Expert stress management tips for Leaving Cert students and parents

The Leaving Cert is a stressful time for students, especially during a pandemic. Experts weigh in on how parents can best respond if their child’s exams don’t go according to plan

Routine is as important as a sense of calm during exam time. Picture: iStock

For years, teachers and parents have been reminding students of the importance of the Leaving Cert exams — the need to concentrate, be organised, and to stay focused drilled daily into thousands of teenagers all over the country. 

While many students will see the exams as a challenge to be tackled, others will feel immense pressure and possibly a sense of impending doom as they prepare to sit their first English exam tomorrow. But the anticipation is often worse than the execution.