How to cope with the anxiety of Matric exams, especially when things are going badly

While stress is understandable in this kind of situation, it is not always the most productive response. Thankfully, there are a number of things which learners and their parents can do to help reduce the stress associated with a bad exam paper.

November 1, 2017

Keegan Frances 1 minute read

Students

1.Focus on the task ahead

According to Dr Gillian Mooney the dean of Academic Development and Support at the Independent Institute of Education, there is very little which you can do about an exam once it has been handed in.

Thinking about the facts which you forgot, the better answers which you could have given to certain questions as well as how you could have studied harder is a waste of time and effort.

Dr Mooney advises: “It is far better to focus on what you can still do now, for instance studying harder for the next paper.”

You also need to remember that most subjects have more than one exam which gives you the opportunity to improve your mark.

2.Familiarise yourself with the options that are available should the worst case scenario arise

While it is always better to do your best and achieve the highest marks possible, there are other options that are available if you are unable to get into your desired university course.

The first thing which you could do is to rewrite some of the subjects which you did poorly in after the exam period is over. Alternatively, you could consider doing a higher degree certificate that can give you access to degree study.

Parents

1. Acknowledge the concern which exists

According to Dr Mooney, it is important for parents to acknowledge their children’s concerns about a bad exam paper.

Doing so can offer a prime opportunity for you, as the parent, to reflect with your child on how they can better their approach to future exam papers.

2. Create a positive supporting environment

Dr Mooney offers a few suggestion to parents with regards to how they can create this environment namely:

That they should help their child to identify ways in which they can manage their stress and anxiety levels. In doing so, they could suggest to their child that they try breathing exercises.
That they should ensure that there child is getting enough food and sleep and that they are taking care of themselves.
That they should identify when their child is panicking so that they can talk about it with them and calm their fears.

3. Control your emotions:

This will allow you to more effectively help your child to work through any fears which they may have and to concentrate on the exam papers ahead.

This information was provided by Meropa Communications on behalf of the independent institute of education.

At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!