29th May 2015 8:00
By Blue Tutors
According to a new report by the NSPCC, the number of young people seeking counselling for exam stress has increased by 200% in recent years. The charity also noted that the number of calls they received from students anxious about exams had tripled, having risen to 34,000 in 2013-14. According to their data, this makes education one of the top ten concerns of the young people who contact them. These figures are alarming, and the rise in stress is certainly something that private tutors need to be prepared to deal with.
Exam season is upon us, and many tutors are finding that they are receiving last minute calls from parents and students desperate to fit in a few last minute sessions in order to clear up any issues. Sometimes the situation is a little more complicated, with students under a huge amount of pressure, expecting tutors to perform miracles in a matter of days. Under those circumstances, it is important that the tutor stays clam and realistic. Tutors can relieve their students’ exam stress by reassuring them, and talking them through a workable plan for revision.
During exam season it can be easy for tutors to get stressed themselves; their student numbers increase, as do demands from students and parents. It is very important that tutors keep a level head, and ensure that they do not take on more work than they can handle themselves. The key thing for tutors to help their students be successful at this time of year is to ensure that they themselves are well organised and calm. If they manage to remain this way throughout exam season, the better chance they will have of encouraging their students to do the same.