Tips to help matrics adjust to the new normal
This has been a testing year for many matric pupils. The South African College of Applied Psychology recently held a webinar on study hacks to get through the end-of-year exams. Experts shared tips on how to keep calm and plan holistically. The finals sta
NO MATTER the chaos and uncertainty around you, you can still take charge of yourself.
These were the words of encouragement from experts to matric pupils at a recent webinar on “Study hacks to get through matric exams”.
The event, hosted by the South African College of Applied Psychology (Sacap), was aimed at empowering pupils who are preparing for their matric finals.
Esmarie Cilliers, a registered counsellor in private practice, said: “Studying for success is not a question of luck or talent alone. Researchers agree that pupils who have a strategy or a plan for how they are going to study, achieve the best outcomes.
“Pupils who follow a plan and scientific study methods learn more easily, retain information for longer periods of time, and save themselves hours of study time which enables them to have more balance in their lives.”
Cilliers has a special interest in developmental psychology and personal growth.
Don’t panic, plan
Dr Diana De Sousa, Sacap’s head of teaching and learning, said the psychological adaptations everyone has had to make in response to Covid-19 provided a lesson in resilience.
“Matric pupils can embrace their growing independence and choose to view this incredibly challenging time as an opportunity to improve self-discipline, time management and study skills.”
De Sousa provided the following tips for study strategies to achieve success:
● Set a study schedule to provide structure and keep you motivated. Keeping daily or weekly calendars, such as a diary or graphic organiser, to organise your time for studying, regular rest breaks, exercise and self-care will help you to perform at your best.
● Share your study schedule with friends and family and commit to it. Studying for, and writing, your matric exam is a rite of passage and it's important to let loved ones know about your study schedule so they can keep you on track. Monitoring your progress daily will allow you to check if you are covering all the required content.
● Stay connected with loved ones: Having an optimistic outlook, a study schedule, and the support and engagement of loved ones will help you to remember that you are not alone in the journey.
Keep calm
Lauren Martin, a counselling psychologist, said: “There is no doubt that emotional well-being is important for positive functioning in life, including academic success. However, this does not mean we live a life free of experiencing discomfort or unpleasant emotions.
“Rather, we learn that academic success can be achieved while experiencing challenging states and circumstances. So yes, the world has flipped upside down. But you can still take control of your future, and matric pupils can start right now to prepare themselves emotionally, physically and mentally to get through their exams.” Martin provided the following tips on managing your emotional and mental health:
● Actively look for alternative perspectives:
We can’t always change what we experience, what causes us stress, or our circumstances, but we can change how we think about these events.
Choosing to view the same event from various perspectives broadens our thinking of the event and helps us not feel stuck or anxious in our “go-to thinking patterns”.
For example, with the matric examinations, your go-to response might be “this is unfair and this should not be happening to me”.
This response creates anxiety and panic and can leave you feeling stuck. Actively looking at things from another perspective helps us to think outside of the norm.
You can tell yourself, “we all go through challenges and this is one of mine. I will put in the work to prepare well for the examinations despite the current circumstances”.
● Stress is not the enemy: Emotional well-being means learning that we can function, perform and have success while we experience normal discomforts such as stress.
When we learn that stress or uncomfortable emotions are natural and not the enemy, we allow ourselves room and head space to focus on what is important and take control of our behaviours. This includes self-care, preparation and focused learning, which aid in helping us reach our goals.
● Notice your mind traps: Our minds create scenarios all the time that we often buy into without being aware of it.
Our minds trap us into particular “What happens if…” stories or scenarios which exacerbate stress and anxiety.
Your ability to catch when your mind does this helps reduce unnecessary emotional turmoil.
● Flexible future planning: Every matric pupil is wondering about the next step for them, whether it’s finding work, studying further or volunteering to gain experience.
Rigid thinking, believing there is only one set way (another mind trap) to achieve your goals, exacerbates anxiety and pressure and often leaves pupils depressed and immobilised when they are not able to follow this specific, rigid plan.
Mapping out various pathways to your goal leaves pupils with options and possibilities, regardless of matric examination results.
● Flexible routine: Routine, study habits, eating, exercise and sleeping habits all play a role in optimal functioning.
Routines such as keeping to a normal school-day schedule, organising work and building self-care into your daily routine are all helpful. However, we find ourselves in a different situation this year with the disruption of normality. So routine can look different during this time.
Let’s be mindful that the lockdown is not always conducive to a set schedule or routine.
Sometimes waking up earlier or going to bed later assists with the other demands of what is going on at home. Or our psychological well-being may fluctuate, requiring a change in how we approach the day.
A rigid stance on routine in any sphere of our life is not necessarily conducive to well-being nor learning.