18th April 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Tutors are generally very busy at this time of year, with anxious parents calling to arrange extra tuition over the Easter holidays in time to prepare for GCSE and A’ Levels. Now is the time when the pressure really starts to mount, and students and parents alike become quite concerned about upcoming exams and the need to prepare for them. Yet there is a significant difference between the usual anxiety felt by many students in the run up exams, and the fear that can grip a minority of students. In the coming weeks, tutors who have students who experience exam fear will have to work hard to help them overcome it, whilst still revising as best they can.
This is no small task. To begin with, most students experience a level of anxiety when revising for exams, and a tutor’s first task is to distinguish between this and something more serious. Asking students how they are feeling, and encouraging them to eat and sleep well is important for any student, and identifying students who are struggling with this is a way to recognise a problem. Students struggling to revise, or those unable to complete timed essays may also be suffering from exam fear. Talking to students about how they are feeling about exams is key, and it is important that tutors do not undermine student’s fears by telling them they’ll get over it, or that everyone experiences this. Again, exam fear is something quite different from the usual jitters experienced by many students.
The first step towards helping students with exam fear is to take them seriously. Reassure them that you and the student can come up with a plan to help them manage it, and that you can take revision one step at a time. Breathing exercises, physical exercise and some herbal remedies can all help. Really the most important thing tutors can do for students with exam fear is to make sure they are prepared. The fear will be compounded if the student feels that they are inexperienced in writing exam answers, or do not know the material. Getting students used to the exam process is one of the best things we can do for all our students.