Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_05_15/GA_1505_E1_020.pdf 

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Galway Advertiser

May 15 2008

NEWS

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FASHION

BEAUTY

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H E A LT H

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LIFE

MARY
The countdown to the exams has begun. As students try to pack in as much study and revision as possible in the days and weeks ahead parents are often at a loss to know exactly how to help. Should they be on hand to offer tea and sympathy and wise guidance? How important is creating a good study atmosphere and is nagging a definite no no? Tommy Casserly, Galway based course manager of Student Enrichment Services - a company which provides educational and professional development seminars to second level students, staff and parents throughout Ireland - urges parents to start by providing lots of encouragement. "The single greatest influence on a student's success is the interest shown by their parents or guardian," he says. "By providing plenty of encouragement and showing an interest in their progress, parents can motivate their children to work harder. It is important that exam candidates realise that if they sat their exam today they would do very well and that the next few weeks are about maximising their results." He says parents know what motivates their children best and this may range from praise to hard cash! Avoid nagging at all costs, he advises, because this will not achieve the desired result. "At this stage there is no point in `hounding' someone to study as this usually results in that student spending hours on their Nintendo DS Lite!" He says it is important that examination students have a good diet, get a good night's rest and eat breakfast each morning. Good study conditions are important, too. Creating the right work environment will increase the likelihood of academic success. "Ideally, they should have their own workstation and there should be no distractions such as television, I-pod, MP3 player, etc.Wherever possible it is more productive to study earlier rather than later

O'CONNOR
in the evening." After one study session (25 to 35 minutes) students should take a five minute break, eg, to read a page of a novel and do another study session, he says. "After three study blocks its best to take at least a 20 minute break. This will enable students to maintain a high level of concentration which means they will be able to study for longer without taking a break. "When answering past paper questions in long format it is important that students attempt to complete their answers within the time limit they will have in the Junior and Leaving Certificate." Mr Casserly says it is a good idea for parents and students to agree about the duration of study times as well as recreation, such as the television programmes, etc that will be watched. "Of course each parent or guardian will have to judge the difference between showing an interest and nagging."

Successful studying

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Avoid nagging at all costs, advises Tommy Casserly, course manager of Student Enrichment Services.

Rapid Revision
As the exams approach it is essential that students are fully familiar with the key words in questions such as outline, explain, discuss, etc, he says. "At this stage, their past exam papers are their most valuable asset. Certain topics are asked very frequently and these need to be learned in great detail. "Marking schemes show the required standard and examiners' reports offer valuable insight into where downfalls occur. These can be viewed at www. examinations.ie|" Students should have their answers written in point form instead of long form so they will be able to memorise the essential points more easily. "These key words will then trigger other relevant information for the answer. Keep them organised by subject and topic in a separate folder so that they can be easily accessed." To review/revise topics students should write out the main points they have

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memorised, he says. "Compare them with the points in their folder and circle any words or phrases on the original page that you had forgotten. This will improve the chances of this information being recalled in the exam. Make maximum use of your teacher's knowledge and experience, as they are the experts in their subjects. "It is a good idea to make a timetable that allows you to cover different sections of the course on different days. It is best to alternate numerical subjects, languages and other subjects." Parents can encourage students to divide up course work among friends and then teach each other the key points. "This can be an efficient way of covering large amounts of material. However, it is important to choose friends who won't let you down! Be aware of the number of questions to be answered in each paper also, compulsory questions, etc."

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Exam Techniques

Mr Casserly advises students to spend five to 10 minutes reading every question on the exam paper. Then, choose the questions you are going to answer. "Allocate the amount of time to be spent on each question, depending on the marks for that question, eg allocate twice as much time on a question with 40 marks as that worth only 20 marks. "Answer your best question first, next best second and so on. This will enable you to relax and build up your confidence. If you have not completed a question in the allocated time, don't panic, leave it and on a new page begin your next question. If you have any spare time at the end of the exam you will be able to go back and complete that question." He says the final 10 minutes of the exam should be spent proofreading your paper, eg, checking that diagrams are labelled, all sections answered as required, etc. "Stay in the exam hall for the duration of the exam even if you have completed the exam. You never know when new

ideas will reveal themselves or you may think of ways to improve your answers." To parents who are feeling under pressure he says pre exam time can be very stressful for students and families. "Remember students know more than they think and are just fine tuning their knowledge at this stage. The key role for parents and guardians is to provide support and TLC for those sitting State exams."

Avoid post- mortems
He discourages exam post mortems and advises parents not to bombard students with questions when they come home. "When they return from their exams do not look for a question by question analysis of each paper. If they feel the need to tell you about a particular aspect of the exam I am sure they will and if they prefer to say `It was OK' then accept that comment. "There is little point dwelling on a question or paper that did not go as well as expected and it may distract the student from the next exam."