The Informer - the International School of Stavanger

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The Informer November 28, 2003 News from the Counselor....... November 28, 2003 News from the Counselor....... The Informer To: All High School Students & Parents Re: Exam Stress The High School exams period will run from Friday, 12 December to Wednesday, 17 December. Students’ anticipation of this important time of year often leads to feelings of anxiety – or what is commonly known as exam stress. Exam stress is the mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition that occurs in response to the test-taking situation. This state of extreme difficulty is capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression (Stress Management for Life). Luckily for students, there is a lot that can be done to help cope with stressful feelings. One good starting point in the quest to manage stress is accepting the notion that a bit stress can be a good thing. Think about it –stress keeps your body alert, helps you to focus, try harder, and perform at an optimum level. Though there are various approaches to stress reduction, D. Hamilton’s A Guide for Maximum Success and Minimum Stress nicely summaries some useful coping strategies that may be of assistance as we enter this challenging time of the school year. General Exam Stress-Busting Tips: • Believe in yourself. If you prepare for the exams properly you should do fine, meaning that there is no need to worry excessively. • Don't try to be perfect. It's great to succeed and reach for the stars. But keep things in balance. If you think that "anything less than A+ means I've failed" then you are creating mountains of unnecessary stress for yourself. Aim to do your best but recognize that none of us can be perfect all of the time. • Take steps to overcome problems. If you find you don't understand some of your course material, getting stressed out won't help. Instead, take action to address the problem directly by seeing your teacher, counselor, or seeking help from a classmate. • Don't keep things bottled up. Confiding in someone you trust and who will be supportive is a great way of alleviating stress and worry. • Keep things in perspective. The exams might seem like the most crucial thing right now, but in the grand scheme of things they are only a small part. Tips for the study/test preparation period: • Leave plenty of time to study so that you don't get into a situation of having to do last minute cramming. This approach will help to boost your confidence and reduce any pre-exam stress as you know you have prepared well. • Develop a timetable so that you can track and monitor your progress. Make sure you allow time for fun and relaxation so that you avoid burning out. As soon as you notice your mind is losing concentration, take a short break. You will then come back to your studies refreshed. • Experiment with several alternative study techniques so that the time spent is more fun and your motivation is high. • Don't drink too much coffee, tea and carbonated drinks; the caffeine will 'hype' you and make your thinking less clear. Eat healthily and regularly; your brain will benefit from the nutrients. • Regular moderate exercise will boost your energy, clear your mind and reduce any feelings of stress. • Try out some yoga, tai chi or relaxation techniques. They will help to keep you feeling calm and balanced, improve your concentration levels and help you to sleep better. Tips for the exam itself: • Avoid panic. It's natural to feel some exam nerves prior to starting the exam, but getting excessively nervous is counterproductive as you will not be able to think as clearly. • The quickest and most effective way of eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close your eyes and take several long, slow deep breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole nervous system. Simultaneously you could give yourself some mental pep-talk by mentally repeating "I am calm and relaxed" or "I know I will do fine". • If your mind goes blank, don't panic! Panicking will just make it harder to recall information. Instead, focus on slow, deep breathing for about one minute. If you still can't remember the information then move on to another question and return to this question later. • After the exam don't spend endless time criticizing yourself for where you think you went wrong. Often our own self assessment is far too harsh. Congratulate yourself for the things you did right, learn from the bits where you know you could have done better, and then move on. Wishing you inner peace during exam time, Dr. Rick Cameron High School Counselor RCameron@isstavanger.no 2 3
The Informer November 28, 2003 News from the Exams Coordinator November 28, 2003 High School/Middle School News The Informer IB2 MOCK EXAM SCHEDULE: January 2004 From Lynn Park, 21st November 2003 – first draft Day Morning Afternoon Day 1 (Wednesday 14th Jan) English A1 HL (2h) English A1 SL (1h30m) English A2 HL (2h) English A2 SL (1h30m) Economics HL (1h + 1h) Economics SL (1h) Psychology HL (2h) Psychology SL (2h) Day 2 (Thursday 15th Jan) Economics HL (2h) Economics SL (2h) Psychology HL (2h + 1h) Psychology SL (1h) Day 3 (Friday 16th Jan) History HL (2h 30m) Chemistry HL (1h 15m) Chemistry SL (1h) Day 4 (Monday 19th Jan) English A1 HL (2h) English A1 SL (1h30m) English A2 HL (2h) English A2 SL (1h30m) Day 5 (Tuesday 20th Jan) Maths HL (3h) Math Methods (2h) Math Studies (2h) Day 6 (Wednesday 21st Jan) Day 7 (Thursday 22nd Jan) Day 8 (Friday 23rd Jan) Norsk A1 SL (1h30m) French A1 SL (1h30m) Polish A1 SL (1h30m) Physics HL (1h15m) Physics SL (1h) Biology HL (1h15m) Biology SL (1h) French B (1h30m + 1h30m) Spanish B (1h30m + 1h30m) Spanish ab initio (1h30m + 1h30m) History HL (1h + 1h30m) History SL (1h + 1h30m) Chemistry HL (1h + 2h15m) Chemistry SL (45m + 1h15m) Norsk A1 SL (1h30m) French A1 SL (1h30m) Polish A1 SL (1h30m) Maths HL (2h) Math Methods (1h) Math Studies (1h) Physics HL (1h + 2h15m) Physics SL (45m + 1h15m) Biology HL (1h + 2h15m) Biology SL (45m + 1h15m) Art HL + SL (exhibition – individual times to be arranged throughout the day) Make-up exam time NOTE: All students will attend normal classes until the first day of the examinations. IB Diploma and Certificate students will have Study Leave from Wednesday 14th January to Friday 23rd January 2004, only attending school to take the Mock examinations. All IB Mock examinations will be held in the basement. Morning examinations will begin at 0830. Afternoon examinations will begin at 1330. Students may need to make special arrangements for transport home from school if they have long examinations in the afternoon. Thoughts from the Middle and High School principal It’s almost December and the holidays are clearly in sight, as is a new year, 2004! It’s not uncommon for that to be a time for making those resolutions. One of those resolutions might be to become a person of positive influence. Teachers and parents know all too well that children learn by watching, listening and then doing. So the integrity of the model is crucial to the learning outcome. It follows that to have a positive impact on the lives of others "a person of influence has integrity with people." Maxwell and Dornan write, "The need for integrity today is perhaps as great as it has ever been. And it is absolutely essential for anyone who desires to become a person of influence. Integrity is the foundation upon which many other qualities are built, such as respect, dignity, and trust. Integrity commits itself to character over personal gain, to people over things, to service over power, to principle over convenience, to the long view over the immediate." Students at ISS are encouraged to challenge themselves in these ways through the homeroom advisory program in Middle School, service activities in both Middle and High School, and attention to respecting themselves, each other and their environment. Developing integrity takes time as it requires the maturation of the concepts of morals and ethics. Maxwell and Dornan state,"Developing integrity is ‘an inside job’" and then go on to deal with three common misconceptions about integrity: 1. “Integrity is not determined by circumstances". "…you are responsible for your choices. Your circumstances are as responsible for your character as a mirror is for your looks. What you see only reflects what you are." 2. “Integrity is not based on credentials". "Character comes from who we are, not what we are." “Credentials are transient, …turn the focus to rights, …add value to only one person, …look to past accomplishments, …can only get you in the door. Character is permanent, …keeps the focus on responsibilities, …adds value to many people, …builds a legacy for the future and gets you in the door and keeps you there." 3. “Integrity is not to be confused with reputation”. While reputation might be more easily recognized in the short term, "a good reputation only exists because it is a reflection of a person’s character". It really is who you are when nobody’s looking. These are the challenges for our students as they grow. Choosing to do ‘the right thing’ based on integrity will not always be the popular choice, and certainly not the easiest or most comfort- 4 5
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