Yes, it’s that time of the year again – in many households, the exams are looming and October means a lot of work and study. It feels like a difficult time for some, but there are a few simple principles to remember that can make things a whole lot easier and have your kids and teenagers celebrating at the end of the year. To put it in a nutshell – Sleep, study and starting fresh all lead to exam success!
Sleep
Probably the most important thing to remember when preparing for examinations is the vital importance of sufficient sleep. Much research has been done over the years on the effect of lack of sleep on children leading up to and during examinations.
Poor sleep patterns and lack of sleep can severely handicap a learner’s chance of a better result and a few reasons for this are:
Poor attention and focus – Sleep deprivation can cause brain waves to alter and lapse into ‘sleep like’ patterns during waking hours. If a child appears to be ‘spaced out’ this is a direct result of this. Poor focus and a limited attention span are experienced when tired.
Poor memory retention – Memory retention can also be severely handicapped in the sleep-deprived individual. Both short and long term memory is affected and it is said that a child who has had insufficient sleep can forget something learned just a day before!
Poor organisation skills – The part of a learner’s brain that organises, plans and solves problems are all affected by lack of sleep. Having a good study plan and being disciplined and organised is essential when studying for exams.
Mood swings – Just like any sleep-deprived adult, a child or teenager can suffer mood swings and a higher anxiety level particularly at exam time. Forgetfulness too is a common side-effect – like losing things.
The bottom line is that it’s a bad idea to study until late and rise early to study more if it deprives the learner of sleep!
Study
Apart from ensuring you have enough sleep, just a few good study tips are:
- Don’t cram – Make sure you set a study schedule covering all the time you need long before exam time
- Find a comfortable quiet space – your study environment should be relaxing and uninterrupted
- Use boards and memory hooks wherever possible
- Go through old exam papers – this gives you a very good idea of what to expect
- If you have the discipline to actually study, organise study partners to motivate each other
Starting fresh
The brain simply works better first thing in the morning when you have had a good night’s sleep. Starting fresh is a great way to get success and there are 2 ways to achieve this…
- Try to study in the day and get to bed early to get good sleep, then rise early and study as much as you can while the brain is fresh!
- Make sure your kids or teenagers are sleeping on a good mattress. This can make all the difference as they will wake fresher after sleeping well and with no morning aches and pains.
Truform has a network of dealers where you can make your choice of one of our excellent mattresses. A Truform mattress ensures extra comfort and superior support.
Visit our website to find a dealer near you or contact us directly for advice and assistance on which of our mattresses would best suit you. Your child’s exam success is important to them and their future and if it’s important to you then make sure they sleep, study and start fresh – all of which lead to exam success!