Navigating Exam Season

As the blossom fills tree lines streets and the days grow longer, I often think that nature can be a teaser for what’s to come in the summer months after students entering the season of revision and examinations have finally put their pens down and closed their laptops.  But for now there is a quiet fervour and narrative of “heads down,” in schools up and down the country.

So how can revision really work?

Learning to revise is a process and a skill - the act itself needs rehearsing over the course of secondary school with guidance and nurturing.

In order to learn material thoroughly, it’s necessary to start a revision programme well in advance and regularly revisit and review that material. Each time you return to the material, you not only refresh but also strengthen your memory of it.

Learning needs to be active and engaging. We know that reading and re-reading notes is not active enough to learn and fully understand the material. Often you can get a false sense of security in doing so, the material appears familiar but this is often an illusion rather than proof of learning and will also likely to lead to you finding it difficult to apply knowledge in more open ended or problem solving questions.  

So how can you check that the information you’re revising is sticking?

Here are just a few top tips:

1.     Repeat what you’ve learnt aloud, only using a prompt if you get stuck

2.     Make Mind Maps to link concepts, ideas and key facts together. The more colourful the better.

3.     Work through practice questions or past papers; make flashcards with a key word on the front and important information on the back, so that you can use them to test yourself.

4.     Revise in different settings, not always the same space. Not only will this alleviate the monotony you may feel during a revision period, but studies have shown that your ability to recall information during an exam can be greater if you’ve revised in two different locations.

5.     Be realistic in your planning. Ensure that you’re not “overasking of yourself.”  Sessions should be timetabled into no longer than 30 minute sessions. Ensure that you leave your study space during brain breaks.  Bask in nature for a 10 minute walk or make a hot drink. Aim to be without your phone for this period of time too.  

6.     Green Over Screens: The power of nature is proven to alleviate stress and also allow time and space for consolidation of learning. Whenever you can during revision periods timetable in a 30 minute walk or time to engage in a preferred sporting activity.

7.     Variety is the spice of life; when studying ensure that you timetable has a number of topics and subjects to learn in a day. Consistently working on the same subject may mean that you acquire a false sense of familiarity. Switching between subjects encourages your brain to make sense of the power of recall. If you study one subject, then another and a third, return to the first thing at the end of the day and  aim to recall the first thing you learnt. This helps to transfer the information to your long term memory.

8.     The more active your learning the better, the use of flashcards and notelets as well as self-talk – try recording your voice too and play it as your falling asleep. The act of writing and doodling notes and mind maps helps the brain to process and retain information,

9.     Finally, getting enough sleep is crucial; the more tired you are, the more likely you are to procrastinate and ruminate as well as suffer increased worry and greater distractions such as checking your phone or watching TV.  Sleep also acts as a revision tool, helping to consolidate our memories and build synaptic connections linking learning together.

 Exams are anxiety provoking and it’s a process to learn how to navigate the worry that can build around them.  Too much worry can be crippling and it’s crucial that you’re  able to dip into your “ emotional toolbox,” to use supportive methods to reduce your worries. How we do this is very individual and preventative measures often work best.

Allow moments of joy and connection to trickle into revision time. It’s important that you engage in activities that you’ve always liked such as going for a walk with friends, playing a chosen sport or cuddling the dog. When you feel somatic responses such as your heart rate rising, or getting sweaty palms it’s sign that your body is being flooded with cortisol; the stress hormone. Allow yourself time to breathe and I would always suggest walking away from the task and coming back to it when you feel calmer.

As a parent or caregiver it’s important to nurture the needs of your child during revision and exam periods. This not only means providing wholesome meals and encouragement for good sleep, but also helping them to recognise their successes at studying and gently encouraging positive change if you can see they’re struggling. Work to validate your child’s feelings, and it can be helpful to consider how you navigated times of study.  It’s important that your child understands that their achievements are good enough. If your child is struggling, be consistent in your offers of support and conversation, allow time for reflection and remember that you own your worries, just as they own theirs. It’s important to remember as a parent that learning does not happen on a linear trajectory and each experience offers room for scaffolding of learning and positive change.  Often “talking and walking,” can be most effective as you’re on an even keel together and your child may feel more open to discussing their revision concerns. Them just knowing you’re their to listen, can often mean more than is expressed.

 Wishing everyone the best of luck!