How does one cope with stress during exams? This question has become very common nowadays because every student wants to excel in their academics. In order to achieve this goal, your child may be spending most – if not all – of their waking hours studying and even sacrificing sleep in the process. In fact, it is common for many secondary school students in Singapore to get an average of 6.5 hours of sleep on weekday nights. Unfortunately, this practice does not always result in good grades.
Signs your child is stressed
In the weeks leading up to your child’s major exams like the O-levels, it is important to be attuned to their stress levels. Exam stress can manifest in a variety of ways, from physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches to emotional symptoms like anxiety and irritability. In some cases, students may even experience difficulty concentrating or remembering information. While a certain amount of stress can be beneficial, as it can help to motivate your child and improve their performance, excessive stress can have the opposite effect.
If your child is feeling overwhelmed as they prepare for their Math exams, there are a few steps that you can take to help them regain control and learn how to manage it.
How to cope with exam stress
1. Get ahead of the game
It may seem obvious, but being prepared is key when it comes to managing exam stress. By starting their E-Math or A-Math revision early, your child can spread it out over a longer period, giving them more time to properly process and remember the information. Constant revision is more effective than trying to cram everything in at once. During this time, it allows your child to identify any areas of improvement and seek clarification with their Math tutor when in doubt. Come exam time, they'll feel more confident and prepared.
2. Know what to expect
Knowing what to expect before kickstarting any revision allows more effective Math exam preparation. Your child may otherwise feel stressed when they realise they did not manage to cover important concepts that will be tested. To guide your child, Math Academia always prepares them for new exam trends both in school and national papers in Singapore. We have also curated a library of resources so your child can have the latest study materials at their fingertips.
While your child attends weekly tuition lessons with us, they will be constantly supported by the resources handed out to them. For instance, an advanced question contains an exclusive link with video explanation - guiding your child step-by-step in tackling such questions. Additionally, your child can find extra take-home tutorials in it and gain access to more revision worksheets and school exam papers on our online learning platform.
3. Strengthen their weak topics
If your child is struggling with certain topics in E-Math or A-Math, it's natural for them to feel particularly stressed about it. Encourage your child to start working on their weaker topics to ensure that they are well-prepared for such questions . That will leave them with sufficient time to seek clarification with their tutor. Once they are confident, they can then move on to the subjects they are already strong in.
4. Avoid distractions
To reduce stress during exams, it's essential to study without distractions. Distractions can come in many forms, from social media to general noise levels. When your child is trying to focus on studying, any distraction can quickly break their concentration and derail productivity. Ensuring they have a conducive space to study can do wonders to their overall stress levels.
5. Stay organised
Finally, one of the most important things to do when revising for exams is to create a study schedule. Having a plan helps your child to focus on what they need to do and when they need to do it. A study schedule can ensure your child uses their time efficiently and cover all the topics they need to know. Creating a study schedule beforehand also forces your child to be realistic about how much time they have, and the number of remaining topics they need to revise. This way, your child can make the most of their revision period and avoid last-minute panic.
Be ready to ace the paper
To ensure your child is well-prepared for their O-level exam papers, explore our Math tuitions for E-Math and A-Math today. Not only will they get support from our dedicated tutors, they can also gain a deeper understanding of the various math concepts through our online learning platform. For more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at Math Academia.