by Katie to excel in exams and assessment, using the most effective study strategies in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
Have Katie speak at your school: Parent-Student 'Exam Mastery' Information Evenings for Schools

Next Episode

A Positive Mindset is Not Enough

Ep. 130
→ Get the Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.___

It doesn’t matter how motivated you are, if don’t know what you’re doing or how you're going to do it, it's gonna be very difficult to make progress.
Overwhelm and distraction are feelings and emotions. But they are often caused by the situation at hand. And if that situation involves confusion or uncertainty about a task, then no amount of 'positive thoughts' will fix the root issue.
When we can solve for the confusion and uncertainty, and have the skills to know what to do and how to do it, then the doubt and hesitation is replaced with a clear path forward and we're usually then much more willing to start down it.

FEATURED ON THE SHOW:

Follow Rock Solid Study on Facebook
Follow Rock Solid Study on Instagram
Get your teen trained by Katie to excel in exams and assessment, using the most effective study strategies in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
Have Katie speak at your school: Parent-Student 'Exam Mastery' Information Evenings for Schools

Parents of Hardworking Teens - Brutal Study Truth #3: Unique is Not Better

Transcript

You’re listening to The Parents of Hardworking Teens Podcast, episode 129 - The third of 3 brutal study truths that could be catching out your teen, meaning they end up working harder than they need to, missing out on marks they could be getting or just finding study, exams and assessment more stressful, uncertain or frustrating than it needs to be.

So let’s dive into Brutal Study Truth Number 3: Unique is not better.

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