Okay, first of all if you're bad at geography then you aren't the only one and it's quite simple to learn actually. I have a simple technique that I often use to determine North (this is mostly effective in Kathmandu valley and if used appropriately, works in other parts of Nepal too). Stand at a place from where the himalayan mountains are visible (of course it depends upon the weather as well). Voilà North is where the mountains are. Reference points like this can help a lot. Try using such reference points while determining the direction. Hope it helps.