The exam period is one of the most stressful times for students and their parents. With the National exams set to begin a few weeks from now, many learners are likely experiencing stress and panic, while their worried parents would like to do more than just lie awake at night, wondering how to help.
Here are 8 Practices that can help you as a parent guide your child to complete their exam successfully, without stress or panic:
1. Eight hours of sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial when writing exams—let your child sleep for at least eight hours a night, especially during the exam period. Reports state that losing one hour of sleep every night could lower your IQ by one point. This is because our brains process information we receive during the day (while we are awake) at night when we’re asleep. A loss of sleep hours can result in issues such as a decrease in reasoning skills and linguistic coherence.
If your school-going child is struggling to sleep, play some soft background music for them. If you can, try installing apps like Headspace or Noisli. These allow them to choose from different sounds (like thunder, wind, or white noise) to create their ideal sleep soundtrack. And make sure they don’t have any drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea, coffee, cola, and chocolate, for at least four hours before bedtime.
2. Water, water, water!
Dehydration can lead to tiredness, headaches, and poor concentration. Ensure your child is drinking lots of water during exam time, especially when it is hot. US researchers at Georgia Tech’s School of Biological Sciences have found that dehydration doesn’t just affect your physical ability. It can also lead to cognitive decline, with functions such as complex problem-solving and attention worst impacted. Keep a jug of water and a glass on your child’s desk, and flavour it with slices of apple or oranges to help ensure they stay hydrated.
3. Revision is crucial
Good revision techniques are crucial for exam success. If facts are learned quickly, they’re forgotten quickly because they are stored as short-term memory. Regular revision allows your child to remember facts for a long time, as they’ll be entrenched as part of their long-term memory.
Past examination papers are a valuable tool for revisions, as they help your child become familiar with how questions are set and alert them to what kinds of questions they may find tricky. When your child practices exam papers, urge them to do so under exam conditions, with enough time to spare, so that they can revisit their weak areas.
4. Give them time to study
Now isn’t the time to enforce house chores and tasks. Rather ensure your child’s energy is focused on studying. And be mindful of noise, make sure music and TV noise are turned down at study times. Exam times may seem to drag on for other family members, so have a positive conversation with everyone present to discuss how important earning a matric, and good grades, are to the future of your child.
To take the pressure off the household chores, consider hiring a home-cleaning service like SweepSouth to help with general cleaning and tidying up. They also have gardeners who can come in to mow the lawn, clean the pool, and do other outdoor gardening chores.
5. Exercise as a release
Exercise is a great stress outlet during exams—even if it’s just a half-hour walk around the neighborhood. It should be a moderate form of exercise, though, not an exhausting one. Exercise gives the brain an oxygen boost and releases various brain-boosting hormones like dopamine, which positively influences learning and attention, and serotonin, which boosts mood and helps regulate sleep cycles. Some young people benefit from early morning exercises, while others prefer to exercise after the day’s studying to help release stress before bedtime.
6. Regular breaks
Spending hours and hours studying without a break can result in a frustrated, exhausted child. Our attention starts to flag after about 40 minutes, so you should set regular break intervals within the study timetable.
During the break, encourage activities that allow the brain to take a break from thinking and trying to remember things. A movement break – a short walk or stretching – refreshes the mind, and a quick meditation or breathing exercise in a quiet setting will help improve your child’s productivity when they return to their books.
After the break ends, gently but firmly encourage your child to return to the next exam studying stretch. Once back at their desk, your child should sit still and do nothing for about five minutes with their study material in front of them. This will help calm their thoughts and focus their minds.
7. Healthy snacks and diet
The brain is the greediest organ in the body, so make sure your child’s overall diet is based on starchy foods like bread, rice, and pasta, with added dairy, meat, and vegetables. Food like chips, sugary snacks, and soft drinks can result in concentration problems and restlessness. During study breaks, let them have healthy snacks and beverages within reach. Your child’s favourite snack is a great reward for a successful exam study session.
8. On the exam day…
Keep the house calm and positive. Ensure your child eats a protein-rich breakfast, such as scrambled eggs and toast, when they wake up. Other protein-rich foods include cottage cheese, yoghurt, nuts, and whole-grain cereal with milk. If your child is too nervous to stomach a breakfast, try a protein shake instead.
…and after
Spend a bit of time after an exam chatting with your child about how the paper went, and calm them down if they found the questions challenging. If they want to talk, listen without interrogating them. There’s no point in scrutinizing the exam paper at length because it could even demoralize your child after they’ve just given it their all.
Use this time to encourage them to focus on the following exam paper, giving them a pat on the back for their efforts thus far. Getting praise from a caregiver serves as a super motivator during exam times. Praise them for successful study sessions, for having finished an exam paper, and for actively taking part in determining their future lives.
