Help…My Kid has Exams!
I can remember my high school exams like they were yesterday. Sitting in the Beit Midrash in Ulpana studying in a cluster of students, scrambling to find last-minute notes or tips from our teachers, and most importantly going home and finding my quiet space to study into the wee hours of the night. Yet, my exams were almost 20 years ago and the only distraction I had was the hum of the television show my siblings were watching downstairs.
Fast forward to 2017. The television is no longer the main distraction; rather our students’ attention is in constant competition with Snapchat, Instagram, Netflix, Google, YouTube, Facetime, Facebook and so much more.
Indeed, I have the privilege of working with students and helping them succeed every day in the halls of Ulpana and Or Chaim. The end of January is notably a very busy and stressful time due to upcoming exams. For our grade 9 students, formal exams are a new and unknown concept. For the later grades, it is well known that succeeding on exams requires a great deal of planning, effort and tenacity. BUT it is also a time when some students become vulnerable to procrastination and avoidance when faced with the task ahead.
As parents and educators of this generation, it is crucial for us to guide our children and help instill in them proper study habits so that they can all meet with success as the workload grows and their studies increase.
Some tips for helping our children studying:
Create a Schedule: Encourage your child to create a study schedule, and then post it up around the house. Encourage them to stick to the schedule daily so that they can properly pace themselves and their studies.
Perfect Study Area: The place where your child studies should be quiet, comfortable and free from distractions. If they don’t have their own room that they can sneak away to, consider taking them to study at the library instead.
Long Term Studying: Encourage your child to study in advance for their exams. By cramming the night or 2 before, they are not able to put the information into their long term memory. Studying an hour a day over a longer period of time will help secure the information in their memory.
Snack Healthy When Studying: You want your child to stay sharp while they study. Encourage them to stay away from junk foods. Instead, purchase study-friendly foods like dark leafy greens, whole grains, peanut butter, milk and fruit. Keep it on hand so that they can access it quickly during their breaks.
Get it All Out: The study materials, that is. Before they dig in, make sure they have all their books, notes, and study guides. Look over the outlines and make sure that they have all the notes needed to create their review sheets. If they are missing anything, encourage them to talk to their teacher to fill in the gaps. Don’t give them another excuse to procrastinate.
Narrow it down: Having your child create review notes based on all their materials will help alleviate the feeling of not knowing where to start. Encourage them to look at the outlines and create review notes based on the materials. Some good apps are Quizlet & Crammed. These apps help the student to create flashcards and then helps with the studying of the material.
Take a Break: The brain can only take so much hard work at one time. For every hour of study, take about 15 minutes to do something mindless, like take a walk, watch TV, listen to music or play a computer game. It’ll keep stress level down and give the brain a chance to let all that information sink in.
Join a Study Group: If your child studies better with a partner encourage them to study FOR A SHORT WHILE with a partner or group. They should not spend all their study-time with others but once in awhile it can be very productive.
Get Some Sleep: Your child might be tempted to pull an all-nighter, or relax with their computers or phones, but if they do, they’ll only be hurting your chances of getting a good grade. They should try to get a full 8 hours of sleep so their brain is in good shape on test day. Take their technology (computer, phone, ipad) and keep it with you for the night so that they are not tempted.
Be Supportive: Your child will be nervous and try their best the day of exams. Remember to be supportive and remain positive!
By helping our children learn these skills early on in their educational careers, we are helping them on a direct path to success.
