Sixth year student Jen talks to college student Emmet about how she manages the stress of the Leaving Cert exams.
Category: School
Studying at home
Uncertainty around exams and missing out on experiences has left many young people feeling frustrated. Many students can find themselves procrastinating or losing sight of their end goals.
Take comfort in knowing that learning how to self-direct your study is a skill for life.
Below, find a helpful conversation between Evelyn O’Rourke from RTÉ Radio 1 Drive Time’s Study Hub and Jen Trzeciak, eMental Health Manager at Jigsaw, about ways for students to stay motivated to study in a time of uncertainty around exams and school.
Here are some more strategies to help you stay motivated when studying from home:
Starting secondary school – advice from our YAP
Members of our Youth Advisory Panel in Roscommon worked together to create this infographic with tips and advice about starting secondary school.
Heading back to school
After the holidays going back to school can seem a little nerve-wrecking.
Getting used to self-guided study
Furthering your education or training after secondary school can also be a really exciting time.
This period of transition from being in the school system to becoming more independent can take some adjustment. Self-motivation is often needed to engage with this way of learning.
In this article, you will find:
Ask Jigsaw: Online learning has been so hard
I get good grades in school but I can’t bring myself to continue schoolwork at home. Online learning has been so hard and unmotivating and I’ve stopped going to most classes, lying about my internet cutting out or my camera not working or my headphones breaking. I don’t want to do it and I want to be as good as I know I can be if I put my mind to it but I just don’t have the motivation to do anything related to school anymore.
Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out today. It might be helpful to know that you are not on your own with this. Many of the young people we speak with are having a similar experience with online learning and schoolwork.
School avoidance
The majority of young people face challenges at some point throughout their schooling.
Common difficulties can occur in the following areas: learning and curriculum, social and peer related and/or the physical environment.
For the most part, young people overcome these challenges and school provides positive, enjoyable experiences. However, for a number of young people, school can cause a significant amount of distress. This leads to difficulty attending school.
If your young person is currently experiencing difficulty attending school, this article covers the following:
Ask Jigsaw: Anxious and nervous at school
I want to know why i can’t bring myself to want to go to school. i am a very social person at times and i don’t have any problems besides the few subjects but everyone has that problem. i feel very unmotivated, uncomfortable, anxious and extremely nervous at school. i was just brought home from school due to the fact i got sick because of the nervousness and anxiety. I want to be able to enjoy school but i don’t know how
-emily k
Hi emily k,
You are not on your own with this. We have heard from many young people who have started to experience anxiety as they start back to things like school and socialising. It’s great that you want to get back to enjoying school, and are looking for ways to do that.
Fitting in at school
It can seem like everyone else has found their group and is fitting in at school. We can end up feeling very lonely and isolated when we don’t feel we fit in.
If you feel like you don’t fit in, you’re not on your own. According to My World Survey 2, over one in five young people considered friends to be a source of stress. 39% of adolescents reported that they had experienced bullying at some point in their lives.
As we get older, we tend to spend much less time with family and more time with friends. For many young people, fitting in is really important. It seems that everybody wants to be popular. This can lead to social rivalry, competition and bullying, particularly in school.
When you feel like you don’t fit in, it can be an extremely tough experience. There are no easy answers, but some of the following may help.
Coping with exam disappointment
Sitting an exam or assessment can be daunting enough. However, the wait before finally getting your results can be even more nail-biting.
For some, opening the results envelope brings a wash of relief. However, for others, it can lead to disappointment, confusion, guilt, upset and anger.