FindTutors, a UK tuition provider powered by GoStudent, is encouraging students to adopt five straightforward yet effective habits to help reduce exam-related stress and anxiety this season.
As exam timetables draw closer for thousands of school-aged children and teenagers across the UK, many are already feeling the strain. Despite awareness drives such as Stress Awareness Month in April, students still face significant challenges managing the emotional toll of exams.
A 2024 survey by the Association of School and College Leaders revealed that 77% of secondary school teachers observed mental health difficulties in their Year 11 students due to exam pressure. NHS figures further confirm this worrying trend, with anxiety referrals for children now more than double pre-pandemic levels.
In response, Tiara Junanto of FindTutors, who formerly worked as a teaching assistant, is sharing five actionable tips for students and parents to help ease the burden during this high-pressure period.
“Preparing for and sitting exams can be incredibly stressful, and without the right tools or knowledge to deal with this, it can quickly spiral into more serious issues.
“The most important thing by far is sleep. We’ve all been there, working on a particularly tricky subject late in the day, and it is tempting to keep going at the expense of a good night’s sleep. This is almost always a mistake, with poor quality or insufficient sleep shown by multiple studies to reduce your attention span and how effective your brain is at understanding things. Aim to get at least 8 hours a night, even on busy days.
“Alongside this comes exercise and nutrition. Grabbing the microwave meal or skipping that run to do a few extra hours of revision sounds like a good idea, but if you have weeks or months to go until the end of exam season it will quickly catch up with you. Exercise can be a fantastic stress reliever and provides your brain with a much-needed break from studying.
“As exams get closer, try and share your feelings with other students or friends, discussing your experiences can help you feel more in control of situations and hearing that others are going through a similar time can be reassuring. But make sure it doesn’t just become a competition to see who is doing the most revision, which is never helpful. Also make sure that you get help from a professional, if you need.
“On the day of, or night before, exams, try and take some time to relax. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises or mindfulness can help you feel less stressed and if you’ve already put in the work, will be more beneficial than any last-minute cramming and certainly better than a night without sleep.
“Finally, don’t discuss the exam with your friends afterward. It is very tempting to try and compare answers to reassure yourself that you have done well, but this can be unhelpful for both you and your friends when you are powerless to do anything about the outcome. This is especially true if you still have more exams to come. Try to let it go and forget about it.”