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Irish Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Brian Mooney's Leaving Cert survival guide: Get seated 30 minutes before the exam – and don't wear a smartwatch
Take a deep breath: it's just hours before Leaving Certificate English paper one lands on exam desks at 9.30am on Wednesday. If you are feeling anxious, you are not alone. It is normal for Leaving Cert students (and their parents) to feel stressed. As a guidance counsellor for many years, I have seen how some simple tips can help calm nerves and help candidates feel they are ready to step up to the challenge. [ Classroom to College: our essential newsletter to navigating the Leaving Cert for parents, guardians and students Opens in new window ] Trust Anxiety comes from fear of the unknown. Any situations where you are assessed under pressure – such as a job interview or an exam – can amplify this uncertainty. It is easy to feel consumed by the unknowns and immobilised by a lack of control over the outcome. This can result in panic – especially if you feel flustered by a question. The key is to trust your process. Nurture your own self-belief and remind yourself of all the hard work you've done. Organise READ MORE If you haven't done so already, arrange your revision notes for all the exam papers in each subject. Try organising them backwards, starting from your last exam, identifying the periods of time available before each paper to review your notes. When you have completed this process, you will have an idea of how you are going to use the remaining time available. Doing this will give you back a sense of control over the exam and reduce excess stress. Check Make make sure to bring blue or black ink pens, only, and pencils (for diagrams only). Make sure it's dark pencil; the light ones may not scan well when the exams are digitised for marking. If required, bring your calculator. A clock will be on display in the centre so you do not need a watch. There is a prohibition on smart watches and other devices so do not bring them. Check your other daily requirements such as water, food and transport costs, where appropriate. Timing Students will be required to be in their assigned seat in the exam centre 30 minutes before the start time of exams on day one, and at least 15 minutes in advance of their exams on subsequent days. Remember: candidates are not allowed to enter exam centres if they arrive more than half an hour late – and you are not allowed to leave the exam centre within the final 10 minutes. Plan When the invigilator arrives at your desk, you will be offered a choice of subject level in that exam subject. Opt for the paper you have prepared for. Never attempt to change levels at the last minute; this is typically a negative side effect of exam nerves. Once you receive your paper, read it carefully before you do anything else. Start to sketch out the outline for your answers to every question you plan to answer at the back of your answer book. Your brain will continue to reflect on all the questions as you begin to write. Start working on the first question, selecting the one you feel most comfortable with. Review If you still have a few minutes left at the end, try boosting your chances of getting a few extra marks by rereading your script. As any writer knows, a first attempt is always improved by rereading. Leave at least half a page free at the end of each question so you can add extra material – if you want to – at the end of the exam. New ideas may occur to you as you read back your answer. Options If the exams go badly, remember, the CAO race is not like Becher's Brook anymore. There are more pathways than ever to pursue your chosen career, whether through university, a tertiary degree programme or Post-Leaving Cert course. Many end up with the same qualification. So, remember, you have lots of options. Support Parents can play a crucial role by familiarising themselves with the exam schedule. Pin the timetable up prominently at home and highlight each exam that is due to be taken. In the stress of the exam period you need to be aware when your child must be in the exam centre. After each day's exams, allow your son or daughter to recount their daily story. If they feel they have made mistakes or omissions, do not be tempted to review them in detail. Simply allow them time and space to tell their story and move on to the next challenge. It can be helpful to your son or daughter to focus on the next paper immediately ahead. Simple questions around the nature of the exams can be useful in switching the focus. Love As a parent, there is no need to overhype the importance of any exam. Just remember that some young people taking the Leaving Cert can mistakenly believe their standing in their parents' eyes is dependent on their success in the exam. Ensure your son or daughter is clear that your love for them is in no way dependent on how they perform. This affirmation is one of the greatest gifts you can give them at the start of the exams.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
WAEC explain why students write exam for night, toI sorry as parents react
Parents of students wey write di English Language paper 2 essay exam for di ongoing West Africa Examination Council WAEC examination late into di night on Wednesday 28 May, 2025 say dem no happy with dis development. Some of di ones wey tok to BBC Pidgin say dem dey sad say di children suffer like dat to write exam of an important paper like English language so late at night, for exam dem suppose don finish since afternoon. Joshua Rogers wey im daughter dey write di WAEC exam tell BBC Pidgin say na around 9:00pm late Wednesday night, e go pick her after she finish her paper. E say she tell am say na since 2pm in di afternoon dem finish di first paper wey be English Languahe paper 1 objective and dem come dey wait for di second paper but e no come till around 5:00pm in di evening. 'Di school wia she dey write di exam also try to give us parents information say dem dey wait for dI second paper but wen night reach na im me and my wife go her school go wait for her to finish so we go bring her back. No be good experience for a young pesin like dat. E dey too stressful," e tok. Rogers add say coming from di drama around di just concluded JAMB exams wey make di authorities organise anoda exam for some candidates to rewrite di exams, e feel say dis incident fit negatively affect di performance of di students for di exams as many of dem write di exam with tension so dem fit write am quick-quick so dem go go house as night don fall. "I get serious concern for di performance of di students for dis particular exams becos dem write am under tension, especially as you know say English paper na compulsory subject. You can imagine di stress wey students dey go through for exam time, kon be di one wey dem get to wait a very long time, way into di night. So some of dem write quick quick so dem fit go house and e fit affect dia results at di end." E also express concern for di safety of di children especially for di ones wey live very far from school. "E get one boy wey me and my wife get to carry go house becos e dey live very far from di school. My daughter school dey Ozuoba and dis boy dey live for Port Harcourt airport side, so you can imagine di distance, and e bin dey fear to go house by dat time of di night becos of how di area be. Thank God say e speak out. Wat of di children wey no get anybody to help dem and dem must go house dat late in di night? Goment must chook eye and ask question why dis one happen and take steps make e no happen again." 'Our students finish di exams 1:00am dis morning' For students wey write di WAEC exam for some of di riverine communities for Rivers State, di exam papers get to dem by 10:00pm. Andrew Peter wey im pikin write di WAEC exam for Community Secondary School CSS Ebukuma, Andoni LGA, say di exam paper reach dem by 10:00pm and di students finish di exams by 1:00am early morning of Thursday 29 May, 2025. "We really no know wetin happen. Na WAEC go explain but di exam paper reach here by 10pm last night. We get to go buy candles for di students to take write di exam becos for di whole of Ebukuma community, we no get light. Na around 1:00am dis morning na im dem finish di exam and dem get to come back again dis morning to write anoda paper. So e dey stressful for di students. Dem no suppose suffer like dat." E tok. WAEC explain why di English language paper 2 essay exam happen like dat Di West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for statement don apologise to students for di delay in di exams. Dem acknowledge say dem get some challenges during di conduct of WASSCE for School Candidate, 2025 wey include delay in di timely conduct of English Language Paper 2 dem write on Wednesday 28 May, 2025. For statement wey Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs WAEC sign, dem say while dem maintain di integrity and security of di examination, dem face some challenges primarily due to dia major aim of preventing leakage of any paper. 'While we successfully achieve our objective, e impact di timeliness and seamless conduct of di examination. Despite our best efforts, we encounter logistical hurdles, security concerns and sociocultural factors wey negatively influence our operations.' In order to forestall future occurrences of dis nature, di Council say dem currently dey collaborate with security agencies as dem recognise di importance of timely conduct of examinations and di impact of dis decision on di candidates, dia schools and parents, and dem sincerely apologise for any inconvenience wey e cause.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
This small island in Denmark lets stressed students unplug from distractions and study in nature
Exams are often associated with pressure, long nights of cramming, and the desperate search for a comfortable spot to study. But what if you could leave all that behind and step away from distractions? A small island off the coast of Denmark - about a 30-minute boat ride away from Copenhagen - is offering the opportunity to do exactly that. Dubbed Ungdomsøen, or "The Youth Island" in English, the former naval fortress plays host to university students who are invited for a study retreat designed to help them concentrate on their coursework - and also give them room to breathe. Related In Denmark, schools are trialling later start times to give teens a sleep boost The island is run by Ungdomsøen Foundation, an NGO that organises the study retreat for all students in the capital wanting to flee everyday life. Mina Kjeldsen, the project manager behind this initiative, says the motivation is to offer an accessible place for a wide range of students to focus on and help each other with their studies and exam preparations. "If it's hard to finish your exam and it's stressful, it's nice to feel like you're in it together," Kjeldsen added. According to Kjeldsen, the initiative brings together 20 to 40 students at a time for a couple of days of communal living, academic work, and structured downtime. Participants arrive by boat and are encouraged to completely disconnect from city life. It's very different from sitting in the library with all the other students, stressing out. It's nice to have a place like this. The 70,000 m2 artificial island offers fresh air, open space, and a quiet rhythm that contrast sharply with the pace of student life on the mainland. "I've always heard a lot of criticism about finding new spots in Copenhagen to study. You get tired of one cafe because it's too busy, and then you go to another one and you get distracted and you can't be at your school because you're there every day," Sol Rem Rasmussen, one of the event hosts and a volunteer on Ungdomsøen, told Euronews Next. "You don't have the noise, you just have sun and blue sky and some nice places to study. It's not really an option to be stressed by your everyday life. You get to go away," Rasmussen added. Related Back to old-school: Schools in Denmark lock in smartphones during the school day During the day, students work on group projects, exam papers, and thesis drafts. Some of them came by themselves, others alongside their classmates. Andreas, an English Literature student, learned about the study retreat when he was stressed about his thesis and thought it was a "perfect opportunity" to distance himself from the city's distractions. He has set himself the ambitious goal of writing 15 to 20 pages of a draft of it while he's on the island. Angelyn, a prehistoric archaeology student, came back to participate for the second time as she believes being outside during breaks helps to refresh herself. "Also, we have to wake up at the same time and everything. So it kind of keeps you focused and you're just not lying in bed too long," she explained. "It's very different from sitting in the library with all the other students, stressing out. It's nice to have a place like this," Mareike, a Social Entrepreneurship and Management student from Roskilde University, told Euronews Next. According to environmental psychologists, the isolation that an environment like this island offers can actually help with stress management and focus for students. "One important aspect of regaining focus and being able to focus more effortlessly is to reduce the number of distractions by stepping out of your routine, stepping out of your normal environments to a place where there's not so much calling for your attention," Freddie Lymeus, a researcher in environmental psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden, told Euronews Next. Alongside peer-to-peer support, the retreat also offers professional supervision. Lecturers from Roskilde University were invited to provide one-on-one guidance to students working on longer projects or theses. Related Which countries are home to the most educated people in Europe? "We have 45-minute sessions where students tell us about their research," Mette Apollo Rasmussen, a researcher at the university, told Euronews Next. "We get a chance to sit quietly down and get a bit into depth with the different students' research," she added. Researchers say the isolation of the island actually strengthens the writing process. "As researchers, we know that focus is really, really important… Here, you can't just leave. The boat only leaves tomorrow. So you're forced to stay within your process. When you get stuck, you take a break. But you stay with it. And you move forward," Maria Duclos Lindstrøm, another researcher at Roskilde University, added. It has to be understood from the background that university students, given their socioeconomic backgrounds and demographics, are generally much more unhealthy in a psychological sense than they should be. The retreat balances intense academic focus with moments of relaxation and socialising. Evenings are spent cooking together, eating around shared tables, and sometimes winding down in a seaside sauna or taking a swim. The idea is to bring students into contact not just with their work, but with one another. "When you're also cooking dinner together and talking, you take that pressure off," Rasmussen said. "You see each other in other settings, and that helps people talk about the difficulties they're having with studying," they added. Related Where in Europe do teenagers have the best and worst mental health? Organisers of this initiative believe this informal support system can be as important as any academic feedback. They say students often arrive not knowing each other, but leave with shared experiences and new perspectives. "We just had a conversation with a group who said it's actually really nice to talk to other people about how they feel about the master thesis, because very often we don't discuss how we feel," Lindstrøm said. Participants sleep in dorms or outdoor shelters and have the option to spend most of their time outdoors while studying, walking, and resting. "What I'm looking forward to is definitely sleeping outside, but also studying at the same time," Mattias, a product development and technical integration student at Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, told Euronews Next. Lymeus says it's encouraging to see those types of initiatives. "It has to be understood from the background that university students, given their socioeconomic backgrounds and demographics, are generally much more unhealthy in a psychological sense than they should be," Lymeus said. Related Gay, lesbian, and queer students are three times more likely to suffer from depression than peers He says contact with nature, especially combined with group activities, is one of the solutions. "A large amount of research conducted over several decades supports the idea that when we are in contact with nature, we tend to reduce stress levels, regain creativity and concentration, improve mood, creativity and openness and many other good things that will help a person perform in studies as well," he added. The retreat is organised by young volunteers who live on the island for a year, hosting visitors and developing projects aimed at young people's growth and participation. They hope that, in this setting, students not only work on their exams but also on how they relate to learning and each other. "We bring our own values," said Rasmussen. "We focus on diversity and making space for everyone to feel comfortable. That's part of the room we create here". The vision of Ungdomsøen, which receives funding from the Copenhagen municipality and Danish companies, is to 'help young people discover what they can achieve when focus, collaboration, and community come together' by creating a temporary space away from everyday life. Related High schools in Denmark are embracing ChatGPT as a teaching tool rather than shunning it It offers more than 20 bedrooms in a massive building that was used as accommodation for the Danish Navy. The building was renovated when the island opened to young people in Denmark in 2019. The artificial island was built in 1894 as a military fort. At the time of its completion, it was considered the largest sea fort in the world and remains the largest manmade island without an abutment. While initiatives like this study retreat are commendable, Lymeus says, it could be costly to implement for other cities and universities. "Another way of approaching it could be to work with reconstructing or reinventing the environments that we're living and working in to be generally more supportive of this type of thing," said Lymeus. "I think it's a very interesting and commendable initiative. And many universities could probably do more in terms of also using the spaces that they already have". For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
‘I worry that my anxious son will buckle under pressure during the Leaving Cert'
My son has struggled with anxiety in recent times. He doesn't handle pressure very well and complains of 'stage fright' in exams. Can you advise on how I can best support him over the coming days and weeks? Exams are stressful experiences – for everyone. My first advice is simply to normalise that stress. Let him know it's okay to feel pressure and that he's not alone. Watch for signs of burnout, anxiety or withdrawal. Be open to talking, but avoid pushing. Try to let him lead. Having 'one good adult' is an important protective factor helping Leaving Cert students navigate stress and anxiety. Another crucial piece of advice is to encourage smart study habits. Help your son create a realistic study schedule (with breaks). A calm environment at home can also help. Ensure he has a quiet, comfortable study space, again where possible. Limit distractions and help set boundaries with screens or social media. More time spent online is linked to higher stress, less engagement in activities and higher levels of anxiety. READ MORE [ Exam stress is in the air. Could hypnosis, havening or CBT be the answer? Opens in new window ] Looking after the basics is also crucial. Prioritise nutritious meals, hydration and regular sleep. Those getting the recommended amount of sleep (seven to nine hours per night) are more likely to report less anxiety, depression and 'avoidant coping', that is, avoiding problems rather than engaging with them. Furthermore, good sleep is positively linked to higher resilience. This is very important for managing stressful events, particularly if some exams don't go well. It is important to be able to bounce back, keep studying and face the next exam. As sleep is so important it is best to encourage students not to study late into the night or the early hours as this is likely to be a poorer strategy than getting to bed and sleeping. This may be a hard message to convince students of but it's worth the effort. Be sure, too, to remind him that taking breaks is productive and not a waste of time. Sixth-year students who engage in activities such as sport, exercise and hobbies are less anxious, use more planned coping strategies and are more resilient. It's all about balance – studying is important, but so is rest, food, sleep and recreation. Avoid nagging. Offer encouragement, not pressure. Critical parenting is linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression. Anxiety can be very debilitating in terms of managing the workload and demands of preparing for any exams. Try to emphasise effort over outcome. Reassure him that exams don't define his worth or future and that your love for him is unconditional. This may be difficult, as typically 18-year-old brains are not fully developed, demonstrated through poorer decision making and insight. Finally, know when to reach out. If stress becomes unmanageable, consider consulting your GP. Be open to seeking professional support if needed. Early intervention helps.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The 1 Sign Your Teen Might Need Your Help This Exam Season
If your child is spending hours doom-scrolling on their phones instead of revising, education experts warn it might actually be a silent cry for help. Tutors at leading education platform Tutors Valley said one of the most misunderstood signs of exam stress and anxiety is procrastination. 'Procrastination is a major sign of anxiety,' said Lindsey Wright, senior tutor at Tutors Valley. 'When a child is constantly on their phone or avoiding revision, it's rarely about laziness. Most of the time, they feel completely overwhelmed and don't know where to start.' Wright advised that instead of telling teens off over their phone use, try to help them by breaking down their revision into manageable chunks. Sit down together and create a manageable study plan with small, achievable goals. 'Exam stress isn't always loud or obvious – sometimes it's quiet, avoidant, and easily misread,' she added. Stomach aches, headaches, or trouble sleeping can be symptoms of anxiety, especially if they appear in the run-up to exams. Try to maintain a routine and encourage rest, healthy meals, and open conversations about how they're feeling. Mood swings, snapping over small things, or suddenly becoming quiet can be emotional reactions to stress. Stay patient and offer them a safe space to talk, even if they're not ready right away, advised Wright. Exam anxiety can shake even high-achieving students. If your child starts saying 'I can't do this' or avoiding their favourite subject, it may be a sign they need reassurance or one-on-one support. Catastrophic thinking, like believing one bad mark means everything is ruined, is common in anxious students. Wright urges parents to remind their children that one exam won't define them and that progress matters more than perfection. Why Are UK Teens Among World's Unhappiest? We Asked Them This Is What 'Catches Almost Every Parent Off Guard' When Kids Become Teens Is Buying Jewellery For A Teen's First Period Sweet Or Strange? Nobody Can Agree
