Most students say their parents hinder rather than help during exam study, a survey has revealed.
More than 300 students responded to an online poll from Pilot Pen Australia and HSC Tutor, Clarissa Armani.
Sixty-two per cent of respondents said their parents hindered them when studying and only 38 per cent said their parents helped.
“We ran this survey to find out more about what students need,” Pilot Pen Australia marketing manager John Johnston said.
“We were actually quite surprised to find out that parents aren’t one of the ‘go-to’ tools in the study kit.”
Most respondents (56.52 per cent) said the worst thing parents did was “interrupt my studying by coming into my room” followed by “constantly asking me how my studying is going” (37.05 per cent) and “playing TV/music/making noise in the house” (27.27 per cent).
Students said the best way parents could help was by giving them space (34.78 per cent), buying them the stationery they needed (26.09 per cent) and making them a drink or snack (21.74 per cent).
When asked what most distracted students from studying, answers ranged from phones and TV to the internet, loud noises and “my bossy mum”.
“The results of the survey clearly show that parents need to back off,” Ms Armani said.
“It’s important for students, particularly high schoolers and those doing HSC, to learn how to plan and manage their study by themselves.
“Hovering around to check they are on task, is distracting and counterproductive.”
She said one positive way parents could help was to ensure the home environment was conducive to study.
“Set them up with a good desk or provide quiet time at the kitchen table with good lighting,” she said.
Ms Armani said it was interesting but not surprising that many respondents found technology distracting.
“There has been a lot of discussion recently about phones in classrooms,” she said.
“The same goes for at home.
“Encourage children to leave their phone outside the room so they can come and get it when they’re done, and also try and minimise noise in the house just to help them concentrate.
“These days, it’s harder than ever before but your kids will thank you for it later.”
Ms Armani’s advice for parents:
1. Try not to share and compare your child’s exam results with results from a different school. The test difficulty is often different across schools.
2. Feel free to give your child study tips but remember – what worked for you when you studied might not work for your child.
3. Allow your children to pick their own subjects. They’ll be studying what they’re interested in which will likely lead to higher marks.
4. Encourage balance and routine.
5. Having the right environment for study can make a huge difference so children feel comfortable and motivated.
6. Too much parent involvement can be counterproductive. It’s important for children to learn how to plan and manage their study by themselves.
7. Try not to become angry if your child receives a low mark. Instead, use it as a learning curve to help your child gain insight and motivation to change their study habits and perform better next time.
Ms Armani’s tips for students:
1. Start familiarising yourself with past exam papers early. Even if you have not learned all the
content, look through them and attempt to answer the questions. This will help you learn how to apply concepts you have learned to common exam questions and also understand the gaps in your knowledge
2. Create weekly summary notes from each subject.
3. Dedicate a book for writing down any questions you found hard or mistakes you keep making. Write down the solution to the hard questions in this book as well, and revise before exams.
4. Use spare time effectively. Aim to complete three hours of study every day during the holidays to revise notes and complete practice exam questions. Also aim to read ahead
the chapters in your school textbook and begin making draft notes for the content you will cover in the following terms at school.
5. Use a diary to schedule and plan for what you will study each day, plus extra-curricular
activities and due dates for assessments. Add time limits to each task in your diary to ensure you stay on track.
6. Establish a routine and avoid late nights. Adequate sleep optimises your thinking ability
and concentration for the day ahead. Routine helps to prevent procrastination.
