Exam Season

Exam season is almost upon us. For most of our students this will be a time of extra stress. Exam stress is a natural response to the importance of this event in the lives of dedicated school students. Exam stress also acts to enable a young person to be in the optimal range of performance come exam time. A case of exam nerves may feel uncomfortable but ultimately it is the body’s way of preparing us to be ready to respond to the extra demands of the exam room. 

Dealing with Exam Stress

Helping your teenager deal with exam stress in the lead up to exams can both benefit their study and reduce the tension at home. There are a few things that parents can do to help their young person during this tricky time.

Make sure your child is getting enough sleep at this important time of year. You may need to gently prompt them with reminders about bedtime and wake time and remind them of the importance of not having their phones in their bedrooms overnight. 

Teach your teenager to take regular study breaks and encourage them to keep up with their exercise and regular outdoor time. Good nutrition is also important, and I am told that a crunchy cheese toasty delivered at the right time is a perfect way to care for a teenager. 

Help them set up a study space that is as quiet as possible, free from distractions and organised with everything they need. A study timetable can be pinned up in this area to help them stay focused on their goals. 

Create a sense of calm routine throughout the house during the exam period. Heightened emotions are not unusual so try and respond calmly and quietly and keep non-urgent arguments to another time. You might even consider giving your child a break from their regular chores if they are under a lot of pressure at exam time. They will appreciate the extra time to study or unwind as well as the fact that you are looking out for them.

A small percentage of students will experience problematic anxiety or stress, and this is likely to be apparent during exam season. Understanding thought patterns behind this stress can be an important part of understanding the stress response. Daily relaxation and the use of deep breathing and grounding techniques may also be beneficial. Consider doing these exercises with your young person or if that doesn’t work for your family, gentle reminders may be the way to go. Parents can also act to help students to remember which strategies have been helpful for them in the past and with encouragement that this too shall pass. Please consider speaking to one of the wellbeing team if this issue persists for you or your child. 

As part of our support for students returning to exams after such a long break, Mr Stephen White has presented an exam preparation session to students. It would be good to reflect with your child on what they found helpful from his presentation.

Everyone will benefit from a reminder that everything will be okay. Your teachers and our school support staff are here to support you and we look forward to hearing that you survived exam season 2022. 

Danielle Bruce

College Psychologist