9 Ways You Can Help Your Child Do Well in Board Exams

Board exams are stressful no matter how hard a student prepares. There are over 30 lakhs students that appear for the CBSE boards every year in our country. Furthermore, in ICSE, state, and other central boards, over 1 crore students appear for the exams each year. So, one can understand how competitive it would be to obtain seats in the college.

As a parent, one should always encourage their kids to achieve higher in every exam. It does not merely mean pressuring the children to score maximum marks, but motivating them and inheriting good and positive thoughts. The students should not be soiled with fear, which only makes things worse.

In this informative article, we will discuss how parents should assist their children in scoring good marks in their final exams. There are nine ways; let us see them one by one.

Appreciate the uniqueness

Parents should never compare their children to their classmates. Everyone is unique, and the parents should agree and appreciate that. Because comparison only makes the environment toxic, it does no good to anyone involved. 

The students can be anything they want in life. Some want to become a pilot; some aim to become an astronaut; some want to be a doctor, an engineer, etc. So, no matter what their aim is, the parents should always be on the students’ side and encourage them to do wonderful things in their lives. It is the most important thing, which is why it is the first and foremost advice to parents in this blog.

Furthermore, the parents should not be harsh to their children even if they score low marks because if they do, it will only affect the children’s mental health. So, the parents should understand that marks are not everything. However, they can encourage and motivate their children to score better.

Help them improve time management skills

Time management is the key to success. Take any situation; managing time is fundamental to achieving good results. So, it applies the same to studies. Managing time in an examination is essential for any student who wants to attain maximum marks. The parents should know this better than anyone else and help students improve their time management skills.

Everything in this world is set at a specific time on it. Time is like a limit for any task, and it indicates that one needs to finish that particular task within the provided amount of time. Students are given loads and loads of assignments, homework, and tests during school days.

As a parent, one should guide their children to build an appropriate schedule where they should use their time productively and efficiently. One should identify the areas where their children have issues and take more time to finish and give them a hand to help them come out of it.

Monitoring progress

The parents should assess their children’s progress in studies at least once a week to know how good their level is. While doing so, they should figure out their child’s weak areas and the areas they need more improvement. The parents should also motivate them to take frequent mock tests and ensure they answer the papers properly within the allotted time.

Furthermore, it is necessary to advise the children to revise regularly and keep track of their studies. However, too much monitoring would only stress them out, so the parents should not be strict no matter what and should only motivate their kids and give them their relaxation time in-between studies.

Be a friend

It is a must for the parents to be with their children; supporting them both physically and emotionally would have excellent positive effects. While in the exam preparation phase, the students face intense amounts of stress and anxiety. Being with them would help them realise that someone is there for them even in the hardest times. It will also help them in their mental well-being.

Moreover, in terms of entertainment, the parents should minimise their going out times and be home to support their children whenever possible. It is time for the parents to restrict the number of TV shows or movies they watch regularly. They should always be available for their children whenever they need emotional support and listen to their problems without blaming them.

Motivate the children with rewards

Rewards and prizes make positive changes in the minds of the students. The parents should set a target for their kids and reward them with their favourite or special items, which will make them happy.

For instance, let us say a father divided his son’s syllabus into parts and let him study. After completing each chapter, he awarded his son with his favourite chocolate, which boosted his confidence to achieve further. These are called short-term goals.

Similarly, there are long-term prizes as well. For example, parents can award them something big after achieving 90 % on their boards.

Remove distractions

There are various distractions in a student’s life. Many children get addicted to social media and the internet in general. Going out with friends to watch movies or eat at restaurants would be a habit for some. The parents should identify their children’s distractions and ensure they spend more time on their studies.

For instance, a student has a bad habit of listening to music while studying; as a result, he cannot concentrate, which affects his exam results. As a parent, it is their sole responsibility to eliminate this issue and try to replace it with some other productive thing.

Discuss exam strategy

The students might need help with a few things during their examination. One major thing is having a good exam strategy. Some common questions might arise, for example, how to write specific answers, how to present those answers, which questions they need to answer first, how to divide time between each section, etc.

It is surveyed that at least 6 out of 10 students do not pay enough attention to the tactics which cost them their scores. The parents should sit with them and discuss the ideas. Let us see a real-time example:

A student named Raj studies in Class 11 and has brilliant intellectual capabilities. He is a sincere student and never fails to study less than 4 hours a day while preparing for his exams. However, he barely completes his Mathematics exam. His father then analysed his answer papers, understood where they went wrong and helped him create a counter-strategy, which eventually helped his son obtain good grades.

Provide them with a healthy lifestyle

Health is the main factor in everyone’s life, especially when it comes to children; it is essential to provide them with healthy food. The parents should restrict the amount of fast-food intake their students consume. Instead, the students should be fed with fruits, vegetables, etc., to increase their nutrient levels. Eating fast food would only create health issues and trouble the students with many physical issues such as stomach aches and indigestion problems. Therefore having a healthy routine is always advisable.

Apart from that, the children should also be exposed to outdoor activities, such as running, jogging, skipping, etc. All these activities make the students physically healthy. In terms of mental health, the parents should expose their children to yoga and meditation to calm their minds and help them focus better while enhancing their concentration skills.

This sort of healthy lifestyle improves the students’ calmness, kindness, and fitness and helps them acquire their dream scores in board exams.

Listening to them after each exam

After completing an exam, the students need someone to share their feelings regarding the paper. It is common to experience certain feelings right after completing an examination. Some might feel very good, but there will be frustration or mixed feelings for others; it is hard to predict what they are feeling without talking to them.

Therefore, a parent needs to be on their side and listen to what happened and how they wrote their exams. The parents should listen to their children’s side of the story without being judgemental.

Some students might not want to say anything. In such cases, the parents should not force them to say. However, if a student is willing to share his experience, whether good or bad, a parent should be there to hear them out. They should not point out the mistakes that their children made. Many think that correcting the errors would be beneficial, but it causes more harm than a boon, considering the children’s mental health.

Conclusion

A parent’s main responsibility is to make their children feel comfortable and help them achieve good grades while guiding them on the right path. The roles that parents play in their child’s life are very crucial. It is fundamental to have excellent parenting skills to raise their kids without trauma; it would be very difficult for the children to live a happy life while growing up.

FAQs

1. What procedures should a student take to perform well in their exams?

The following are some of the necessary actions a student should take to obtain good scores:

• Create a study schedule
• Understand the exam format
• Never skip breakfast
• Manage time properly
• Utilise the study materials properly
• Get enough amount of sleep
• Answer the known questions first
• Avoid using social media too much
• Consume nutritious food

2. What is the best study time?

According to the experts, early morning is the best time to study because our minds will be fresh and calm. Studying for 1 hour at 5 am will have more effects than studying 2 or 3 hours at midnight. So, it is advisable to start studying early in the morning. It would be the best option to pick from since stamina and energy levels would also be higher during the early morning time.

3. Is it recommendable to study in bed?

Studying while staying in bed is a big no because there will be only less blood circulation to the brain. In addition, it is harmful to study or do schoolwork while sitting on the bed as it can cause posture. 

Therefore, the students should avoid doing that. Proper study habits include sitting straight and keeping the books on the study table, allowing the blood to circulate well.

4. How many hours a student should study per day?

Studying hours differ from one student to another. Some may need 8 hours a day to prepare for boards, while even 4 hours a day would be enough for some. Therefore, it all depends on the learning pace, and the students should study accordingly.