Exam Thriving Tool kit by Ianto Doyle.
Doing well in exams is about cultivating good life habits early on, rather than a last minute panic fix. Through working regularly in small doses over a prolonged period we can cultivate a healthy, relaxed and effective habit life to manage the challenging period of exam pressure. This is best done when the adults around the children are modelling good practices as well as encouraging them in the daily life of the school.
What’s really going on?
- Stress and pressure. Pressure is the challenge we face, stress arises from what we do with it.
- How our brain and physiology works.
- Getting to know how we think, the way this effect us and how to manage thoughts.
- Procrastination. When the childish part of us is in charge, until the panic sets in or we give up.
- How moods and feelings affect us.
- How our personal stories affect us.
- Which part of me is deciding what I do and how I am?
- Young people in challenging circumstances.
- Dysfunctional thinking.
What can we do about it?
- Circle time. A trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- Study / accountability buddies. Getting your support team in place.
- Solution focussed. Not dwelling on problems and focussing on solutions we don’t get stuck.
- Study skills. Learn and use them.
- Apps, web pages, videos, audios that can help.
- Time management.
- Self-regulation.
- Stopping to rejuvenate, recreation and deep relaxation.
- Mindfulness. De-stressing and managing strong feelings through the act of consciously placing the attention in the present experience.
- Learning sustained focus.
- Self-regulation and self care. The basics for doing well.
- Short simple daily exercises. That can be used in day to day life and during lessons or studies.
- Adults modelling helpful habits (or not). Parents, carers and home life influences.
- What does not work.