Exam season: many parents across the UK are wondering how they can best support their child, and how they might steer them through one of the most stressful periods of their lives so far.
The teaching staff at ACS International School Hillingdon have therefore shared their top tips, covering how parents can give their child the help and guidance they need to overcome exam stress.
Help your child feel prepared
Bernadette Richards, Upper School Counsellor at ACS Hillingdon
Although we are well into exam season, if you haven’t already, I would definitely advise creating a schedule with your child – it’s never too late! By doing this, your child is held responsible to a plan of action that gives them an overview of how they should use their time, what they need to prioritise and whether their time is being used effectively. Combining this schedule with other techniques such as flashcards, past papers and cheat-sheets will ensure your child gives themselves the tools necessary to assess their knowledge, and feel more prepared for upcoming exams.
Control the controllables
Sadie Lovell, Assistant Head of Upper School at ACS Hillingdon
Stress is a natural part of life for many students during exam season. While there are important factors to consider, such as what questions might be in an upcoming exam, it’s important to realise that your child cannot control these things. By worrying about the aspects that are outside of their control, it can be a distraction from the parts that are in their power, such as their effort and application towards their revision, their attitude to their exams, and how much sleep and rest they get through the process. Simply put, don’t let external factors develop into a distraction and derail their progress. Instead, help your child to see what is in their control, and guide them on how they can tackle these.
Help your child prepare for exams like it’s a marathon
Dougal Fergusson, IBDP Coordinator at ACS Hillingdon
Exams are a marathon, not a sprint, and any athlete will tell you that preparation needs to take place long before the race itself. If people started preparing for a marathon the night before, they’d never achieve the targets they know they’re capable of achieving. Exams aren’t dissimilar to this, and with this logic in mind, parents should ensure that their child uses the time they have to study most effectively. By thinking ahead, your child can minimise the stress caused by revising and think clearer about their targets, helping them to identify exactly what they need to learn.
Find techniques that work for your child in exam season
Bryan Bibby Smith, Curriculum Coordinator for Mixed Pathway at ACS Hillingdon
It’s easy to see how students can view exam revision as a boring, arduous task where distractions can creep in. In an ideal world, I’m sure students would love to be able to sit down for a few hours and learn about the things they need to know, but this is rarely the reality. In my years of teaching, I’ve found the Pomodoro Technique to be a useful way of minimising distractions, and consistently putting in time to revise without feelings of burn out. With this technique, students take regular five minute breaks after 25 minutes of revision, which can make revision time more manageable and less daunting, giving them time to decompress and relax. This can help your child minimise feelings of being overwhelmed, and provide balance at a stressful time. By merging this technique with a checklist, your child has a bulletproof way of managing their time in a way that works for them, and a clear map of what it is they need to do in that time.
Ensure your child uses all of their resources
Martin Hall, Head of School at ACS Hillingdon
In a stressful time, it can be easy for students to forget the level of support that they have available to them. Exams can feel quite isolating for some, thanks to the pressure of feeling as though they need to spend hours of time taking notes and reading – but it doesn’t have to be like this. To combat negative feelings and stress becoming a permanent fixture, I would advise that parents help their child find their own ‘Goldilocks Zone’ as I call it. For example, are they getting enough sleep and downtime? Are they eating regularly? If not, then this will only add to the stress. Alongside this, I would recommend talking to your child about the process, enabling them to feel prepared. By guiding them and talking to them one on one, you can pinpoint their Goldilocks Zone faster, helping them settle into a comfortable routine that will get the best out of them during a stressful period.
Reward your child where relevant in exam season
Andy Groark, IBCP Theatre and Digital Arts Coordinator at ACS Hillingdon
Exam season can represent a difficult challenge for many students. For some, it can feel like a necessity to spend every waking second revising, and if they aren’t, it can feel as though they aren’t doing enough. The reality is that this couldn’t be further from the truth. The pressure to do your best can be all consuming at times, and it’s important to help your child acknowledge how hard they’re working and to encourage them to reward themselves. Without rewarding hard work, your child may lose their drive for revision and see it as a slog. However, by rewarding their time with a treat or film night off for example, it gives them a reminder that revision does not need to be all consuming.