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O and A level exams season begins, stress levels shoot up!

Dubai — More than 30,000 students across the UAE are appearing for their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations under the British curriculum that started on May 5 and continue till June 12.

The students face IGCSEs (O’Levels) and International A Levels exams at 84 schools in UAE offering the Cambridge and Edexcel curriculum.Students, especially those in O’Levels — equivalent to Grade 10 of the Indian curriculum — who are appearing for the first time for an international board exam say they are highly stressed. For parents, it’s an equally stressful time.

“Maybe I am more stressed than my son is,” said Farhat Shaikh whose child is appearing for O’Levels. “I think I am passing my stress onto my child who keeps telling me to calm down,” she adds.

Teachers at the Dubai British School say that school counsellors work with individuals to help understand where they need additional support and advice on how to cope with the stress of exams.

Secondary counsellor and personal social, health, and economic education coordinator Jo Jewell is one of the student counselors who strives to understand the nature of each student and their thinking patterns to help them manage their stress and give them their best chance when they sit their exams.

In addition, the school also offers a short seminar for parents in order to advise them on how to achieve exam success, support strategies and general information about the possible triggers for stress during exam time and how to identify it. Ensure a balanced diet

To be in a perfect state of mind during the exams, it is just as important to maintain a healthy diet and get enough sleep during exam time. “Consuming junk food and meals with little nutrition will reduce your mind and body’s productivity. Ensuring a balanced meal will help sustain energy levels and efficiency. Some children are unable to absorb the nutrients they need due to low Vitamin D levels which is common, particularly here in Dubai. It is recommended to check the family’s Vitamin D levels with a doctor. Hydration is also key, particularly as the weather is heating up,” says Jewell.

Student Voices:

Dania Hassan, Dubai Scholars School: “O’Levels is something that I’ve always dreaded and awaited simultaneously because I’ve heard so much from my seniors growing up. I have witnessed them flipping their books in despair...and today I’m finally experiencing all the anxiety, excitement and stress at the same time...I really want to own a cupboard full of designer shoes, so I better hit the books!”

 Abeeha Fatima, Dubai Scholars School: “ O’Levels examination is definitely not a child’s play but I have accepted it as a challenge. It is a battle that I have to fight alone, whether win or lose. It is definitely a challenge that has helped me believe in myself.”

 

Teacher Voices:

Stephen Fairfield: “Listen to your teachers, they can help and guide you best.”

Neal Oates: “Students should try their best to organise their revision and remember ‘to fail to plan is to plan to fail’.”

muaz@khaleejtimes.com