Once the revision has been done and the day of the tests or exam has finally arrived, is there any more that can be done? Well if you start the previous evening there is plenty more that can be achieved to ensure a successful performance.
- Get everything organised in the early evening well before preparing to go to bed. Ensure that all equipment is available and ready to go into the school bag. Putting it into the bag will probably just result in a panic in the morning involving getting it all out again to check it’s there! But if it’s ready to go in, it can be all checked off in the morning. Also, getting all necessary clothes ready the night before will avoid any last minute running around in the morning.
- Try and have a relaxed evening. A nice meal and watching a light hearted film will help relax frazzled minds and get thoughts of exams out of the way to help induce a good night’s sleep.
- Avoid last minute cramming unless of course something springs to mind that needs to be looked up or checked. But then suggest the books and revision notes go away. It may be a good idea to take a pen and paper to keep next to the bed so that if your student wakes up in the night thinking of something else they need to look up, it can be noted down to be dealt with morning rather than fretted over until the early hours.
- Get everyone up a few minutes earlier. Mornings can be a very hectic and stressful time in busy households. If everyone has a little more time it will help to create a more relaxed atmosphere. And, as much as parents like to encourage children to be independent when getting ready for school, a little help on these mornings would go a long way. For example, a substantial breakfast, a packed lunch with ‘post exam’ snacks, and plenty of fluids to drink during the day; a hydrated brain will function more effectively and help avoid fatigue.
- Try to avoid too many questions after the exam. An enquiry into how it went will, no doubt, be appreciated. But if they want to talk about it further that can be down to them to do in their own time. A bit of ‘chill out’ time when they get home will probably be more appreciated than an abundance of questions!
- And finally, remind your child that this is only a short time in their lives and they will soon be free to relax, knowing that they have done their best in whatever tests or exams they may have faced. Try to have some sort of family or parent/child celebration planned to look forward to once all the hard work is over.
Good Luck!
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