testing times: coping with exams
by Audrey Thompson
Which of the following statements is correct?
- Exams are stressful
- Revision causes anxiety
- Exam pressure can make you ill.
If your answer is 'yes' to any of the above... then you are not alone.
© stockbyte
It is no surprise that taking exams is one of the most stressful times in a young person's life, particularly as their importance may have been drilled into them for months, sometimes years, beforehand.
Some pupils and students are able to handle the pressures: they may get nervous but they cope. Other people become anxious, agitated, bad-tempered and may even become literally ill or seriously depressed. But it really doesn't have to be that way.
Charlotte Driessler, aged nine, who lives in south London, didn't think of herself as stressed when she took her first major exams – key stage one – three years ago. She just had butterflies in her stomach and felt a bit nervous. But she still describes the experience on a scale of one to ten, as a seven. 'I think I coped with my exams quite well, even though I thought I was going to fail, but I didn't.'
The situation was a little different for Zoe Leadley-Watkins, who lives in south-east London, when she took her GCSEs in 2000 and again, at 18, last year when she took the country's first AS examinations. 'Everyone always says not to worry about the exams – "they're not the end of the world" and "there is always next year" – but somehow it doesn't help.'
But from her experiences last year, she knows the stress before exams is often worse than the actual exam. 'I didn't notice it at the time but I did get bad-tempered at home while doing my exams although I wasn't as bad as one of my friends. She has an older brother who did really well in his exams and although she says her parents didn't pressure her you could tell she felt there was underlying pressure.
'If she had an exam she would revise two weeks solid beforehand. You could see how stressed she was because sometimes she'd burst into tears. So because I saw how extreme it got for her I tried never to let it get to me that much.'
Susan Rogers, head of history at a large Sheffield comprehensive school, has seen it all before and says the stress of exams is not limited to just the pupils. Teachers feel the pressure too.
'At the moment the biggest stress is on the AS pupils,' she says. 'It's a new exam and there was no breathing space between it and their GCSEs. I see pupils come out with rashes, particularly if they have eczema. They are physically ill and certainly all of them are very tired.'
Amanda Haehner, the head of English and careers advice at a comprehensive school in Croydon, Surrey, has similar experiences. Her pupils, she says, range from being 'too laid back for their own good' to 'those who panic and can barely get to sleep at night'.
managing stress during revision
Whether you are at school or university, taking GCSEs, A levels or finals, there is no getting away from the fact that revising can be stressful. But there are ways to manage the pressure. The children's helpline, ChildLine, received almost 1,000 calls in 2000 from pupils needing counselling to cope during the summer exams. Experts from ChildLine and the National Union of Students offer these tips:
- Make a realistic revision timetable and stick to it. Start planning it well before the exams begin. Never leave revision to the last minute.
- Make summary notes of your books, notes and essays to make them more user-friendly, especially if you don't like the subject or find it difficult. Try adding headings and sub-headings, or use highlighting pens and revision cards, key words or charts – whatever works for you.
- Think carefully about what revision routine best suits you. If you are a morning person do most of your studying before lunch, not late at night when you can't concentrate or you feel too sleepy. If you're a night person, study later during the day but remember to go to bed at a reasonable hour to get enough sleep. Being too tired will slow your revision and not help your exam chances.
- Make notes of important points when revising. Try answering questions from past exam papers or explaining tricky answers to someone else to make sure you have made sense of it.
- If you really cannot concentrate it may be because you are tired or hungry or just bored. Take a short break and come back to it 10 minutes later. Short bursts of focused revision are often more beneficial than hours of staring at the same page.
- Always ask for help if there are things you don't understand, and especially if you're feeling stressed out.
- If stress really gets on top of you, talk to your parents or your teachers. If that's no good, there are several helplines designed to help you with just these worries.
- Finally, never forget that there is life after revision and exams.
keeping your cool in exams
When the big day arrives it is too late to worry any longer over whether you have revised enough. But coping with your stress on the day itself may make all the difference to how you do. Here is some more advice from experts:
- Try to have a good breakfast. Getting hungry during the middle of an exam can be distracting, especially if your concentration is already waning.
- Make sure you know when and where the exam will be.
- Give yourself plenty of time to get there and calm your nerves. Rushing only adds to the feeling of panic.
- The night before check that you have packed your bag with everything you will need – extra pens, water, tissues and so on. On the morning of the exam, nerves can make you forget something important.
- If the nervous chat of other pupils taking the exam increases your butterflies, try and find a quiet corner for yourself.
- Go to the toilet before the exam starts.
- In the exam, make sure you take time to read the instructions and questions carefully. Many students do badly because they give the wrong number of answers or misread the questions.
- Work out how long you will have to answer each question and try to stick to this.
- Keep an eye on the time and follow instructions about how long to spend on different sections.
- Make sure you allow yourself 10 to 15 minutes at the end to read through your work, check for obvious mistakes and ensure you have answered all the questions you need to.
how parents can help
It is not unusual for parents to be as nervous as – or more so than – their sons or daughters during exams. They may make things worse by being too pushy. But parents, says teacher Susan Rogers, have a major part to play in helping their children cope with the stresses of exam time. Teachers suggest some tips for parents:
- Make sure your son or daughter gets enough sleep, not just on the night of the exam but throughout the days and weeks of revision.
- Ensure your son or daughter keeps themselves physically fit. Short walks and deep-breathing techniques all help to keep them calm.
- Help by testing your son or daughter to make sure their revision is working. Buy them revision books, insist that they take their breaks or simply pamper them when they've worked really hard.
- If your son or daughter is away at boarding school or university, keep in touch with them during revision and exams to offer encouragement and help them keep unreasonable worries under control.
- Most importantly, parents need to lighten the pressure they themselves place on their child so that they don't worry unnecessarily. Be realistic about your son or daughter's chances, don't expect too much, and reassure them that it really isn't the end of the world if they fail or do worse than expected.
exams today
Year 2 (age 7): Key Stage 1: tests in reading, writing (including spelling and handwriting) and mathematics.
Year 6 (age 11): Key Stage 2: tests in reading, writing (including handwriting), spelling, mathematics mental arithmetic and science.
Year 9 (age 14): Key Stage 3: English (including reading, writing and studying a Shakespeare play), mathematics, mental arithmetic and science.
Year 11 (age 16): GCSE exams.
Year 12 (age 17): AS (advanced subsidiary) exams.
Year 13 (age 18): A2 exams (the equivalent of A-levels).
help and info
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.
organisations
ChildLine
45 Folgate Street
London E1 6GL
Helpline: 0800 11 11 (Freephone 24 hours)
Textphone: 0800 400 222
The Line: a special helpline for any young person living away from home. This is the helpline for you if you live in a foster home or a children's home, if you're at boarding school or you've been in hospital for a long time. You can call The Line on 0800 88 44 44 from 3.30pm to 9.30pm on weekdays and 2pm to 8pm at weekends.
Website: www.childline.org.uk
UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children and young people. Trained volunteer counsellors provide comfort, advice and protection. Lines can be busy so please try again if you don't get through the first time. Young people can write to the following freepost address: ChildLine, Freepost 1111, London N1 0BR.
Get Connected
Tel: 0808 808 4994 (1pm-11pm every day)
E-mail: help@getconnected.org.uk
Website: help@getconnected.org.uk
Free confidential telephone and e-mail helpline directly connecting young people to services that can offer help and support, whatever the problem. Volunteers are trained specifically in speaking to young people.
National Youth Agency
19-23 Humberstone Road
Leicester LE5 3GJ
Tel: 0116 242 7350
E-mail: youthinformation@nya.org.uk
Website: www.nya.org.uk
Can help with all the issues faced by young people in the UK, from exam pressures and trouble at home, legal issues, employment and financial difficulties to sport, leisure and travel.
Samaritans
c/o Chris
PO Box 90 90
Stirling FK8 2SA
Helpline: 08457 90 90 90 (24 hours)
E-mail: jo@samaritans.org
Website: www.samaritans.org.uk
The Samaritans exists to provide confidential emotional support to any person, irrespective of race, creed, age or status who is in emotional distress or at risk of suicide; 24 hours a day. Can be contacted by e-mail, telephone, writing, or by visiting one of over 200 local branches (details are on the website).
websites
@ease
www.rethink.org/at-ease/siteindex.htm
Mental health resource for young people. Information is available on a wide range of topics including depression, complementary therapies, emotional problems, drugs, sexuality and studying.
AS Guru
www.bbc.co.uk/education/asguru/
Discover from this study guide what style of learner you are, how to manage your time and who to go to for support. Tap into the tips for researching and presenting your work as well as for revision and exams.
Examinations.co.uk
www.examinations.co.uk/
Offers information on how to do well in exams, revision tips and help to pass your exams, with specialist tutors available to answer questions.
GCSE Bitesize
www.bbc.co.uk/education/gcsebitesize/
Use the Revision Bites section to brush up on your exam skills, then check what you know in Test Bites.
Homework High
www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/H/homework_holding
This Channel 4 site provides homework help, advice and direction to students aged 16 and under.
Mind, Body and Soul
www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk
Contains accurate and up-to-date information about health, enabling people to make their own choices. It also contains material to help with schoolwork. Click on mental health to find information on stress, how to look after yourself, positive steps and links.
Revisiontime
www.revisiontime.com
A free education portal for students, parents and tutors. Provides information via links to useful sites. Helpful for project research and keeping up-to-date with the news.
Schools Online
www.bbc.co.uk/education/schools/index.shtml
Part of the BBC Online website. Contains learning resources for pre-school, 4-11 years, 11-16, and 16+. The study skills section lists information on motivation, time management, and using support networks.
Schoolzone
www.schoolzone.co.uk
Has huge database of resources for teachers, parents and students: studying resources, homework help, revision aids and more.
S-cool
www.s-cool.co.uk
Dedicated to school students. Contains GCSE A and A-S revision guides on a range of subjects, revision tips, and a good list of links.
TheSite
www.thesite.org
Connects young adults (18-25) in the UK to a wide range of information, help and advice on subjects such as student life, health, relationships, drugs and money. Click on 'careers' for articles on exams.
Youth Information.com
www.youthinformation.com/infopage.asp?snID=145
Offers information on homework and exams, with tips for successful studying, revising and coping with the pressures at exam time.
reading
Exam Stress and How To Beat It |
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How to Cope with the Stress of Student Life by Penny Cloutte (Mind, 1999) |
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How to Pass any Exam by Brian Duncalf (Kyle Cathie, 1999) |
In School, Stay Cool (YoungMinds) 40p plus p&p |
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Passing Exams by Dawn Hamilton (Continuum International Publishing Group, 1999) |
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The Study Skills Handbook by Stella Cottrell (Palgrave, 1999) |
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(updated December 2002, resources updated June 2005)
