Exams are here again

QCS is finished for our grade 12 students in Queensland, but there are 4 other grades (and 7 other states and territories) that have another term of end of year exams.

Here are some tips ~some I wish I had followed~ to get you into gear and surviving the potentially stressful situation of exam season.

Drink water, eat well – Your brain is like an engine, it needs the proper fuel and lubricant to work at its full potential. Skip the junk food for nutritious healthy foods if you’re able to, and water is better than coffee to drink, because coffee and tea are diuretics, creating dehydration.

Gradual study is better than cramming – Burning the midnight oil to cram as much information into your brain at the last possible second isn’t really as effective as you might think. You’re better off doing small bursts of revision work for months in advance than you are making yourself dead tired at the final stretch. You are more likely to have better recall with a good night’s sleep.

Focus on something else – Once you’ve done your gradual study and the exams are looming, remember to avoid a single-minded approach to the coming events. Take a little time to do something else that will hopefully get you out of the house and into some fresh air and include movement to generate some endorphins and create some happiness. Stress doesn’t help anyone to remember the answers.

You can only do as well as you can – Once you have prepared yourself with revision and a healthy lifestyle, the rest of it is up to your frame of mind on the day. Breathe well, think positively, and know you have done the best you can up to this point.

No matter what happens there are always options – Waiting for the postman at the end of your schooling career would have to be one of the most emotionally wrenching days you will have to live through in your teenage years.

Your OP (overall position) is NOT the be-all and end-all of your life.  It may be a number that isn’t as good as you would like, and it may mean you have to take a longer journey to get to where you want to go. If you really want to do something, the journey to get there is part of the prize of reaching your goal. The people and experiences are there to enrich your life and to give you perspective come the final success.

If things are getting too much, TALK to someone. – You are not alone and you are worth the time.

Lifeline 13 11 14 (and on Facebook)

Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800 (and on Facebook) ~ Success is 99% hard work and 1% opportunity. Grab onto every opportunity with both hands and run with it. ~