Today is World Mental Health Day and, because exam time can be mentally difficult for anyone, Weslander decided to share a few tips with matric candidates to help them get through the national matric exams.
Raydene Naidoo, Counselling Psychologist and Head of Work-integrated Learning at the South African College of Applied Psychology (Sacap), shared these tips on the institution’s website:
1. Know yourself
Naidoo says it is important for learners to reflect on things that contribute to their well-being. How much sleep do you need? Are there activities that help you de-stress or important for you to be mentally fit? If so, draw up your study schedule around these activities to make sure you are helping your body and mind to operate at their best. “Think about and then also make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. This is very important because you want to make study plans and devise a schedule that optimises your strengths and mitigates your weaknesses.
“For instance, it doesn’t help to follow a recommended study schedule that involves four-hour blocks of dedicated study time if you are prone to get restless after an hour,” Naidoo urges.
“It may well work for your friend, but you are likely to study effectively for just one hour, and then waste three hours of every four-hour block you have scheduled on struggling to remain focused.” This is why it is important to create a schedule that is customised to suit your own study needs.
2. Identify your peak times
“We all have particular times of day when we are most effective, and this differs from person to person,” Naidoo explains.
Some learners are raring to go in the mornings, while others need to warm to the day to get started. Maybe one loses concentration as the day progresses, while others find that they are highly productive at night when it is quieter. “Once you know your peak times, schedule your most challenging studies for that period,” Naidoo suggests, “while topics and subjects that are much easier for you can be scheduled during your off-peak hours.”
3. Don’t just think about it, create a study timetable and commit to it
Naidoo says it is important to give structure to your timetable. Make a map of your study goals. Make sure your study plan covers all the work, and includes breaks. “Stick it up prominently in your study space so you can see where you are at any moment at a glance,” she says. “Think of it as your trusty guide over the next weeks – there to help ensure you don’t get any last-minute surprises or setbacks that feel like disasters.”
Make sure to share the schedule with friends and family as this will help with accountability. Shifts and adjustments may be necessary, but make sure all the subjects are covered and organised according to your study priorities.
4. Commit to your well-being
Studying for the NSC exams is possibly one of the most stressful experiences learners will have. This is why it is important to care deeply and well about yourself, Naidoo says.
“The upside is that in being tested this way, you have the opportunity to discover new and deeper aspects of your strength and resilience. You can think of the experience as being on a ‘Hero’s Journey’, where you want to face challenges with all your wits about you, so that you can achieve the best results possible. For that to happen, you need to ensure your physical and emotional health.”
Therefore it is important to eat healthily, get enough sleep, get up and be active, and connect to your support system.
