Examinations are often a period of high stress, particularly for matriculants working towards their certificate.
Many matriculants deal with a huge amount of stress in their final year of schooling, and exam season is the tip of the iceberg. Stress from the large pile of homework and assignments, stress from finding time to study and stress from worrying about their performance during the exam is a lot to deal with.
This year's matriculants faced a whole new set of challenges, learning under Covid-19 restrictions and regulations since their Grade 10 year in 2020. That change in schooling and education, as well as the stress brought on from lockdown, creates a noticeable pressure.
Pressure to succeed and cope with the amount of work in school contributes to the mental state of our youth's minds. Research shows that academic stress leads to a poorer well-being and an increased likelihood of developing anxiety or depression.
Additionally, students who have academic stress tend to do poorly in school, showing how this can keep learners from performing as well as they can in an exam.
Out of all the various subjects matriculants are writing, Mathematics is subject causing the most stress.
George Eadie, CEO of The Answer Series, says learning the content in the classroom and then applying it in an exam, is a "whole other territory," especially where Mathematics is concerned.
"Subjects like Mathematics lends themselves much more to that thing where they [learners] should never go a week where you don't do some kind of Mathematics to just keep that process fresh," says Eadie.
Eadie suggests ways in which parents can help their children during this stressful exam season.
"The one is the learning environment that can be as best as possible, conducive for study. I know in the vast majority of [living] situations in South Africa, we have a lot of shared space, shared rooms, that kind of thing; this is a time for conversations about being able to set aside what are their expectations where, as a learner, I can expect to fulfill on my study timetable.
Anything that can set up routines and less 'unknowns' for a learner in that space, can make a huge contribution as a parent," says Eadie.
The second suggestion Eadie gives, is for parents to remind their children that while exams are important, it is not "the beginning and the end of your life, and so remain calm; that is how you're going to produce your best results."
The CEO goes onto mention that helping a child create a steady routine and an optimal space for study can be effective in conveying love and support during this period of high stress.
Exam stress can be overwhelming and exhausting, and it's important to manage this stress and find coping strategies that work to eliminate the risk of burn-out.
