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Academic Care and Wellbeing

Year 12 Exam Stress

Supporting your teenager through their final school exams can be extremely daunting for parents. However, maintaining a calm household will ensure your child has the best chance of success.

 

To perform at their best, students will need regular and adequate sleep, a healthy diet, daily exercise and regular reassurance from parents that their success in life does not depend on their final mark. Many students will experience high levels of anxiety and depression during this time, so it is important that their mental health is looked after as well as their physical health.

 

Students should do plenty of practice exams, focusing on questions they don’t understand and always getting feedback from teachers. Parents should try not worry if they feel their child isn’t studying enough. Sometimes students need to experience the consequences of their choices as they do not have the maturity to associate effort with outcome. Getting a bad mark will not be the end of the world, but more of an inconvenience.

 

 

 

 

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg presents here on the following key ideas about supporting year 12 students:

  • Not all stress is bad
  • Study in 20-minute blocks
  • Talking out loud about what is being learnt
  • Use technology to help manage distractions
  • Routinely get 8-9 hours sleep each night
  • Fuel the brain by eating breakfast
  • Take daily exercise
  • Create a proper study area

You may also like to take a look at Andrew Fuller's practical advice on dealing with exam stress and anxiety.

 

I hope you find this information helpful. If you have specific concerns about your child's wellbeing, please make contact with their House Leader or me through the front office.  

 

 

Ms Anne Hodkinson | College Psychologist