How to get your teenager executing at 100% on Exam Day
Most parents advocate for the following:
More consistent and earlier bed times,
Eating your vegetables,
Drinking lots of water,
And many other things teenagers typically don’t want to do.
However,
In the lead up to and during your teenager’s exams,
The positive impact of doing these things,
Or the negative impact of neglecting to do them,
Can have significant consequences.
The problem is how do you get a moody teenager to listen?
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I have three points I want to make in this email.
The first is on the things that I believe push the needle.
The second is on timing.
And the third is about how to get a teenager to buy into this.
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What would I implement?
It goes without saying that everyone is different.
But on a generalised basis,
I really do believe the following things really do make a difference to both a teenager’s quality of revision,
And quality of execution on exam day.
- Sleep – This is probably the most important factor. Lots and lots of people struggle with sleep and I am very sympathetic, but this is not a sleep newsletter, perhaps that will come soon. For now, I just want to highlight how important consistency of bed time and wake up time (rather than just length) is when it comes to functioning at your best on exam day.
- Nutrition – Again, everyone is different, but increasing the impetus on having a full plate of green leafy vegetables, a protein and a carbohydrate in each meal is essential. Its so easy to just go for a plate of pasta and I don’t blame anyone for doing so … but I do think going a step further makes a difference.
- A multi-vitamin – I feel like this is almost a cheat code that most teenagers miss. I don’t know whether it is because they are scared of pills or another reason but this is such an easy way to improve cognitive functioning in an inexpensive and easy way.
- Hydration – Most people drink less than they think. 2 – 3 liters a day take conscious effort.
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The mistake most people make about timing
In my opinion,
Most people start emphasising these aspects too late.
Instead of the night before an exam,
I would recommend that really a student should be concentrating on these things at least a month prior to the start of their exams,
If not more.
This is important for two reasons.
Firstly,
The positive implications of controlling the above criteria take some time to make an impact.
You don’t just take a multi-vitamin one day and suddenly your functioning at full capacity.
Additionally, controlling these aspects make a student more likely to stay healthy and avoid burnout in the lead up to and during an exam period.
Secondly,
It actually could add anxiety to a teenager if so many changes are implemented just before the start of the exams.
We want to start these positive habits as early as possible so that a student has already started to feel the benefits and the habits become a standard part of their daily routine.
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How to get a teenager to buy in?
This is not parenting advice.
However, I do think a key aspect on getting a teenager on board with anything,
(or anyone for that matter),
Is the way in which we present information to them.
If I told someone to start taking a multi-vitamin from tomorrow,
They would be more resistant than if they have known for months,
Or maybe even years,
That in the lead up to an important event,
We do the following things.
When you combine this understanding with incentives,
By doing these things properly,
I will agree that you can actually do less revision,
Or you can have more time on your Xbox,
Or get a takeaway once a week,
We have an approach that is more likely to be successful.
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I hope you have a great week ahead,
Best wishes,
Joel