With the school exams approaching, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) offered tips for students to safeguard their health and help improve their academic performance.
“It is necessary to know how to properly prepare for exams to overcome anxiety during exams and get better grades,” said Dr Sarah Bakhamis, family physician and manager of PHCC’s Al Mashaf Health Centre.
Students should eat healthy, be sure to drink water, fresh fruit juices and exercise. A short walk helps reduce stress. Students with chronic diseases, such as asthma, abnormal blood pressure, or diabetes should bring their medications to school to avoid feeling unwell during exams.
Students ought to practise breathing and relaxation techniques, get enough sleep at night, walk while studying from time to time, avoid sitting for long periods in the same place or bending over in such a way that it could negatively affect the back and neck, and avoid constantly focusing on computer screen or other electronic devices.
Dr Bakhamis added that studying late at night is not effective, as students are not giving their brains a rest, making it difficult to recall information. Staying up late also leads to severe fatigue, exhaustion and stress.
She noted that the best time to study is during the early morning hours and from 5pm to 8pm and advised students to sleep for no less than 6-7 hours before the exam for reasons related to metabolism, memory stabilisation, calming nerves, to help raise their academic performance and to improve their focus during the exam.
On the night before the exam, Dr Bakhamis recommended reviewing summaries of the material, covering the important points that students have prepared instead of studying. She advised students to take a minute to ensure they remember and understand the topic well before they move to another topic.
Students should eat healthy, be sure to drink water, fresh fruit juices and exercise.
