Educators share five tips to better exam results
As matric learners and all other learners begin their preparations for their final matric exams, Hillcrest High School educators have provided tips to help study for the year-end exams.
EXAM season is upon us with the Matric Senior Certificate Examinations starting on October 21. Hillcrest High School (HHS) educators from a number of different subjects offered their top tips to help the Grade 12s and all other learners improve their year-end exam results.
Prepare, prepare, prepare!
‘Preparation is key’, says Elton Moore who teaches history at Hillcrest High School. “Start studying well in advance. Leaving things to the last minute means you will not have time to cover the material thoroughly and there will be gaps.” Moore says he always tells learners to create a relationship with the subject material. “You need to engage with the material, ask questions, seek out the answers – through your notes, textbook or asking your teacher. Discuss the material with friends who are doing the subject, too. It is good to hear yourself and others talk about it – it helps you to remember the content!”
Not a Ticking Time Bomb!
“Time management is something I stress with learners,” says Coach Connor Steedman who also teaches history. “Draw out a study timetable based on the exam schedule to make sure you have enough time to get through each of the sections that will be examined. Study according to the style that works best for you. This could be writing the content on key cards or creating a spider or mind map, highlighting text or making bullet points. If you are an auditory learner, read the content out loud. You can even record yourself reading and then listen to it again when you go for a walk.” He adds that he has found that the best way to study is to time-block three-hour study sessions, with an hour break in between. “Within those three hours, break each hour down further to 45 minutes of studying and 15 minutes break. Move during your breaks, get a healthy snack – something that is nutrient dense like boiled eggs, nuts, biltong, peanut butter or a sandwich with lots of protein like chicken or fish, such as tuna.”
Screen out the world!
As someone who has recently completed his PGCE in Mathematical Literacy and EMS, and his level 2 in Rugby, head rugby coach Llawdden Roux understands juggling work, study and playtime! He recommends limiting screen time during exams. “It is easy to get sucked into a few hours on social media watching reels on TikTok or Instagram, or even watching random content on YouTube, even when you planned to just spend your 15-minute break on your cellphone,” he says. “Setting aside time to do fun stuff is important, too. Get to the gym, chat with friends, take a break and go for a run, or have meals with your family. Try to move more. And if you include screen time as part of your downtime, set limits and set an alarm to signal the end of the time. Be disciplined – exam season is not forever, so just focus and get the work done!”
Be present!
Head of the Learner Support Unit at HHS, Jo Leuschke, has many tips to offer but says that at the top of her list is for learners to attend all lessons. “If you aren’t in class or at school, you cannot learn the material,” she says. “Make sure you attend daily and that you are also focused and present in the classroom. Even if it is a revision of a section that you feel you know well, stay alert and listen as the teacher goes over the material. It will save you on study time, and you may notice something you missed previously.”
Leuschke, who is also the head of Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy, also recommends attending any extra lessons the school has on offer. “At HHS, we have free extra lessons after school on most days. Sometimes, it is a different teacher revising the section, and you may find that you pick up concepts from that teacher that you missed in class. Do the homework set for you by the teachers – this will help you identify weak spots or areas where you may need further clarification to understand the content better.”
Sleep Tight And Don’t Cram
“A tired brain is not a smart brain,” says Shreshtha Ramsout who teaches English at HHS. “Be systematic in your planning, and make sure that sleeping is part of the plan! Do not try to pull an all-nighter before exams and then expect to perform well – that will not happen. You will be tired and will battle to focus. Lack of sleep makes it hard to recall content that ordinarily you would not have had difficulty remembering.”
Another pet peeve Ramsout has is that of cramming on the day of the exam. “It is not productive to cram on the day of the exam. You will increase your stress and that of your peers around you. This comes back to the need for preparation, time management, finding out what you do not know so you can focus on those gaps, and making sure that you have all of the content that will be examined,” Ramsout says. “Then arrive well rested on the day of the exam, confident that you have done the work. And just Breathe!”
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