Parents should prepare for a “tough couple of days ahead” if their child is starting their Leaving Cert exams on Wednesday.

That warning came from guidance councillor Niamh Dwyer who said students' attention should be on short periods of revision, exercise, and getting organised before exams begin.

Some 62,700 students have entered to sit their final secondary school exams this year which will run from the 5th to the 25th of June.

On Late Breakfast, Ms Dwyer said most of the students she’s speaking to “just want to get it started at this stage”.

“It’s very difficult in households for parents and students to get through these couple of days before it starts on Wednesday,” she said.

“It’s important to keep a balanced routine over the days, a very important thing is parents and students have the exam timetable hanging up and your exams highlighted.

“At this stage, it can be hard for students, they’re tired and caught between trying to do some revision and also feeling quite tired.

“They should have a good balance and that means short study slots, but also plenty of fresh air and exercise to get you ready for the week.”

Students doing their Leaving Cert exams in Bandon, West Cork, 2022. Image: AG News / Alamy Stock Photo

The guidance councillor recommends “organising yourself” between now and Wednesday.

“A lot of people will be heading to buy their blue and black pens,” she said.

“They may also need highlighters to highlight keywords on papers, they might need coloured pencils for diagrams, calculators, etc.

“Whatever materials they need, you should have those organised before the exams start.”

Leaving Cert anxiety

Ms Dwyer said anxiety is common in the final days and many students are fearful of going blank when they get their paper.

“It’s very common and the first thing I would say is to remind your children they are going into a familiar setting,” she said.

“I know the exam is very formal which is off-putting and creates anxiety, but your surroundings will be the school gym, the classroom, or whatever.

“We work with students to promote box breathing because they find that useful; inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, hold again, and repeat.

“It helps when feeling overwhelmed and brings you back to a regulated state.”

A student's desk during a Leaving Cert exam. Image: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Ms Dwyer urged parents to support their children in the weeks ahead.

“For parents, a lot of it is just being there,” she said.

“The focus needs to be on keeping things very normal at a time that doesn’t feel normal to the students – being there in the background is key.”

The Junior Cycle written exams will also begin on Wednesday and run until June 17th.

Main image: Student's doing their Leaving Cert. Image: Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie