Exam season can be one of the most stressful periods in a student’s academic journey. The pressure to perform, achieve high grades, and meet expectations (internal or external), can take a serious toll on their mental, emotional, and physical health.
During this time, the role of parents and teachers becomes more important than ever. By creating a nurturing environment, modelling calmness, and shifting the focus away from perfection and toward personal growth, adults can play a pivotal role in helping students not only survive exams, but also grow through them.
In order to be successful in exams, students are required to remember lots of information, which is taxing on the brain. To retain information, stay focused, and manage stress is directly linked to how well an individual nourishes their body and mind. Unfortunately, in the midst of intense revision, many students neglect the basics of eating well, staying hydrated, sleeping, and taking breaks.
Parents and teachers can support by encouraging healthy routines. Simple acts like ensuring there are nutritious meals readily available and keeping healthy snacks on hand can make a huge difference. Emphasising the importance of hydration and sleep is also critical. Even the best study plan becomes ineffective if the student is running on little rest and poor nutrition.
On the mental front, gentle encouragement and praise for effort, not just results, can help reduce feelings of inadequacy or burnout. It’s important to remind students that their brains need time to recharge, and that learning is a marathon, not a sprint. Encouraging daily movement – whether that’s a long walk, a dance session, or playing their favourite sport, can also help clear the mind and boost mood-enhancing endorphins.
During stressful periods, practicing gratitude can be a powerful way to stay grounded. When anxiety builds and pressure mounts, it’s easy for students to lose sight of the bigger picture and feel overwhelmed. This is where gratitude comes in.
This can be a family activity at home. Start or end the day with a moment of reflection and share three things you’re grateful for. These could include:
As you can see from that example list, they are five simple suggestions that are minor. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that bring gratitude into life, and not necessarily the mountainous, spectacular things.
Teachers can incorporate brief gratitude moments into the school day, perhaps by starting class with a quick gratitude circle or reflection.
Gratitude not only fosters emotional resilience but also cultivates a healthier perspective. It reminds students that while exams are important, they’re just one part of a much larger, richer life experience. Gratitude can be a steadying force, helping students reconnect with their values, relationships, and sense of self-worth beyond test scores.
Teenagers and young adults are incredibly perceptive, which means they pick up on the emotions and behaviours of the adults around them. When parents or teachers appear anxious, stressed, or overly focused on outcomes, youngsters often absorb that energy. In the same way, when adults project calm, balance, and confidence, students are more likely to feel reassured and supported.
This is why modelling calmness is essential during exam season. For parents, this might mean being mindful of how they talk about exams, so that there isn’t intense pressure on results. Instead of saying, “You need to get good results,” shift the conversation to “I know you’re working hard, and I’m proud of your effort.” For teachers, this might involve de-emphasising rigid expectations and encouraging a growth mindset in the classroom.
Encouraging a balanced routine also sets a strong example. When students see adults making time for rest, hobbies, and self-care, it gives them permission to do the same. A balanced lifestyle promotes better mental clarity and emotional regulation, which are both essential for exam success.
As mentioned at the start of this blog post, many school systems promote exams results as the ultimate measure of a student’s intelligence, future potential, and self-worth. This mindset is not only unhealthy but also fundamentally untrue. Yes, results are important but they’re not the holy grail to success.
Exams are a snapshot of performance, not a reflection of value. They test a limited skill set under artificial conditions, for example, how much can you remember whilst being put in an intensely pressurised and uncomfortable situation. Exams generally don’t account for creativity, emotional intelligence, initiative, or countless other qualities that define a person’s character and potential.
It’s important for a student to give it their best shot though. One thing for sure, if you do nothing, your guaranteed result is nothing. In this pressurised time, if a student can work hard and give it their best shot, the result becomes less important. Whatever the grade, you must be able to look yourself in the eye and say, ‘I did my absolute best!’.
Of course, not getting the desired grade will be heartbreaking but the effort and resilience to take to the next stage of your life will be invaluable.
Studying for long hours without pause may seem productive, but in reality, it can quickly lead to burnout. The brain needs time to absorb information, and regular breaks actually enhance memory retention and focus.
Encouraging intentional breaks with these following suggestions when fitting in that last minute revision:
One final tip here is to go to your journal and maybe re-read some of the positive gratitudes that you’ve recorded in the past.
Be in it together! The importance of a support system is vital around a stressful time.
Students hanging out together for a short, sharp revision session is a great idea. Use the topic expert to help those who may be struggling a little. This can also extend to those in the household. Just because the parent or sibling may not be sitting their exams, it doesn’t mean they can’t be involved in the final revision plans.
Celebrate the small wins between each other and encourage those who haven’t done as well as they wanted to. It’s important not to let a poor performance affect the mindset for the next exam.
Make some healthy snacks and enjoy eating them together.
Plan a little celebration that you’ll do once the exams are over.
In the end, let’s remind every student of this truth:
You are more than your grades. You are enough. And as long as you’ve done your best, that’s all anyone can ask.
Check out our latest podcast here where we talk more on this subject.
Effective tools to aid revision and study:
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