Tallulah, the Young Mayor in Surrey, shares some of her tips for managing the exam season as an autistic young person!
As an autistic student who is about to sit their GCSEs, I find it an incredibly daunting time for many reasons- the workload, fear of failure and finding ways to revise. That's why I'm going to share with you some tips that will make your life a bit easier.
Self care
Your mental health should always be your top priority. Period. Although it may not seem like it now, school is actually such a small part of our lives. Yes, it's important to try your best in school to get the grades you need and deserve. However, in order to fully function and do that, we need to prioritise ourselves. Especially for people with autism, we need a sensory break from the senses around us. Have a nap. Do some skincare. Watch a TV series. Whatever it is, you deserve a break!
Revising little and often
There often is a misconception that you need to revise for hours and hours on end to get those desired grades. Actually, it has been proven that your brain can absorb information more efficiently if you revise in small consistent increments. Try out the pomodoro method - a video is linked below that explains it in more detail.
View the Pomordoro Method video
Find revision methods that work for YOU
We are always told that specific revision methods are supposed to be the holy grail for exam success- but do they work for everyone? Some people prefer to revise in a more hands on way and others prefer to make flashcards. Find methods that engage you and get the information to sink in. Some good revision strategies are using Quizlet or Anki flashcards and blurting. A video for blurting is here:
View the blurting method video
Both of these methods consist of active recall where you retrieve information from your brain. You can adapt these methods to be quizzes which you can test yourself with which can motivate you more to revise!
These exams don't define you as a person!!
This time can be so pressuring for so many of us and we can sometimes think that these grades will determine our whole lives ahead of us and that we won't make it into our chosen paths. The number or letter that we get on a piece of paper doesn't determine our worth as a person, it's actually far from it. It doesn't show how kind or thoughtful we are. Whether you don't get the grades you hope for or get better than you expect, you're still an extraordinary human being. Remember that.
Know that whatever you're feeling is valid
I'm here to let you know that however you may be feeling is completely valid. It's completely okay to be feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. In fact, it shows that you're willing to do well and succeed. Use those feelings and channel them as power and motivation to get yourself to where you want to be. Your hard work will pay off and your future self will seriously thank you for it when you open that exam paper in the summer
Category: Young Mayor
