Nobody can deny that the few weeks building up to the Leaving Cert are some of the most stressful of your school days.

However, there are ways to alleviate this stress. The following advice sets out a simple plan as well as tips coming from a teacher, parent and school principal with 40 years’ experience. Following these simple steps can assure that you are getting the most out of your study and mitigate the stress and worries that accompany the Leaving Cert exams.

At this stage you have possibly – or are – considering staying at home from school and studying instead, as your courses are finished and you would like to put the finishing touches to your subjects. If your teachers are still doing revision classes I suggest you remain in school and take advantage of their knowledge.

Making a realistic plan

A good plan will take away a lot of stress and give you the confidence that you will be prepared for your exams. I suggest you follow a plan similar to the one below and tailor it to what works best for you – some people focus better at night and others in the morning. Know what works best for you.

Top students will do up to an hour per subject per day for the next few weeks. A good work ethic and perseverance will guarantee you reach your potential in the exams.

If you are staying at home, the following may be a realistic study plan for you to follow.

  • Get a good night’s sleep – if you are not fully rested, you cannot get the best from your study. If you are in anyway tempted to use your phone at night, give it to your parents.
  • Get up early and study from 9am-11am – study three subjects for 40 minutes each.
  • Take a break for an hour – and get some food and fresh air.
  • Study from 12pm-2pm – again, do three subjects for 40 minutes each.
  • Take a break for one hour – and get some food and fresh air.
  • Study from 3pm-4.20pm – do two subjects for 40 minutes each.
  • Take a break for three hours – get some exercise, eat well and take a well-deserved nap if you wish.
  • Study again at 7.30pm – and spend 10 minutes per subject going back over what you studied in the morning. Remember repetition makes a master.
  • Take a nice break now – and do something to relax before bed at 10pm.
  • You now have all of your subjects covered and you can increase or decrease time spent on each subject depending on factors like higher/lower level or how important a subject is for your chosen course.

    For each 40-minute session

  • Spend 10 minutes revising your notes.
  • Spend 25 minutes on an exam question.
  • Spend five minutes to checking your answer.
  • If you find you cannot do a question or cannot understand it, get help. You can ask a teacher, a friend or check on irevise.com. Remember 80% of marks are given for knowing the basic procedures, definitions, theorems, experiments. Do not get bogged down in difficult questions or concepts.

    With three days to go to your exams reduce the hours you spend studying and concentrate on the first few exams. It is very important that you are fresh for your exams.

    Extra tips

  • Study hard now as you won’t remember all the study you did when the exams are over.
  • If you feel tired and unmotivated do a subject you like. This may be a maths question, or writing an essay, but whatever it is for you this will help in those times you’re not feeling 100% and will perk you up.
  • Don’t expect to feel enthusiastic all the time. There will be easy days and hard days but stick at it, it does pay off.
  • Eat well and often as your brain needs glucose to function and take water regularly.
  • On the day of your exam

  • Be on time and have water and all your equipment – bring a snack if you like, they’re long exams.
  • If you get a difficult paper remember everyone else will be feeling the same – just keep trying, and often marking schemes are adjusted to take account of this.
  • Most importantly read questions at least twice – also, be sure to highlight important words such as “two decimal places” or “in terms of pie”. Make sure you answer the question you are asked and to take these easy marks.
  • Watch your time – a good idea is to work out the actual times you should be done every question and learn these beforehand. For example, finish question one by 10:15am, question two by 11:05am and so on.
  • Attempt every question – the next few weeks will pass very quickly and you will be leaving school for the last time. There is life after exams and if you have the characteristics of hard work and perseverance you will do well no matter what career you choose to follow.