It’s not unusual to feel a bit stressed as it comes up to exam time. This can be a good thing sometimes as it motivates us to study.
For some of us though, exam stress can really interfere with our day-to-day lives and hinder work and concentration levels.
Covid-19 brought about many changes for everyone. Students, in particular, were heavily impacted by the closure of schools and colleges, and this hasn’t helped the last few years.
It’s a nail-biting time watching your young person prepare for the Leaving Cert. In 2021, students were given the choice between sitting the exam, receiving an accredited grade, or both. Approximately 58% of students chose to sit the exam in some capacity.
2022 sees the Leaving Cert return to a more traditional format, while incorporating more choice for students. This document has the adjusted assessment arrangements for taking state exams in the 2021/22 school year. These adjustments are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the pandemic.
We asked Jigsaw clinicians how they support and advise parents and young people finding it hard to cope with Leaving Cert stress. They suggested the following strategies and tips to support your young person and cheer them up. They also advised how to keep yourself and your home calm during these challenging times.
This is a personal story written for us by one of our young volunteers.
One of the earliest memories I have is of an Irish dancing class in Junior Infants. I remember being bundled into the hall with all the girls and looking back at the boys left behind.
If you’re feeling anxious about the Leaving Cert, you’re not alone.
In 2021, students were given the choice between sitting the exam, receiving an accredited grade, or both. Approximately 58% chose to sit the exam in some capacity.
2022 sees the Leaving Cert return to a more traditional format while incorporating more choice for students. This document has the adjusted assessment arrangements for taking state exams this June. The adjustments are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the pandemic.
The updated system might cause extra stress for some, in an already stressful year. Find tips for managing anxiety here. We also have more advice below.
In this article, you will find:
The last couple of years have turned people’s plans upside down. Young people, in particular, have been heavily impacted.
Job insecurity and uncertainty about the future can lead to challenging situations. Stress is one of those words we use so often it has almost lost its meaning.
This article covers:
Being transgender is when the gender you feel you are is different from the gender you were given at birth.
This also includes being non-binary which can mean not feeling like any gender, feeling both male and female, or feeling fluid in your gender in that you feel male and female at different times. It can also mean feeling partly or completely a different gender than either male or female.
Some people have a strong feeling of this from an early age and others aren’t aware until they are older.
Sixth year student Jen talks to college student Emmet about how she manages the stress of the Leaving Cert exams.
Anger is a feeling we all experience. It’s an emotional state that comes with thoughts and often physical feelings as well.
Anger can usually be summed up with the expression ‘that’s not fair’. It comes with a sense of injustice. Maybe you feel you or someone else has been treated unfairly. Anger can be a great motivator, prompting us to make changes and tackle inequalities.
The past year has been challenging for many, and can cause a lot of anger. We often feel angry when we have no control over things. We can feel stressed, or under a lot of pressure.
There is nothing wrong with feeling angry. It is our response to feeling anger that can cause problems for us.
Feeling angry often comes with physical sensations. Things like our heart beating faster, feeling hot or clenching our fists.
Anger can be difficult to express and manage. Particularly because a lot of us have been taught not to show it. We can be made feel guilty or ashamed about being angry, despite it being a necessary emotion.
This is unfair as well, and can further sustain feelings of anger. Until we learn how to manage it a different way, this keeps going in a circle.
We learn a lot about how to express emotions from our family. Think about the habits you may have picked up over the years. Do people close to you release anger in a healthy way?
Amy, 22, a Jigsaw volunteer from Limerick shares her experience of the pandemic.
My experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has been somewhat different to that of my peers, as I am living in a high-risk household. A member of my family is currently undergoing chemotherapy which compromises their health immensely. Because of this, myself and the other members of my family are not only responsible for our own health, but for their health too.
The feeling of responsibility for someone else’s health is a difficult feeling to put into words. I did not feel much pressure and frustration during the first lockdown as everyone was in the same boat. I oddly felt safer and more relaxed knowing that everyone was undertaking the necessary precautions.
Jigsaw Youth Advisory Panel member Josh, talks to Jigsaw Clinician Jen about ways to manage anxiety.
