Ten tips to help students pass exams
Exam season has officially begun in South Africa. Here are tips to help students thrive...
The 2024 matric final exams have started in South Africa.
Learners in the different schools wrote Afrikaans and English Paper 3 on Monday, 21 October.
The Department of Education announced that this year, 727,121 full-time and 155,215 part-time learners will sit for the GDE matric exam—that's 882,336 candidates from across South Africa.
It announced that 16,400 students will undertake the IEB exams.
Parents and guardians need to work together to enable learners to thrive.
The Department of Education has released ten tips to help learners:
READ: All systems go for matric final exams
- Have all your materials ready before you begin studying – pencils, pens, highlighters, paper, etc.
- Be positive. Make sure your brain holds onto the information you are learning by reminding yourself how important it is to remember the work and get the marks.
- Take a walk outside. A change of scenery will stimulate your learning. You’ll be surprised at how much more you take in after being outside in the fresh air.
- Break up your learning sections into manageable parts. Trying to learn too much at one time will only result in a tired, unfocused and anxious brain.
- Keep your study sessions short but effective and reward yourself with short, constructive breaks.
- Teach your concepts to anyone who will listen. It might feel strange at first, but it is definitely worth reading your revision notes aloud.
- Your brain learns well with colours and pictures. Try to use them whenever you can.
- Be confident with the learning areas you know well and focus your brain energy on the sections that you find more difficult to take in.
- Repetition is the key to retaining information you have to learn. Keep going – don’t give up!
- Sleeping at least 8 hours every night, eating properly and drinking plenty of water are all important things you need to do for your brain. Studying for exams is like strenuous exercise, so you must be physically prepared.
READ: Security beefed up ahead of matric exams, says Gwarube
Tips for parents/ guardians to help their children thrive
Create a conducive environment for your child to study
Make the home a comfortable place for your child to study.
For instance, try to avoid playing loud music or anything noisy that can distract your child.
Cut down on chores within the house
Exam time requires ample time to study and exam season doesn't last very long.
Show your child support by taking them off chores within the house so they can focus more on studying. Also, keep a record of their exam timetable so you know when they need help the most.
Provide healthy meals
Healthy food provides the body with nutrients, which aids concentration.
Eating the right food will give your child the energy they need to make it through the exam period.
Offer extra help when needed
Be willing to help if your child is struggling with certain subjects and needs extra lessons or a tutor.
Although tutoring may come at a cost, it will be worth it.
Also, get them any extra study material they might need to ensure they get as much information as they can about questions that might be asked in the exam papers.
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