As well as great weather, the Junior and Leaving Cert can bring plenty of stress, relief and maybe a cramming session or two.
The build-up to both exams can be stressful and draining for many students – not to mention their supportive family members – and keeping the head once each exam comes your way is crucial.
With this in mind, we spoke to TikTok's Teach with Tadgh, a secondary school teacher who has gone viral on social media thanks to his funny takes on school life and study tips. Here, he shares his advice for maintaining motivation and staying calm during exam season.
Depending on your subjects, the exam season can stretch on for seemingly ages. What are your tips for keeping motivation high until the end?
It's a tricky situation sometimes when you're waiting on one or two exams right toward the end, but for me, I think it comes back to planning and organising long in advance of all exams. If you know you have an entire week before one final exam, it's ok not to revise it much during the more condensed section at the start of the Leaving Cert. But ensure you still create a check list of topics, exam papers, etc., so that when that week arrives, you've got a plan in place for what needs to be studied for that subject, and how you plan to study it.
You obviously see social media as a useful study aid, but are there any downfalls to analysing potential exam questions online?
I don't think there's any harm in looking at patterns that come up in exams, and making a quick prediction on what might be due up next, but I'd certainly warn students away from solely banking on what might be expected. It's much better to take any speculation you see online with a pinch of salt, and focus on giving all parts of a subject the attention they deserve. Otherwise, you'll get wrapped up in the hysteria of it all.
Is cramming actually useful the closer you get to exams?
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Cramming might sound tempting when time is limited, but it's not nearly as effective as consistent, structured study habits over a set period of time. So don't believe people when they say they work best when they cram at the last second and don't do any other study. This generally doesn't work well for most people, and tends to increase stress and anxiety instead.
It might help with surface learning, but no deep learning will actually take place. And it's extremely time inefficient. Last-minute study should be focused on the areas you want to improve, or exam paper practice. Not trying to learn huge quantities of information.
However, some study (even if it is cramming) is better than no study at all. So if you find yourself saying "ah, well, it's too late to start now!" It most definitely is not. Pull out some books/ notes/ exam papers, and get cracking!
What would be your recommended de-stress routine for the night before exams start?
I'm a simple creature, and whenever I sat exams I noticed three things always helped settle my nerves the night before: a decent meal, having my bag packed and ready for the next day, and getting eight hours of sleep. Even if I found myself in a good studying rhythm the night before, I would always ensure I finished early enough that I got a good night's sleep. There's absolutely no reason to stay up so late cramming that you only get a couple of hours and end up being tired in the exam. Go to bed, and actually sleep. That doesn't mean staying on your phone for hours while lying there. Go to sleep!
