Exam stress: Niamh Mellerick's advice to students
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Wednesday June 03 2009
Niamh Mellerick is a 19-year-old student from Terenure who sat her Leaving Certificate last year and realised her dream of studying occupational therapy in Trinity College in Dublin.
However, it wasn't an easy goal for Niamh because she fell sick during the first term of sixth year and ended up in hospital.
"In November of sixth year I ended up in hospital and that set me back three months. I missed so many classes and material, and the thought of the Leaving Cert made me stressed out.
"How on earth was I going to succeed? I felt like everything was going against me," she says.
"My advice is that if you are feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing, take a good step back and put things in perspective.
"Good notes were key for me. They condense everything and cut out all the padding that's in the books. The sight of the thick biology book is enough to stress a person out before exams.
"It's also important to study the exam papers to be familiar with what you are studying for and what kind of questions they ask," she says. "That way you can tailor your studies.
"I used a relaxation CD which really helped me out and kept me focused.
"Also listening to, or comparing yourself with, other students is a major stress factor. Just because they did five hours last night doesn't mean they are doing better than you.
"For the final four weeks I had off school, I did a study timetable which was the same as school, had the same breaks, etc. This really kept me focused as it didn't change my routine," says Niamh.
- Anna Coogan
