Navigating exam periods and studying for exams can be stressful for teenagers and their families. Stress and anxiety around exam time can develop for several reasons. This can include teenagers feeling increased pressure from others around them, placing pressure on themselves to receive certain marks or grades; comparison with peers; fear of failure and managing competing commitments such as extracurricular activities.
When to step in?
Low levels of stress that occur for a short period of time is normal and can be helpful as it may increase motivation. However, when stress and anxiety is heightened and continues for extended periods it can impact on other areas of a teenager’s life. This is when parents may need to step in and provide additional supports. Heightened and ongoing stress and/or anxiety may look like disengagement or loss of interest in activities, irritability, ongoing tiredness and fatigue, low motivation, feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, being withdrawn and changes in eating or sleeping habits.
Study tools
There are different study tools and techniques that teenagers can use when studying for exams. These include the Pomodoro method [1] which includes studying for 25mins, taking a short break, studying for additional blocks, with longer breaks (1 – 2hrs) between multiple study blocks . Tools such as diaries, planners and calendars can also be helpful to map out a study timetable eg. allocating different times of the day to different subjects. Body doubling [2] is another tool that helps increase focus and attention and can be useful for studying. Body doubling involves performing a task alongside another person, either in person or virtually. It can increase accountability and focus whilst decreasing procrastination or avoidance.
Avoiding distractions
Distractions can often negatively impact productivity and increase stress and anxiety levels. Common distractions for teenagers include mobile phones and social media, family members, friends, being overwhelmed by tasks and environmental factors like studying in the bedroom. For some teenagers, putting away their phones in a drawer can be enough, however for some having their phone in another room or being looked after by a parent is more helpful. Creating a distraction free and suitable studying environment can look like having a dedicated area of the bedroom to study, such as a desk, rather than studying on their bed; having a separate area or room of the house such as a study/living room or going to the library or a study space at school.
What to Prioritise?
It is important to prioritise physical and mental wellbeing whilst studying for exams. This includes engaging in physical activity to increase heart rate eg. going for a walk or run; eating a balanced diet, having good quality sleep and engaging in enjoyable activities such as drawing, Arts and Craft or puzzles.
Prioritising rest breaks whilst studying is also important. Often teenagers deprioritise enjoyable activities or rest breaks due to feeling guilty, having concerns of being perceived as lazy or feeling stressed about not doing enough study. Taking purposeful breaks (anywhere from 5–60 minutes) from studying can be helpful to refresh the brain and body and increase rather than hinder productivity. Breaks that involve social interactions or physical wellbeing are the most beneficial to rejuvenation.
Navigating exam day
Navigating the day of the exam can also increase stress levels. This can be due to many factors, such as the exam being held in a different room or building to regular classes or specific exam conditions such as external exam supervisors and rules regarding what can be brought into the exam. It is important that all students are aware of exam conditions, such as what is allowed in the exam room, the length of time of the exam including reading and writing times, and any additional allowances the student has. Although teenagers may feel like last minute study and same day cramming can be helpful, this can instead lead to increased stress and anxiety levels. Research has shown that cramming is unhelpful and leads to difficulties recalling information effectively [3]. Instead, focus on coping tools such as deep breathing and helpful thoughts such as “I can do this” to calm your body and mind. .
Exam periods can be a stressful time for teenagers and their families. It is important to have open conversations about stress and anxiety, normalising and validating these feelings and helping to support teenagers in implementing different tools for studying and managing stress and anxiety.
Further resources can be found at: https://au.reachout.com/
[2] https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689648
[3] Stafford, T. (2014) ‘Memory: Why cramming for tests often fails.’ BBC Future. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140917-the-worst-way-to-learn
