Exam Season Survival Guide
Dear Parents,
As we head into the final stretch of the academic year, exam season is upon us! The tutor team is all too familiar with the feeling - weeks chained to the desk, the endless to-dos of study timetables, Saturdays and Mondays losing their distinction…the final push of the year.
For this newsletter, I wanted to share some strategies that helped me survive my own exam seasons. Hopefully they are the boost your child needs too!
1. Learn Hard, Play Hard
What worked best for me was intense, focused study periods followed by fulfilling, long breaks. I'd wrestle tests and past papers, and create mock exam questions for all my content. Active learning is the most effective way of studying, so it comes as no surprise that it's also the most tiring.
That's why rest is so important to productivity. The days I worked the best were the days that I enjoyed long dinnertime chats with my family, took my dogs for afternoon walks, or popped out for a coffee with friends. It's critical to balance study time with meaningful breaks to recharge.
2. Tough Stuff First, Easier Stuff Later
I found that tackling the hardest subjects first when I was fresh (yay for that morning dopamine spike) gave me the momentum to cruise through the rest. Get the tough and boring stuff out of the way early, so your afternoon studying can be filled with the subjects you look forward to studying.
For me, it was Maths and Science in the mornings so I could enjoy History and English later. Studying your more creative subjects in the afternoon also leverages your natural increase in serotonin, which helps with brainstorming and synthesising ideas. Perfect for comprehension and essay practice.
3. Celebrate the Small Wins
It's easy to get overwhelmed during exam season, so it's important to find joy in celebrating the small victories. Whether it was finishing a tough chapter or struggling through a theorem, finding a way to "treat myself" (enter: a phone call with a friend, doing a fun workout, a quick baking session, a bath) kept me motivated.
4. Learning to Let It Go
This one I owe to my parents. Not every exam goes as planned, and not allowing the tough papers to derail you is a skill in and of itself.
My Maths Paper 1 felt absolutely devastating (I still hate to look at it when teaching it as a past paper!), but my wise and supportive parents helped me to let it go, have faith in the result, know that if worse comes to worst "we'll cross that bridge when we get there", and move forward constructively.
5. Fueling the Brain
When I was asked for the secret to getting high marks, I used to reply: "avo and egg on toast". This was my exam-time staple breakfast. This was great 'brainfood', consisting of healthy fats, protein, complex carbs (low-GI toast), and a bucketful of minerals. This gave me the brainpower and endurance I needed for long exams and study sessions.
Eating nutritious and well-rounded meals goes a long way for your focus!
6. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
If I had to do it all again and could change one thing, I would have slept even more. Sleep is where the real magic of learning happens - it determines your memory retention, your problem-solving ability, and your ability to cope under pressure.
I would get eight hours minimum, AND nap.
In university, I would actually nap right before any afternoon exams. Sounds crazy, but it paid in distinctions.
Try to read (instead of scrolling) before bed, keep the room dark and set up a bedtime routine for better sleep quality.
7. A BIG Reward at the End
Having something big to look forward to is the ultimate motivator. Whether it's a holiday with your family, matric vac with your friends, or getting yourself something special, make sure it's something that will make all your hard work feel worth it!
I hope this exam survival guide helps ease the stress of the exam season! All lessons happening now emphasise exam technique, and please refer to our previous newsletter regarding how to set up mock exams.
As always, our team at Up Tutors is here to support you along the way—reach out anytime for exam tips and guidance.
Best of luck to all our students!
