News & Event

Hasnaa Al-Hendasi: organizing time well is an essential pillar for reducing students' psychological stress

Al-Miqdad Al-Rawahi: I advise students not to take any harmful stimulants

Hala Al-Mustaheel: setting a study schedule gives each subject a priority of time

Ahmed Al-Lawati: I prepare summaries that make it easier to recall the lessons

Sumaya Al-Saadi: ask teachers who always provide support and assistance

Sukaina Al-Ajami: preparation, continuous review, and access to previous exam questions

Shamma Al-Kaabi: I prepare daily study schedule by dividing the day into 3 periods

Saif Al Rawahi: student should not get too emotional before the exam as that leads to temporal forgetfulness

Students in grade 12 are preparing to take the general education diploma exams next Sunday, June 4, and these final exams require preparation on the psychological and moral side, to help them study in the right way to guarantee good results. A number of students affirm their full preparation for the exams, the importance of studying daily, how to prepare on the daily basis, and how to deal with the exam paper.

Hasnaa Al-Hendasi, a psychologist in the Psychological Counseling Division at the Guidance and Awareness Department at the Ministry of Education, said: “The exam time, as some call it, is a critical time that casts a shadow on the family and the student at the same time, and it comes loaded with psychological pressure and anxiety, as students must be prepared to study their academic subjects by setting a schedule for studying that is commensurate with the exam schedule in force. Therefore, organizing time and managing it in a good way is an essential pillar to reduce psychological stress for the student. It is worth noting that the feelings of fear and anxiety that a student may experience before, during, and after exams are normal feelings that anyone else may experience; but the important thing is to be aware of it, so that it does not affect the course of preparation for exams. Recognition of the importance of these feelings is a motive for achievement, and preparation, which

results in appropriate and satisfactory performance during exams. Procrastination and wasting time, on the other hand, lead to psychological pressure, and therefore a state of anxiety and fear that impedes good preparation for exams.”

She also referred to the basic roles of the family in the psychological preparation of students, saying: “to provide continuous and unconditional reinforcement to their children in general, and especially during the examination time with follow-up, and continuous supervision so that they feel the support of the family, and thus their feeling of safety and reassurance during the examination times. Parents should avoid comparison between family members, or among peers, and have a fair view that children have different personalities, abilities, and capabilities from others, and therefore their performance and results differ. In addition, families should pay more attention to proper nutrition, and remind students to drink plenty of water, staying away from stimuli. Ensuring early sleep has an effect on the performance of memory in its basic functions such as understanding, perception, remembering and memorization, and thus the more sleep a student gets, the more effective memory functions will be.”

Al-Miqdad bin Saleh Al-Rawahi, student at Abdullah bin Rawaha School for Basic Education in Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate, spoke about his readiness for the exams, saying: “There is no doubt that the final exams for the general diploma put us on the verge of a watershed stage, in which our educational destiny is determined, so I advise my fellow students to fully prepare for the exams so that their psyche is stable, not disturbed or tense, and that they prepare thew selves for the exam with all comfort, and that they leave all disturbance until after the exam; as these unpleasant things will undoubtedly negatively affect their performance. I also advise them to avoid any harmful stimuli in order to stay awake, as all these stimuli, especially the chemical ones, are harmful to health even after a while. Moreover, making sure to have sufficient sleep, and take breaks from time to time are all aids to the student’s performance. As for mental readiness, there is no doubt that continuous studying, and asking questions are the two great motivators in the student’s performance, as well as organizing study times, choosing appropriate times, and a stimulating environment. Scheduling time for studying is almost the first factor in the result, so it must from a fair division between subjects, and not to overshadow the time of one subject over another, and if that happens, then the consequence is not commendable.”

Hala Bint Mustaheel Awad Al-Mustaheel, student at Khawla Bint Hakam School for Basic Education in Dhofar Governorate, said: “The exam time is one of the most important challenges that the student faces, and to overcome these challenges, students must devote all their effort and energy fully to understanding

the curriculum to be fully prepared to take the exam with confidence, and without tension. I advise students to prepare early for the exams, and not a day or two before the exam, in order to avoid anxiety as a result of the inability to finish retrieving all the study information before the specified exam date. This can be done by setting a study schedule that gives each study subject its share of the time required for to study it completely, and I also advise them to stay away from any means that would distract thinking and focus while studying by creating an appropriate environment that suits them, so that it helps them focus as much as possible. The appropriate environment varies from one student to another, for some students, calmness and silence are the most appropriate situation, while others prefer to study while listening to music, and some need a tidier and more organized place to be able to focus.”

Student Ahmed Mortada Ali Al Lawati from Al-Sayyid Sultan bin Ahmed School in Muscat Governorate expressed his readiness for the final exams and said: “I prepare summaries to make it easier for me to retrieve lessons on test nights, and often half of the summaries are ready from daily study. I also prepare my psyche through positivity which I consider to be the first mean of this preparation. Studying is of great importance, and if not applied, the student will not be able to keep pace with the curricula, focus on the details of the lessons, and have time to review previous final exams, which are considered a model for what the student will meet in the final exam. In my schedule, I focus in particular on scientific subjects, and English language subject, then comes literary subjects. I start by solving the easy questions, then I move on to the difficult questions. I also try more than one way to find the solutions and I take a five-minuets break every half an hour to renew focus.”

Sumaya bint Saif Al Saadi, student at Tamader bint Amr School for Basic Education in Musandam Governorate, touched on her readiness for the final exams, saying: “I started from the beginning of the semester, by studying my lessons, doing my homework, looking at exam questions for each lesson, planning, and a weekly schedule to study the subjects in an orderly manner. I also train on exam forms for previous years, read various notes I collected from the Internet, and ask my teachers who always provide me with support and assistance with questions and ideas that I need clarification in. I also watch some educational videos on the topics of some lessons in Physics and Mathematics, and I make some summaries on topics that had memorization to help me remember them.”

Student Saif bin Badr Al-Rawahi, from Imam Salem bin Rashid Al-Kharousi School for Basic Education in North Al-Sharqiyah Governorate, believes that: “There is a lot of preparation necessary for the exams, such as allocating sufficient time for study, the appropriate place, the use of forms, graphs, and training on previous exams. Studying first-hand is important as it increases the ability and

effectiveness of the student to comprehend and understand lessons, and in the end, it makes it easier to study for the final exam. I advise students not to get too emotional before the exam because that leads to temporal forgetfulness which in turn can cause confusion, tension, and then complete forgetfulness. Students can deal with the examination paper in several ways, starting with the parts that require memorization, and then solving the easy questions first leaving enough time for the difficult part.”

Student Sakina bint Abdul Hussain Al-Ajmi from Dohat Al-Adab School in Muscat Governorate said: “My preparation for the exams begins with the beginning of the semester, through preparation, continuous revision, review of previous exam questions, study first-hand which have a major role in preparing for the exam, reducing stress and anxiety, and absorb and remember the information. The daily review schedule is one of the most important things that I do in order to prepare for studying, as I write down all the tasks that I have to do for the day, arrange them according to priority, and then tick each task when I finish it, as it helps me feel accomplished and comfortable, Before entering the examination hall, I always make sure to be calm, and to ignore any source of distraction, including quick reviews that occur with students. I start browsing the examination paper quickly and I try as much as possible not to feel afraid if I encounter a difficult question. When I start solving the questions, I put a mark next to difficult questions to return to it after solving all the easy ones.”

Shamma bint Abdulaziz Al-Kaabi, student at Wadi Al-Hayol School for Basic Education in Al-Buraimi Governorate, pointed out the importance of preparing for final exams, and its role in reducing academic pressure on the student, opening a space to review all that was previously studied, and solving a larger group of questions, which in turn reduces tension and psychological pressure, and help the student to feel comfortable. She said: “It is of great importance for the student to be aware of all the information from the beginning of the semester, and not to postpone it until before the final exam. I prepare my daily schedule for studying by dividing the day into 3 periods and dividing the lessons according to these periods. Before entering the examination hall, I make sure that I have all the tools I need for the exam. When I receive the exam paper, I make sure that all the personal data on the exam paper is correct, then I start solving the questions that I know, and then I look at the questions that need more time and thinking.”