This article was originally published in The Daily Telegraph and is republished with permission.
With HSC exams well underway, the final 24 hours beforehand are when nerves peak and bad habits creep in – but experts say small choices make the biggest difference. Success Tutoring founder and CEO Michael Black says a one-page summary of keywords for each syllabus dot point is all the prompt a student needs.
“There’s no amount of study that you’re going to do in the last 24 hours that’s going to really change the outcome,” he says. “They’ve got to believe that all the work they’ve put in the last 12 months or so leading up to the exams is worthwhile and they’ll feel confident going in.”
Australian Psychological Society CEO Zena Burgess urged 45-minute study blocks followed by 15-minute breaks, as students “cannot study English for 12 hours straight”.
Student Ruby Williamson has sat four of her six HSC exams so far, and has found walks around the block – and celebrating the small wins with her mum, motivational speaker and author Lizzie Williamson - her biggest help. Ruby said: “She’ll come cheer me on even when it feels really hard, it’s so sweet, she’s really the best.” Ms Williamson’s approach is to praise progress, and “look at what you have done”.