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Below are some tips for both students and parents with the exam just days away.
1. Stick to your usual study routine. Joseph said not to stop or increase your workload but to keep your same momentum going into the exam. 2. Continue doing past papers. Do not freak out. Be realistic. “At this point, past papers should give them a fair average of where they are at, and a realistic expectation based on that average. Beating up yourself and adding more pressure now does not make sense.” Family and friends celebrate with students of St Gabriel Girls’ RC School after writing the SEA exams on March 21, 2024. - Photo by Ayanna Kinsale 3. The night before the exam, do not try to cram anymore information into your head. It is the time to relax. Pray, meditate, read for fun, make sure everything is prepared so you do not have to be rushing in the morning. 4. On the morning of the exam, sit calmly in a quiet space. “The colour green triggers memory and I usually advocate for people to look out into the mountain or trees or greenery. That keeps you calm and serene and it helps trigger memory.” 5. Parents, be cautious with your positive reinforcement. He said “positive” reinforcement like, “You have this! I know you’ll pass for (insert school here),” adds a lot of pressure to the children. “What you want to say is, ‘We are here for you if you need us.’ Be supportive, not instructive.” 6. Parents can have the child focus on a troublesome section in the past papers. Also, teach them about time management in case any section or question gives them problems during the exam. “Helping them with time management is important. Let them know they can skip a troublesome question and come back to it later. It helps reduce their anxiety because, when you face something you have difficult doing and you see your time ticking down, it creates stress and anxiety. The stress hormone, cortisol, will start pumping through your body and it will start affecting memory. So things you are good at and are accustomed remembering, you may have difficulty with.” 7. Parents, remember you are not the ones writing the exam, you child is. Joseph said the results of the exam will not make or break the child’s future. The SEA exam is a very small part of their lives. “SEA is one of the first stages in, hopefully, a very long life. So parents need to cool it. Just ease up a bit and not try to steal the moment from the children. “No matter how the child does, you need to focus on being proud of the child for putting their best foot forward. At this point I would say, ‘Parents, you need to check yourself before you wreck your children. You need to take it easy.’” Source: SEA tips for students, parents Janelle De Souza Guardian 20250406 https://newsday.co.tt/2025/04/06/sea-tips-for-students-parents/ |