CAO - CHANGE OF MIND | 13
The final countdown
With only two days to go until the Leaving Certificate exams, many students across Ireland may begin to panic. Kevin Flanagan, author of bestselling book Maximum Points, Minimum Panic, reveals the best ways to conquer stress and get your brain ‘exam fit’
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here are two main no-no’s students need to be aware of coming up to exam time,” says Kevin Flanagan. “These are, social media distractions and all-nighters.” Kevin, who runs study system Exam Study Plus and has written bestselling books on the science of learning and dealing with exam stress to maximise points, says that although at this stage there is no time to do a massive amount of work, students shouldn’t let this fact knock them. “When people realise there is no time left, this is when they start panicking and begin these marathon caffeine-fuelled late-night cramming sessions. However, all-nighters can have a devastating effect and have been proven to destroy performance for up to four days. “The most important thing is to keep a regular routine – just because it’s exam time, don’t jettison sleep. Don’t jettison downtime. Follow the 8-12 rule – be in bed by 12 o’clock and get at least eight hours of sleep. Each minute after 11:30pm affects performance quite dramatically. “Apply the 5-50-10 rule – do five sessions of 50 minutes study a day, and relax for 10 minutes in between.”
LIMITING DISTRACTIONS Kevin says during these 50-minute study sessions, all phones should be switched off. However, during a 10-minute break, some social interaction is still vital. “If you leave Instagram or your Facebook newsfeed on, or you answer emails or texts during the study sessions, it can take anything up to 20 minutes to re-focus fully. Scientists call it the ‘Attention Residue’ effect - your brain will remain stuck on social media interaction, which will have a negative effect on your study concentration levels. “It’s not an either/or – it doesn’t mean you can’t have any social interaction at all, just not when you study if you want it to be short and smart. Really limit your availability on social media because it can destroy a study session – your friends will understand!” An effective way to combine studying smart and social interaction is to study with a friend who is just as eager to do well in exams as you are. “When you’re on your own, your mind wanders,” says Kevin. “You can get depressed and lack confidence. If you’re with a pal or a parent, there’s social interaction and that triggers a positive effect on our mood. Play teacher – explain a subject to a parent as if they are sitting in a class, which will allow you to understand the subject better yourself.
Working in teams will help to get your brain exam fit.”
THE RIGHT APPROACH Although exam year is an extremely tough time for teenagers, Kevin says it can be just as stressful for parents. However, parents need to be conscious of how they approach their children. “My friend’s child is doing the Leaving Cert this year and they have spent the last year fighting,” says Kevin. “My friend was sick of constantly arguing with his son about studying so we had a chat about whether this was helping. He came to the conclusion that it wasn’t helping his son or their relationship. He explained to his son that there will be consequences if he doesn’t study and he will have to live with those, but he was going to back off and stop shouting at him. “His son has reacted to this lack of nagging in an interesting way – he has stepped up to the plate and is acting more adult-like, possibly because he’s being treated more like one. Parents need to give teenagers that quality of attention and realise that negativity is going to increase negativity, positivity may increase positivity. Understand that it’s their life – and that’s what education is about, creating good citizens, who live in Ireland or elsewhere in the world, and have to take on their own responsibilities. “Confidence is very fragile in teens and just when they feel they should be enjoying life, they’re stuck studying, so it’s a tough situation to be in. Students aren’t going to change everything right now – the outcome of an exam is going to be dependent on the last year’s work if you’ve been working in a diligent manner. I would say that all you can do is your best and be careful of the inner critic who will try to pull you down. You can only give it your best shot and if you give it your best shot, that is usually enough.” ✱ For more study secrets and learning techniques, search Exam Study Plus on Facebook
Kevin’s top five study tips
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Follow the 8-12 rule Be in bed by 12 o’clock and get at least eight hours sleep. Eat healthy meals and snacks Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and at least one nutritious meal. Follow the 5-50-10 rule Study no more than five times a day for 50 minutes each time. Take a 10-minute break. If you study any longer, information will not be branded into your brain. Revise using mind maps Studies show that your brain forgets in-
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formation when it sees written lines of linear information on paper, so using visuals to remember key topics may be best. This is the reason movies aren’t in lines – when you watch Batman or Star Wars, black writing doesn’t tell you what happened – visuals will stick in your mind more effectively. Study with a buddy One way to get your brain ‘exam fit’ is to play teacher with a friend or parent. Explain the subject you’re studying, get them to give you a flash card test, put the question on one side and the answer on the other.
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