With exam period ever-looming, we understand that some students may struggle to keep up with the exam revision pressure. It is essential to keep reminding them of ways that they can keep on top of their work and that they are not in it on their own. Exams don’t have to be a chore when executed correctly, that is why we have compiled a guide of top tips for keeping calm during the Summer exam period:

1. Prioritise Your Time

Prioritising time is one of the most important things to remember when revising for exams. If this isn’t done correctly, your child could find themselves snowed-under last minute with the revision that they haven’t done. Setting up a revision timetable is a good way to keep up with the workload, allowing a way for your child to allocate their time accordingly. Make sure your child keeps their timetable in a safe place – this will need to be constantly referred to when creating their exam-period plan. For top tips on how to help your child’s revision process, visit our blog here.

2. Look After Your Body

It is easy for your child to slack on their self-care when exam stress can get a little too much. Their brain needs time to recover, therefore getting an adequate amount of sleep is essential when it comes to reducing exam stress. It is recommended that your child has around 8-9 hours of sleep every night to allow their brain to fully function the next day. It is also important that your child keeps up a healthy diet, ensuring that they have a balanced diet – with breakfast being the most important meal of the day! Finally, make sure they exercise. Exercise releases Serotonin which is involved with regulating sleep and boosting mood – this will reduce potential exam stress drastically.

3. Set Realistic Goals

Exams may seem tough but ensuring that they take them one step at a time will solidify success. Making sure that your child has long-term and short-term goals throughout the exam period will help them reduce stress and increase their overall exam performance. Examples of short-term goals could include, completing a module of revision or gaining a certain mark on an exam past paper. Start small and build up the goals – Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was your child’s revision.

4. Relaxation Techniques

The use of relaxation techniques is a good way to reduce stress levels during the exam period. Closing their eyes and focusing on breathing is a good method to calm exam anxiety, get your child to do this in a quiet room to help them relax. Another relaxation method used for exam stress is visualisation – educate your child on how to close their eyes and envision themselves at a peaceful scene of their choice, examples may include sitting on a beach or walking through a beautiful rainforest.  

5. Believe in yourself

Our final tip is for your child to believe in themselves! It is easy to get wrapped up with “I can’t do it” or “this isn’t sticking in my brain” – but these negative thoughts can halt your child’s learning process and affect their final exam outcome. Remind your child constantly on how well they are doing and remind them of the school teaching support available to them.

If your child seems to be struggling with the workload, or with a certain subject please contact your child’s form tutor or subject teacher and we will see that they get the necessary and relevant support they need.