Check with each teacher just what you need to revise, and ask for any help they can offer. Practise answering exam-type questions, for instance, so you know how to approach the exam paper itself.

Make a revision timetable, slotting in time to revise each subject, and start revising a couple of months before the exams. It sounds a lot, but giving yourself plenty of time means you can take it slowly and revise thoroughly. If you try to cram your revision in the night before the exam, you’ve only yourself to blame when it all goes pear-shaped!

Allow slots of one to two hours for each subject, and tackle one or two subjects each night. Take a break now and then for a snack, a rest and some exercise… even walking the dog round the block can help chase away the cobwebs, and you’ll come back to your revision feeling much more alert.

Don’t just flick through your books and expect the information to sink in… make notes and lists, copy out key facts, highlight important points. When I was revising back in high school, I’d copy my notes out several times to fix the facts in my head, and sometimes record facts on to a tape to play back. You can also get study-guides for your subjects, check out revision aids on the Internet, study with a friend and quiz each other, work through past papers, attend after-school study groups… whatever works for you.

Don’t leave it to chance, and don’t aim to just scrape through – this is your future we’re talking about. Some people enjoy the buzz of an exam, and do their best in a high-pressure situation. Others go to pieces, panic and forget what they’ve learnt… not so good. If you get nervous, try some slow, deep breathing to stop the panic in its tracks and tell yourself you are prepared… you CAN do it. However nervous you are, get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast before every exam… your brain can’t perform if your body is running on empty.

Once you’re in the actual test or exam, read the questions through carefully, take a deep breath and do your best… that’s all anyone can ask of you.

School Blues

Cathy please help…

My mum has been ill and things are difficult at home. My school work is slipping because of this, and I’m afraid it will mess up my future. Plus, I’m often tired in class and my teachers are getting really hacked off with me.

gita, age 13

Dear Cathy

My mum and dad are fighting all the time these days. I don’t seem to be able to concentrate at school. Sometimes, I lose my temper with friends because their worries just seem so trivial compared to this. I just don’t see the point of school any more.

Lorri, age 12

Gita and Lorri both need to talk to their guidance tutors, class teachers or school counsellors, and soon. When things go wrong at home, school work often skids out of control, and that means trouble. Once you let things slide, it’s very hard to catch up – better to ask for help now.