O'Connor Catholic College Newsletter

 Assistant Principal - Learning

 

Ms Eli Simpson

7 Strategies for Surviving Exams (Parents and Students!) and what to do in the EXAM

 

It’s the pre-climactic point of the HSC year. Just weeks from the finale of all school assessment...EVER… and our students are standing on the precipice of their dreams, ambitions and all that draws any of us into the future. One last effort before the home stretch to the HSC Examinations, the mere hurdle of Trials to overcome, and they’re done. Now, the adults of us know just how short a time this is, how fleeting those moments that seemed never-ending actually are but to our students, at the culmination of 13 years of study, which is effectively 72% of their lives spent committed to school, the time moves slowly. Too slowly for minds restless for independence; anticipating the big step into the ‘beyond’. 

Trials begin next week, run for two weeks and then it is but 7 weeks until the HSC. So, how best can we all support our students to successfully navigate the most stressful assessment period in their schooling career? This may seem a daunting task but the following strategies may ease the anxiety of this time:

  1. Help them understand their stress: Help your child to identify when and why they feel stress and how these feelings manifest themselves, physically and emotionally (remember though, some stress can be beneficial). Discuss ways that they can work on reducing their stress, in the short-term and in the long term, and how you can assist them in doing that.
  2. Meditation and mindfulness can be hugely beneficial - you could get them to download a guided app on their phone like Smiling Mind or HeadSpace), or consider meditating together. Remind them to take the pressure off themselves too, and that there is life after high school exams! Help them to write a list of ways that they can relax, and that can be their go-to guide in moments of stress, or on scheduled study breaks.
  3. Help them to set up a good study area: Somewhere quiet, organised, and with minimal distractions. Help them create a study plan, and break their goals into small changes, with clear, achievable goals. Create a study timetable together, which includes breaks and times to relax and socialise.
  4. Give them a break from household chores: If you can, don’t ask them to take time off studying for anything that is not urgent, and try to coordinate family time and other necessary tasks around their schedule.
  5. Help them to be active, to eat well, and to sleep well: Combine non-study activities with exercise - such as making family time a walk together in the park. This has the added bonus of getting them outside in nature with fresh air, which is beneficial for mental health. If you prepare their food, try to make nutritious, balanced meals, and avoid processed foods. Encourage them to drink plenty of water, and minimise their caffeine and sugar intake (these ingredients can make them hyper or anxious; teenagers are recommended not to exceed 100ml of caffeine a day).
  6. Look after yourself, too: Exam periods can be as stressful for parents as they are for the students! Take time out for yourself, even for 10 minutes a day. Managing your own stress will make you much better equipped to help your child manage theirs.

(Melbourne Child Psychology)

So, you’ve done the prep, the study slog is over and the exam period is here...now what?

IN THE EXAM:

  1. Find out as much as you can about the exam beforehand (ask about the format of the exam, what tools and materials you will need to bring)
  2. Avoid cramming the night before: spending several hours cramming before an exam is not helpful - sleep is.
  3. Read the exam instructions closely
  4. Read through the entire exam before you begin: you don’t need to closely inspect every question, but you will need to formulate a plan on how you will spend your time (think about how much time you will need to spend on multiple choice questions versus an essay response)
  5. Before you answer a question make sure you read the question CLOSELY
  6. Look for key words in the questions
  7. Plan your essay response (RUNFAR)
  8. Don’t get distracted during the exam
  9. REMEMBER TO BREATHE!

 

Eli Simpson

Assistant Principal (Learning)