Well I did terribly until year 12 and I'm glad I was lazy in earlier years as they meant nothing, and contributing nothing towards my future as the tests I'm undergoing now will. Focus on your hobbies, social life and perhaps your study, but not necessarily what the school sets for you, find a passion for a subject you love and that will help you more in the future. Focusing on getting good marks in 9-11 is essentially worthless and will prove to be folly. As many friends I knew who were top of the year in earlier years aren't even average in the final years of school.lovehateschool - As everyone on this forum reiterates to me though, there is no direct link between people doing well in lower years and people doing well in the final exams. I purely want to do well now and don't ask me why I just want to. flicking through the book works for some people. I'm not one of them.
BTW, verbal recitation and impromptu verbal essays are the best. Summarise the information in your head that you just read and speak it to yourself.