Mags GarganMags Gargan offers advice on how best to use the next few weeks to prepare for the State exams
It always seems like just as the weather begins to improve and we all want to make the most of sunny afternoons and evenings, students have to lock themselves away to study for exams.
The academic year rolls around quickly, and how students use the next few weeks to prepare for the Junior and Leaving Cert is vitally important, both in terms of their performance in the exams but also for their own mental health.
“It is important that students keep a positive frame of mind as they await their first exam,” says guidance counsellor Frank Mulvihill of Cork Career Clinic. “They possess a lot of information – even if they feel they have not prepared well enough. They should take confidence in the fact that they have work done and they will recall a lot of the material when focussed in the examination setting. In the exam situation it is surprising how much one can retrieve from memory, and students should never forget their ability to reason when answering.”
Frank says that while Junior Cert students will be facing their first experience of ‘real’ exams, which can be quite an ordeal, the experience of the ‘mock’ exams will stand to them. “In general the students cope with them quite well and anxiety tends not to be a big problem.”
For Leaving Cert students, however, it is slightly different. “The Leaving has more significance in terms of their future and, consequently, it places more pressure on them. However, the experience of having sat the Junior Certificate means the State exam environment itself should not present any problems. It is all about staying focussed and having self-belief at this stage,” he says.
The best thing for students to do now in the final stretch of preparation is to think positively, take care of their health and follow an organised study strategy.
Make a schedule
The first step is to make out a realistic study timetable, with breaks and exercise, and then stick to it. Avoid cramming. Prioritise your subjects. Break them up into manageable sections that can be reviewed regularly. This makes it easier to tackle your least favourite areas and helps you feel you are making progress. Use headings, diagrams, highlighting and revision cards. “At this stage most of the work is done and students should not try to cover entire courses in the weeks and days preceding the exams. It is good enough at this point to focus on selected areas which one feels need more attention,” Frank says.
Test yourself
Use past exam papers and try to simulate the actual exam hall condition. Just being able to remember your notes is not enough; you need to able to craft them into relevant answers. Practice is the best way to refine your ability to form an answer under time pressures. Make regular use of exam papers to become familiar with the different formats of each exam subject. Check your answers and correct your mistakes. For subjects that demand creative writing, ask you teacher to read over and grade your practise runs.
Become familiar with the marking scheme so that you can allocate time to each question or part of a question according to its importance. Practising with previous exam papers also means you will start to notice any trends in the questions asked and it will raise your confidence levels.
Stay healthy
Taking breaks, getting fresh air, regular exercise and a healthy diet will stimulate your brain, enhance your memory and give you a better overall sense of health and well-being.
But stay off addictive social media and beware of getting sucked into watching TV.
A good’s night sleep the night before an exam is essential for a good performance on the day. Pulling an ‘all-nighter’ is counter-productive. You need to feel refreshed and alert. Dietary supplements can also help some people to maintain a healthy immune system – the last thing you need now is to get sick!
“Students will need energy to carry them through the exams and, consequently, diet, rest and sleep are as much part of the routine over the last few weeks as study is. Eat healthy foods and do not get to bed too late,” Frank says.
“Then there is anxiety. A little anxiety is good, but avoid becoming too anxious.”
Exam day
Eat a good breakfast. Be on time. Make sure you have your equipment ready and in good shape (new batteries in calculator, spare pens etc.). When in the exam, read the whole paper through first and then read each question carefully before you start writing your answer. Examiners say that not answering the exact question asked is one of the most regular and fatal errors students make. In literary subjects, don’t use irrelevant quotations just because you have learned them off, it doesn’t impress.
“Make sure you attempt all questions expected of you, and do not forget to turn over the question paper where there may be more questions,” Frank says.
Time management
Mismanaging your time can be a costly mistake. If you find yourself stuck for time as you struggle through your third answer out of five, move on to questions four and five, even if your attempt is rough or in bullet point form. Unanswered questions get you zero marks.
If a question completely baffles you, leave it until the end and move on to another one.
“Know how much time you should spend on each question and stick to this time frame. Spending extra time on one question will reduce that for another and will usually mean you are not maximising your marks,” Frank says.
Think positively
Remind yourself of all that you have achieved in your revision and in the mock tests. Don’t dwell on your weaknesses. Having that self-confidence and positive attitude walking into the exam hall will affect how you tackle the paper. Relax physically. Breathe regularly.
Post-exam
Avoid post-mortems after the exam is over. They won’t change anything and usually have a negative effect, making you feel confused or disheartened. You can only focus on the present and the next exam that needs to be prepared for.
“And remember it is only an exam, and no matter how importanWhat is test anxiety?
Frank Mulvihill
Test anxiety usually occurs when one perceives a significant discrepancy between what they have studied and what could be asked in the examination. It usually affects (though not exclusively) those who are not well prepared or those who have very high expectations of themselves. Let’s face it, most people suffer some level of anxiety.
The problem arises when it begins to affect one’s performance. Here are some tips to overcome it:
- Have realistic expectations about yourself.
- Learn to physically relax.
- Manage your lifestyle: learn to recognise when you are under stress (headaches, digestive problems, muscle cramps, cold hands, increased alcohol use etc.); take care of your body (exercise, eat nutritiously, rest, etc.)t it is to you, there are solutions if it does not go as well as would like,” Frank says.