Study Tips for your Teen

Exam preparation is a tricky thing for young people and often not something they are particularly well practised at. They never really get taught how to prepare for exams and as they get older there is more and more pressure on them to do well in their exams. If they go into higher education a lot of the learning is self directed so teaching them good habits when they are young will be really beneficial for them.

Lots of things go out of the window during exam season, including sleep, healthy eating, drinking and even socialising in the run up to exams so that by the day they arrive, everyone is tired and emotional and their mind might be full of information they can’t process as they can’t concentrate.

This was something I used to see young people about as a school nurse, young people who wanted to do well but for a variety of reasons, either family pressure, lack of time or space they were worried about their mounting workload. I used to sit with them and try to help them first of all think about the results they wanted to achieve and then how they could get there.

1) Knowing the type of learner your child is can be helpful, are they a visual learner, or do they need to be actively involved, so a kinaesthetic learner.

2) Try to work out when they study best. For me mornings were always a waste of time and I would find anything else I could do except studying. It became quite impressive how well I could avoid doing what I needed. Late afternoon is a great time for me to knuckle down.

3) Create a time table which they can colour code if they are a visual learner or perhaps write in their diary if they are kinasthetic. This will help them organise their work and make sure they are not neglecting one particular subject area.

4) Break the study down into small blocks, so every 20 minutes to half an hour, get them to break state and take a few breaths. They can do some stretches, or go for a short walk. The break will dohem good because if they study around. If they study for too long they will stop learning so break it down a bit.

5) Exercise regularly, even if it is only to go for a walk. Some people focus much better if they do some form of physical activity and if your young person is usually active it is good for them to continue with some form of exercise. It will probably help them concentrate better and be more productive.

6) Make sure they still have time in their day to see friends/ socialise as this will help their mindset and morale.

7) Eat regularly. If they are not a fan of breakfast which many young people aren’t from what I have seen and heard, get them to take a piece of fruit or cereal bar with them. Taking an exam on an empty stomach is not a recipe for success.

8) Drink plenty of water as dehydration can reduce someone’s concentration by 10%. If they don’t like water then add some fruit or something to infuse into it.

9) Sleep well, have wind down time before bed. Studying after school until 10pm or later is not an uncommon thing for young people to do. When they then try to sleep they find it hard to drift off as their mind is really full. A short period of relaxation including something like meditation or a shower before bed is more likely to help them sleep properly. Exams are really important but a lack of sleep will affect overall achievement.