Painter's Journey Post

It’s Monday morning, 9.30am and it’s been two weeks; this can only mean one thing...I’m on the rattler coming home! Time for another 'Painter’s Journey Post'!

Today's subject is...The Exam Season

A large proportion of the people reading this will, at present, be attempting some revision for their forthcoming exams, and the rest who are fortunate enough not to be in exam season this year are likely to have experienced these times in the past. We all know end of year examinations are important and more times than not are key stepping stones in our career paths, so it’s probably worthwhile taking the time out to ‘hit the books’. That’s all very well and good, but in May, June and July! Could there possibly be three months where it is harder to resist temptation and use your recreational time playing sport, socialising and generally relaxing in the lovely British summer weather to instead lounge around inside making mind maps and reading out extensive information from a text book? If you’ve just read that and believe it’s quite easy to resist those temptations then A) I salute you for your willpower and B) You really should get out more and make the most of your teen years!

Surely the big bosses at our beloved exam boards realise this? It’s not rocket science to realise that the exam season is a very stressful and tense period for all who take part, and with the added strain of having to undergo it in the peak of British weather, just about finishes it off. We’ve waited all year to go outside and make the most of the long, light evenings and warm subtropical climate and instead we’re urged to use the time to sit indoors and get revising. Why?!

Firstly, I believe that having the exam season in the summer will not see the best possible results from young people; quite simply because we can’t resist the temptation. When the great outdoors is calling, we will go. I for one don’t have enough will power, and revision and studies comes second best at this time of the year. I find it simply impossible, I know exams are extremely important, but you’re only young once, and I for one will not forget that.

Secondly, we spend quite a lot of study time in the winter churning out masses of coursework to complement our summer results. Although this can be a real drag and, at times, quite demoralising, wouldn’t this time be better served preparing for exams? As a general rule, we’re indoors much earlier in the day during the winter and generally there is less going on, so theoretically this gives us more time to prepare and revise, does it not? And if the exam boards are still insistent on keeping the coursework aspect of qualifications there, I’m sure young people would be more focussed on getting it completed once exams have been concluded. This way it could be done in a more relaxed manner gradually throughout the summer months, knowing that there are no more exams to worry about in that year.

Finally, are sweltering, hot conditions the best tonic to successfully sit an exam paper? Not really. It affects the way our mind works, our concentration levels dip and the energy levels we walk into the room with soon evaporate (quite literally). I’m not an expert on this, and right now I’m considering asking Dr Jo to take out a review on it, but it’s a pretty basic factor isn’t it? Sitting an exam in a cooler, calm environment has to be better than the aforementioned one.

In three relatively short paragraphs, I believe that I have expressed the views of not only myself, but the views of most young people. This really is something that needs to be looked at by the education authorities. Results will improve. We can make the most of our childhood era. And by linking the two together the characteristics of this generation will be more positive. 

Best of luck to everyone taking exams this summer from the Painter's Chronicle Team.