The period leading up to exams — particularly if you are a senior, and your successful entry into your dream university will depend on your results —can be extremely challenging not only for students but likewise for teachers and parents!
Parents watch their teenagers go from ‘zero-to-hero’, studying until the last minute, staying up late, and having sudden tantrums. They worry that their children may not receive the grades they need to get into their dream university. Yet, what parents fear most is the disappointment their child will face if they are not satisfied with their marks.
Teachers also experience frustration and stress, particularly when their teaching skills are evaluated based on their students’ performance. But for many teachers, this period is much more than that. This period is about rising above, embracing John Keating-style methods, while also helping them understand that they are much more than just test scores.
As for students, we can certainly use a long line of adjectives to describe how students feel as exam season is approaching: nervous, frightened, tired, anxious, burned-out, sleep-deprived.
Perhaps my favorite response was: “I feel like I’m on a really large hamster wheel, like so big I don’t realize I’m running in circles and getting nowhere.” (Abigail S., AIS Vienna)
And although, we all know that as teenagers we tend to exaggerate —a lot(!) — as life begins to unravel, we look back now and understand that senior year in high school was, in fact, not that bad.
In education, fortunately or unfortunately, the one thing that we know how to measure best is IQ, and we do this through standardized testing. But, what if your ability to do well in school and in life depends on much more than your ability to memorize huge amounts of information?
At 100mentors, our mission is to empower students through education in order to become genuinely happy citizens of this interconnected world! We do not award academic excellence over personal development, as we believe both are equally important. Having created a software that is a hub for role-models representing different universities and career paths, we help students connect with mentors, who act as an inspirational and motivational force to help students be successful in school, and beyond, so that they do not become…just another ‘brick in the wall’!
This is the beginning of the new blog series #studentconfessions, where together —with the students and mentors of 100mentors — we will tackle a series of topics, such as:
Things to do before exams
Developing your study skills
Studying with technology
Managing exam anxiety – taking down the beast!
And many more to come.
During the next month, #studentconfessions will focus on actionable tips for exam prep, aiming to:
Encourage students an understanding that success is not all about being ‘smart’ – getting good marks is something all students can achieve with the right preparation and by developing appropriate skills needed,
Support students to take a personalized approach to study,
Prepare students for what to expect at the university level, and
Offer guidance on how to develop effective study habits and a positive approach to learning and study.
Expand your horizons with 100mentors
100mentors is the platform and network empowering students to connect with mentors on-demand to guide them in their most important academic and career decisions. With 100mentors, schools enable students to open up their circles of influence to include mentors from 300+ universities and 500+ companies across the world, while companies and universities are able to tap into a quality pool of potential program and job candidates.
Follow along and share your #studentconfessions with us in the comments below or tag us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
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