Exam season has begun - what you can do to achieve end-of-year success . Photo / 123RF
Exam season has begun - what you can do to achieve end-of-year success . Photo / 123RF
The Advocate spoke to a Year 13 student from Kerikeri High School who has studied through it all and is now on the way to completing her final NCEA exams.
Figure out what works for you.
That’s Gemma Love’s advice for people going into their NCEA study for the first time.
She’s a seasoned veteran of studying during what may be considered some of the most tumultuous years in schooling recently.
Constant teacher absences and no consistency in her learning led to increased pressure and anxiety.
The pandemic had a huge impact on how much time students got with their teachers and what they learned from them, she said.
Untrained substitute teachers often “didn’t know what they were doing”, and a teacher’s absence in the space of just a week would affect her and her peers’ learning.
With lockdowns and having to learn from home, it was hard to get into the study zone with “younger siblings running around”, she said.
Similar issues carried through into Year 12.
Love said adjusting to studying in school again has been difficult this year.
It forced many students to shift from their study methods at home after returning to a school setting, and teachers had different expectations of students.
“Quite often with tutorials your teachers often try and tell you the best way to study for the exams ... If you studied differently a lot of the teachers disagreed with that.”
She’s had to change one of her subjects halfway through this year because she fell behind on chemistry - a result of 2022′s disruptions.
“I feel like if my teacher had been there and I didn’t have to take so much time off school when I got Covid-19, I would have been a lot better prepared for chemistry.
“They’re such full-on subjects, that even missing a couple of days makes a big impact.”
Her message to students is to figure out what works for them and how they best study, and that no way is the right way.
Next up for Love is to take a break from “all the stress”.
Te Manihi Tumuaki (Northland Secondary School Principals’ Association) chair Alec Solomon described 2023 as possibly the “most disruptive year” schools have had in recent times.
Staffing, relief teacher numbers and striking as well as adverse weather events have severely hampered the school’s ability to have students thrive, he said.
“Students thrive in the consistency and care schools provide them. It’s been really difficult to provide that consistency, and not just in Tai Tokerau but across the country.”
Principals noted that there was a lack of continuity in students’ learning, a high level of absences for both students and teachers, and disengagement.
“Anecdotally we’re hearing that disproportionately Level 1 NCEA students are finding the first year of NCEA a challenge,” Solomon said.
Solomon said while the disruptions have been “very real”, schools have done “a wonderful job” attempting to mitigate them.
He described a “perfect storm” of disruption, exponential amounts of change and teacher supply that has left all teachers and students hoping for calmer waters.
His message for students going into their exams is to “lean into the challenge”.
“Your teachers believe in you, your school believes in you, just believe in yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you’re capable of.”
Prem Nand, an integrative clinical dietitian nutritionist based in Whangārei, told the Advocate that a diet beneficial to study needs to go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle.
She said during the exam period, students can become anxious and let go of healthy life habits.
“If your gut is out, your brain will be out.”
Some are too anxious to eat, others reach for sugary drinks and food, and some are too busy to drink water or eat and this can lead to constipation or anxiety-related bowel issues.
She said eating regularly is key to ensuring the body - and brain - is getting what it needs. Eating regularly can mean different things to different people, she said, but having three meals a day and snacks in between is key.
Meals should be balanced and include a good amount of protein, starchy carbs and grains, complemented with fruit. Healthy eating should also be complemented with a good amount of sleep.
Nand said these healthy habits can benefit you and your brain year-round - not just during the exam period.
Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie recently graduated from Massey University and has a special interest in the environment and investigative reporting.
