How to Know If You're Falling Behind — And What to Do About It

Falling behind in Maths or Physics doesn’t always happen in a dramatic way. Sometimes, it creeps in quietly — disguised as procrastination, confusion, or just feeling stuck.

It definitely happened to me back when I was a student — more than once. And the reasons were different every time.

If you've been feeling like something’s not quite right, but you can’t explain what it is, this post is for you. Here are some of the signs students often overlook, and what you can do to get back on track.

1. You Get the Basics… But Still Struggle With Problems

Maybe you understand the lesson in class — but later, when you’re on your own, everything falls apart. You:

• Struggle to finish problems without an example

• Forget how topics connect

• Feel like you know the steps but still lose marks in exams

🧭 What to do:

• Try explaining the concept to someone else (or to yourself out loud)

• Create mind maps to connect ideas visually

• Do past paper questions with a focus on how you approach each step

• Keep a “mistake tracker” to learn from your patterns

    

2. You Avoid Studying or Only Study Last-Minute

Maybe you’ve started:

• Spending more time on your phone than on your notes

• Avoiding timed questions or full exam papers

• Leaving studying to the very last minute

This isn’t just laziness — it could be your brain’s way of avoiding what feels too hard or overwhelming.

⚙️ What to do:

• Break your study into short, focused chunks (25-minute sessions work great)

• Use timers and remove distractions while you work

• Start each session with something small and achievable

• Practise mock exams to get comfortable with the process, not just the content

3. You Feel Tired, Unmotivated, or Tell Yourself You’re “Not Good at This”

If your inner voice is saying:

• “I’m not a math person”

• “It’s too late to fix this”

• “I don’t care anymore”

…then you might be burned out or secretly frustrated. You’ve probably been trying — and hitting walls.

💡 What to do:

• Talk to someone (a teacher, a friend, even a sibling)

• Give yourself permission to rest — but not to give up

• Revisit an older topic you once understood to rebuild confidence

• Celebrate small wins, even if they’re just 10 minutes of focused effort

4. You Have a Feeling Something’s Off, But You Can’t Explain It

Sometimes, you just know. You feel disconnected from school, not making progress, and you don’t really know why.

🔍 What to do:

• Do a quick self-check: pick a past topic and test yourself — how much can you still do?

• Reflect on how you’ve been studying — are you actively solving problems, or passively watching?

• Don’t wait for things to get worse. Start small, but start now.

It’s normal to struggle. What matters is how early you recognise it — and whether you do something about it.

Falling behind is a phase. So is catching up.

Start with one step today, and you’ll thank yourself tomorrow.

📌 If you’re serious about catching up and need a method to help, check out how the GHOST BUST Framework guides students through this process — from first contact with a topic to full mastery.