Tawjihi exams are around the corner, scheduled this year in June after Ramadan . During this time, it is expected that students, parents and the entire society will be highly stressed. We all know someone sitting for Tawjihi and although H.E. Dr. Omar Razzaz’s policy change strategies have been designed to reduce the overall stress levels, we cannot deny that a student’s mental and physical wellbeing during this time are important. At the end of the day, we cannot achieve our best when we are not feeling our best.
If you or anyone you know is sitting for Tawjihi this year, these tips may help you pass this period in the smoothest way possible.
Keep in mind that you need a strategy and the strategy needs planning. You may drink all the coffee in the world, eat all the comfort food there is, highlight entire pages, rant on all social media but planning in advance can save you from panic attacks, mental breakdowns, or wearing yourself out.
1. First and foremost, let us talk about physical wellbeing. Get enough sleep. All the information you are trying to absorb will not stick in your head if you are running on just a few hours of sleep and coffee. Stay hydrated (with water!). Dehydration can cause tiredness, headaches, dizziness and even low blood pressure. Make sure you eat healthy nutritious foods. Have a rich breakfast, snack on fruits and vegetables, and maintain a balanced intake of carbohydrates and proteins. Take a walk, breathe fresh air and change scenery.
2. Now, let us talk about strategically planning for you exams. You need to ensure that you study all lessons in advance, do not wait until the night before your exam to pack your brain with dates, statistics, and formulas. Make your own notes, solve previous exam questions (past papers) and discuss things with experts and peers because if you do not understand something, there is a good chance that at least one other person does not either. It often helps to have a support group when studying for finals, you can learn how to tackle topics from different perspectives and discover more effective study tips. However, this is ideally done throughout the year and not specifically during exam month.
3. Establish a study schedule, some exams may be separated by more than a couple of days. Try to envision how much time you need to revise for each subject in order to be ready in the time provided for you!
4. The worst possible place to study is on your bed. Before you know it, everything is a blur and you are watching series or browsing Facebook. You may take a thirty minute nap during the day but make sure to take your headphones and study materials to a desk in your house, balcony, garden, library or nearby café. Anywhere quiet and relaxing. Actually, changing location from one place to another may have more positive effects on your mood and enhance your study experience.
5. Finally, remember that this is just temporary. Everyone goes through exams; it is not the end of the world. Stick to a plan and maintain your health and sanity. In two weeks’ time you will have all the free time in world and you can finally start of enjoy summer.