Earlier this term, Year 10 and 11 students participated in exam preparation and study skills sessions delivered by Elevate Education. These sessions focused on ways to manage the stress that can come in the lead-up to exams.
Some of the tips shared with the Senior students have relevance for all students, who similarly can get stressed during peak periods of assessment. When we become highly stressed, our ‘fight or flight’ response will kick in and students may be tempted to do all that they can to avoid the task at hand. To help students keep stress levels at a manageable level, we encourage you to discuss these tips with your young person:
- Getting adequate sleep - at least eight hours is recommended for teenagers, and being screen-free 30 minutes before bed will help in achieving a good night’s rest.
- Eating good, nutritious meals and snacks and staying hydrated. When the weather gets cooler it can be easy to forget to keep our hydration levels up - eight glasses of water are recommended each day.
- Completing short bursts of work (30-40mins) followed by a five to ten-minute break is an effective way of maintaining focus. Using your break to get outside in some fresh air for a quick walk can get you ready for your next stint of work.
- Assisting students to divide a larger assessment task into smaller, more manageable chunks, can help students map out a timeline of what needs to be done by when. This can help reduce the stress associated with peak assessment times.
- Setting up a plan for the week to map out where you have time for study across other commitments. This could be an activity that is done on the weekend so students get into the habit of planning the week ahead.
- Getting up and moving, whether it be running, walking, cycling or dancing, is a great way to clear your head when stress levels are getting higher.
It might be also worth reminding your young person that stress, in itself, is not a bad thing. Stress can help us raise our level of motivation and use our time effectively to get a task completed. The trick is not to let our stress levels get too high if we want to perform well on a given task.
Copies of timetables and blank calendars are available in the Learning Commons for students to support them with their organisation.
Elevate Education are also running a free webinar for parents on this topic:
Upcoming webinar for parents – How to Help Your Child Prepare for Exams
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education will be hosting a free webinar for our parents on Wednesday 7 June at 6.30pm (AEST).
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school.
In this webinar, we will be discussing:
- High Priority Work: The kinds of work students should be focusing on in the build-up to exams to maximise marks
- Time Management: How to ensure your child has enough time to prepare for their exams
- Practice Papers: How to prepare effectively using past questions and practice papers.
