Maintain a good routine and balance in the run up to the Exams

As you approach the countdown to the beginning of the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert Exams on June 8th, it is very important to maintain a healthy balance so that you can pace yourself properly up to and throughout the exams. It can be tempting try to pack in long hours of last minute study at this stage and become more focused on what you don’t know instead of what you do! Stress is a normal part of facing exams and in fact a certain amount of it is helpful to ensure that you mobilise you to perform well, but it is essential that you keep it in check and keep these exams in perspective. After many years of supporting students before, during and after exams, I know too well how overwhelming the experience can be so I urge you to do everything you can to look after your wellbeing at this stage.

Before the exams

Stick to a good routine with a healthy balance in terms of revision, rest, fresh air, sleep and diet. Don’t be tempted to work late at night as it is usually unproductive and impacts on your concentration the following day. Approach your last minute revision in a targeted way with the guidance you have been given by your teachers. Revise the most important topics at this stage, focusing in exam questions and answers and make sure you are clear on the marking schemes. Have a schedule of the exams with your exams dates/time highlighted hanging up where it is obvious and visible at home and take a photo to save on your phone.

During the exams

Set 2 alarms for the mornings of exams and allow lots of extra time. You may not feel like it but eat a good breakfast! You will need to be in your assigned seat in the exam centre at least 30 minutes before the start of the exam on day one and 15 minutes before all other exams. Hydration is really important during the exams to help with concentration so make sure you have plenty water. The first thing to do when you look at the paper is to read the instructions carefully, your teacher will have gone through these many times with you. Mark all the questions you are going to do and right out a quick time plan for yourself. Many students like to start with the questions they are very confident in which is sensible as it gets you off to a good start and in a positive mindset. Focus on exactly what you are being asked, the most common feedback from examiners is that students give a lot of irrelevant information so keep glancing back at the question to keep yourself on task to target the marks. Lots of students worry about going blank in the exam. My advice is to take a few moments to gather yourself, take a few sips of water and use breathing techniques to regulate yourself. Then use a extra page which you can get from the examiner to jot down the keywords/concepts you do know, once you see those down on paper, it will jog your memory and bring you back into the right headspace to continue.

Breathing

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed in the exam hall. When we are stressed, the best thing we can do is to bring a sense of calm by controlling what we can control, our breath.

If you feel you are becoming really anxious breathe in through your nose for 2 seconds, hold your breath for 1 second, and breathe out through your mouth for 4 seconds. Repeat for one minute.

After the exam

Try to avoid too much discussion after each paper, ‘post-mortems’ of the exams are rarely helpful and can add to stress levels so once each exam is done, take a break and then move on to preparing for the next one. I can tell you that regardless of what happens in each exam, you will have lots of options available to you and an interesting journey ahead.

Keep in mind that while the Leaving Cert is an important exam and big milestone, it will not define you for the rest of your life. Best of luck to the Class of 2022!