Mind Moves:Tomorrow is a big day for many Irish families. It is the day the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert exams begin, writes Marie Murray.
Of course there have been some orals and exam subsections already, but in most young people's minds the exams are tomorrow and the question is, what should they do today? How can they use this day constructively? How can they keep anxiety to the minimum? How do they get through tomorrow and the next few weeks until it is all over?
Most Junior Cert students are aware that once the exams end they will be released and returned to the joyousness of being young, carefree, energetic and enthusiastic, looking forward happily to the summer months ahead and the creativity of transition year next year. It is good to remember that, the worst, really, is already over.
Most Leaving Cert students feel that cocktail of anxiety and excitement that once their exams are over they will be launched into the adult world. It is good to remember that this is a transitional life stage of which the exams are just one part and that in this time of opportunities the remainder of adulthood does not depend upon them, regardless of how important they may seem to be today.
For both Junior and Leaving Cert students, therefore, today is the beginning of the end of a process that has been intense. Ironically, tomorrow, student stress will begin to subside because there is nothing more to be done but go in there and let their young, powerful, capable brains reproduce what they can remember: output according to input and luck.
There is only so much a student can do. Whatever they did, were able to do, or were not able to do, did or did not do has been done. What is now required is to get through the next few weeks and make the most of them. The exam is not over yet so that however pessimistically some students may feel about it, there is hope. Great things can still be done.
So what should happen today? Organisation and planning. The exam timetable should be in the student's study area, in parents' diaries and on the hall door to double check times and subjects so that a student does not turn up at the wrong time.
Create a list of practical tasks. Get clothes ready for tomorrow: layers are best for temperature changes. Revision cards for the morning should be made, if not already done. Pack them tonight where they will be accessible for a quick look over tomorrow morning.
All exam requirements, pens (not new, a few old comfortable ones are best), tissues, bottle of water or juice, some glucose sweets, bus fare, mobile phone powered up: whatever is needed needs to be listed for the last minute check to avoid stress. For English tomorrow it can be reassuring to prepare some nice opening sentences, quotations, lines from poems and generic summaries that will be useful for any essay.
It is helpful if parents remind their children that exams are rarely as bad as anticipated, that students trust what they know and don't worry about what they don't because people know much more than they realise so that when the exam begins the information usually floods back.
Exam stress is inevitable but it can make the brain even more efficient. What is written, not how much is written is what counts. If a student is short of time they should jot down bullet points. Every point made is a mark gained and long rambling sentences don't achieve more.
Aimless wandering around tonight may be an expression of anxiety and best dealt with by practical activities: a walk, helping the student who wishes to go over the format of the paper, what kind of questions, how many, what choices, or maybe watching DVDs of course content.
A bit of parental company, nice snacks and attentive listening to students' concerns rather than dismissive assurances that "you'll be fine" are the classic prescribed criteria for helping students through exams.
A bath, cosy nightclothes, the old traditional warm milk (which has a sedative effect) or camomile tea, a few drops of lavender on the pillow, gentle lighting and knowing that at least two clocks have been set and alarm calls arranged for tomorrow all help the relaxation process tonight.
For the student who studied hard it is nice if parents acknowledge that they are proud of the student already for what has been done regardless of results. For students who didn't, couldn't or wouldn't study, tonight is not the time for guilt-inducing lectures but assurances that support will be given over the coming weeks.
As to tomorrow? How good that it is here. How great that the student is healthy enough, able and willing to sit the exam? How important is the learning process ahead: learning how to do exams, manage anxiety, balance study, breaks, fatigue, entertainment and commitment.
It is win-win - when exams go wrong, so much is learned, when they go right so much is gained.
Good luck to all of you tomorrow, our precious, most important young people. It cannot be said too often. You are valuable in our eyes anyway. Remember that.
Marie Murray is the director of the Student Counselling Services UCD and is also the author of Surviving The Leaving Cert: Points for Parents published by Vertias.