14 things to do for your kids, 14 days away from the exams
Since exam season is fast approaching, students must definitely be feeling the pressure. How can you help your child in time? Compiled are a few tips to help them to gear up. Follow the list as days of crucial exams are around the corner.
Things To Do 2 Weeks Before Exams
Planning Productive Sessions
Children can plan 4 effective productive study sessions in a day. This will enable them to achieve their set goals comfortably. During each session, they can avoid electronics altogether. It’s a great way to improve concentration.
Create Mind Maps
Use of visual cues helps easy memorisation. Children can make posters of important points and stick them on the walls. Different colours can be associated with different topics depending on their importance. They can write clues on flashcards and carry it around. Revise from them while commuting or while standing in queues.
Stick to Time
This is a crucial time now. Final exams are only a few days away. Make sure children are sticking to the timetable you helped them make a few weeks ago. Deviation should be avoided as far as possible.
Refer Old Papers
Get hold of question papers of the past few years. This helps the kids get an idea of how question papers are framed. You can get them from school libraries or even take class teacher’s help to get them.
Mock Exam Sessions
Arranging mock exams for children is a great practice. One subject at a time. This way you can fathom how prepared they are. If their friend’s parents are comfortable, ask their friends to join as well. This will also promote group discussions and help them find solutions.
Teach Skip Strategy
During an exam, when kids stumble upon a question teach them to skip it for the time being. They can come back to the tricky and difficult questions later. This way they will gain more time to think of solutions for tough questions. Solving questions they are sure about will also build their confidence in attempting difficult questions.
Cool Down Time
Kids should take a 15-20 minutes to break after every few hours of study. They can call it as their free time or cool down time. They can have a snack in the time or catch up on a nap. It will help them not to burn out while studying non-stop.
Change of Environment
It’s a proven fact that the brain subtly associates with the background when it’s memorizing something. Change of environment helps the brain to retain information effectively. To maximise performance, children can choose to study in a stimulus atmosphere like a library.
Know When To Stop
If the child starts feeling sluggish or lethargic, let him take a short break. The mind can’t take information beyond a certain point. It will need rest to be able to refocus and concentrate.
Keep Spirits High
The anxiety of upcoming tests can bog down the child’s morale. Cook him his favourite meals. At the end of the day, a little laughter and play will help him sleep better.
Going Off Social Media
Social media is attention and time-consuming. Ask kids to go off it for a few days. There will be one distraction less for them. If possible install apps that block usage of social media beyond certain hours in a day.
Avoid Caffeine
Energy drinks and caffeine will wear off sooner or later. Instead, kids can munch on things like cereal bars, almonds, infused water etc. It will help them stay fresh for longer as they are simple and effective at releasing carbohydrates.
Push Some Cardio
Science says that just 20 minutes of cardio can improve memory. Dancing, jogging or walking, increases energy level. Exercising rushes blood and oxygen to the brain and reduces the effects of stress. Children should spend a minimum of 30 minutes at least on one of the activities every day.
Avoid all-nighters
Make sure the kids are sleeping enough. 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye restores the balance of chemicals in the brain. The brain forges new connections and helps memory retention. Do not allow late nights studying or even any recreational activities for a few days now.
Apart from these tips, parents can also help children by making the house calm and pleasant. If your child is given study leave in the run-up to exams, try being home as much as possible. You can share a break and chat with them every now and then. It’s a great time to reassure children that no matter what the result, that there are options. Give them as much encouragement and confidence as possible. It will keep them motivated.
