In Ballymena lots of students and school pupils are right in the middle of exams. Exam stress is something which can really effect even the most studious among us and sometimes students put too much pressure on themselves trying to get good results. The truth is that exams are difficult and unfortunately revision is necessary.
Photo Credit: Pete; Creative Commons
Here are a few things to remember if you, or your child, are in the middle of important exams:
1/ Not everyone is good at everything.
As you study there will be topics and subject which you will find more difficult than others – and that is ok. If you are getting full marks in lots of your subjects but one topic is letting you down then schedule some extra revision time on that topic, try chatting to your teacher and arrange some extra help. Don’t worry if you aren’t getting the same results in everything – remember that ultimately you will drop some subjects in favour of others.
2/ Revision is necessary but so is time out.
I never had a problem taking breaks from revision but sometimes the panic can set in and we end up pulling an all nighter to get enough done. Try not to do this! You will only end up tired and burnt out. Have a break every hour, normally my break would include a snack, walk about the house and a look at Facebook. But be careful that you don’t get sucking into getting distracted by Facebook and Twitter.
3/ Don’t listen to other people.
There is always someone who tells you that they aced their exam without doing any revision – and that is great but most people need to put the work in to deliver good results. You alone are the only person who is taking your exam and therefore you will know when you have done enough revision and what you need to revise again. It may be different from the topics your friends and struggling with but that is because everyone is different.
4/ Get a good nights sleep.
Aim for an early night before your exam. Put your books away, and pack all the things you need for your exam, pencils, pens and you calculator, and then settle down for a good nights sleep. Eight hours is ideal, meaning you will awaken refreshed and ready to go. Don’t worry f you feel like you have forgotten everything in the morning, a quick look over your notes should help bring it back into your mind,
5/ Always read the question throughly.
One of the big tips we have from the Ballymena Today office is to read the question properly. We have lost count of how many times we have lost silly marks because gave a great answer which didn’t actually answer the question. Read the paper carefully and look out for words and phrases which you can incorporate into your answer.
In conclusion we want anyone doing exams to remember that it won’t be long until your exams are all over and then you can relax and enjoy your summer. Put your best effort in now, avoid silly mistakes and make the most of your revision time before it is too late. No one wants to have to resit an exam but remember that the option is there. Don;t let yourself become too stressed. Find someone who you can talk to and don’t suffer in silence. A problem shared really is a problem halved.
Here are some more resources for child, teen or parent who is going through exam stress at the moment:
We wish all student the very best as they tackle exams throughout Ballymena.