Countdown to Leaving Cert 2021 – Focus on pacing, balance and self-care!

This school year has been exceptionally challenging and the last couple of weeks have been particularly stressful for the Class of 2021. You have now made your decisions about opting for exams, Accredited Grades or in many cases, a combination of the two. Assignments and class tests to be used as part of the Accredited Grade assessment process have been completed so in many cases you are focusing on completing projects and revision. Emotions felt by Leaving Cert students at this stage of the year vary. Many of you are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and exhausted, while others are excited about finishing up and moving on. Whatever you are feeling is normal and you are not alone. Make sure to reach out to those around you at home and in school to support you in the coming weeks. In the 4 weeks leading up to the exams focus on preparing, planning and prioritizing. Just like an athlete preparing for a marathon, in the final weeks you need to adjust your schedule to make sure you are in the best position to face the final hurdle.  Your routine is really important at this stage, as is striking a balance between revision and rest/relaxation. Continue to draw up a weekly plan and a daily priority list. At the end of each day tick off what you have achieved and plan for the next day.

Study sessions work best in short bursts at this stage, just like a High Intensity Internal Training (HIIT) session. Do your best to switch off all distractions particularly the phone and social media so you can concentrate fully and to minimise the impact of media hype that comes with Leaving Cert exams. Keep revision sessions to 45 mins and take quick breaks to get up and move around regularly. It may seem impossible but try hard to switch off to ensure that you can get proper rest. Don’t study too late and always allow time to do whatever relaxes you after study – take the dog for a walk (they won’t bother you with questions and generally lift spirits!), listen to music, try some meditation/mindfulness if it helps, do some exercise, watch Netflix for a short while. You know what works best for you. While it is important to stay connected with friends it is a good idea to disconnect from social media at least half an hour before you go to bed. This will unplug you from the speculation and hype that intensifies coming up to and during the exams. You have shown remarkable resilience at a difficult time – that will stand to you in the coming weeks and far beyond the Leaving Certificate exam.